Italian Ricotta Donuts Episode 4.6
Who can't resist the delicious aroma of a donut? As a child I preferred mine hot, dusted in cinnamon sugar, or oozing with rich raspberry jam. But as I have grown older, my tastes have changed. These donuts are very grown up and sophisticated, yet surprisingly simple to make.
Warning: - you won't want to stop at one!
In Italian they are called Frittelle, and are bite sized morsels, light and crunchy on the outside, smooth and creamy on the inside. They were surprisingly easy to convert to gluten free by adding baking powder and using a standard gluten free flour mix.
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine. It adds lightness to the batter.
These are best served immediately, but as they only take 2-3 minutes to cook, your guests wont be waiting too long. As with all gluten free, the batter is best cooked straight away. It too, is quick to prepare.
When deep frying, I use a wok because it is easy to handle, and deep enough. Your oil should be 175°C - 190°C before starting to cook. If you don't have a food thermometer drop a small amount of batter into the oil -if there isn't any bubbling then the oil isn't ready. If it is furiously bubbling and smoking then the oil is too hot. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan as it will drop the temperature of the oil and you will get soggy, oily donuts. You can view my YouTube video of these delicious donuts below.
Recipe
Makes 20
Method:
Combine eggs, ricotta, sugar, salt and fine orange zest in a large bowl. Mix until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder and Prosecco. Mix lightly until just combined - a few lumps add to the texture.
Heat oil in a wok until 175°C - 190°C. Drop tablespoons of batter into the oil - usually 3-4 at a time so as not to overcrowd the oil. Turn gently until golden brown - 2-3 minutes.
Drain on paper towel.
To serve, dust with icing sugar and orange zest
Warning: - you won't want to stop at one!In Italian they are called Frittelle, and are bite sized morsels, light and crunchy on the outside, smooth and creamy on the inside. They were surprisingly easy to convert to gluten free by adding baking powder and using a standard gluten free flour mix.
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine. It adds lightness to the batter.
These are best served immediately, but as they only take 2-3 minutes to cook, your guests wont be waiting too long. As with all gluten free, the batter is best cooked straight away. It too, is quick to prepare.
When deep frying, I use a wok because it is easy to handle, and deep enough. Your oil should be 175°C - 190°C before starting to cook. If you don't have a food thermometer drop a small amount of batter into the oil -if there isn't any bubbling then the oil isn't ready. If it is furiously bubbling and smoking then the oil is too hot. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan as it will drop the temperature of the oil and you will get soggy, oily donuts. You can view my YouTube video of these delicious donuts below.
Recipe
Makes 20
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbl sugar
• 250 g fresh ricotta
• Fine zest of 1 orange
• 120 g self-raising flour (GF)
• 1 tsp baking powder (GF)
• Pinch of salt
• 150 ml Prosecco
• Olive oil for deep frying
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Coarse orange zest
Method:
Combine eggs, ricotta, sugar, salt and fine orange zest in a large bowl. Mix until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder and Prosecco. Mix lightly until just combined - a few lumps add to the texture.
Heat oil in a wok until 175°C - 190°C. Drop tablespoons of batter into the oil - usually 3-4 at a time so as not to overcrowd the oil. Turn gently until golden brown - 2-3 minutes.
Drain on paper towel.
To serve, dust with icing sugar and orange zest
Updated May 2023
Comments