“Cooking with my mother and kids is all about creating memories – special, precious moments that last forever. We get to pass on our culture, tradition and values.” – Massimo Mele
Zeppole (Italian doughnuts)
For many Italians, zeppole hold a special place in our hearts. Zeppole are doughnuts, rolled in or dusted with sugar, with a fluffy melt-in-your-mouth centre. And they are super simple to make.
Ingredients
- 500 g flour
- 6 tbsp sugar (about 120 g)
- 1 tbsp yeast
- Pinch of salt
- 4Â eggs
- 50 ml milk
- 50 g butter, melted
- 1Â lemon, zested
- Limoncello, to taste
- 1Â vanilla bean
- 3Â potatoes (about 400 g), peeled and boiled
- Oil, for frying
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, lemon zest, limoncello and vanilla bean seeds.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients along with the boiled potato. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for a few hours in a warm place until it doubles in size.
- Preheat the oil in a large pan to 170°C.
- Take a tablespoon of dough for each zeppole and fry it in the oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan, frying about 5 to 8 zeppole at a time.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Cook’s Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20ËšC. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.