I have realised that Easter came and went faster than a speeding bullet this year and I haven’t posted anything about the food we ate. I won’t rehash the whole day but I must make special reference to the delectable ricotta doughnuts I made for dessert. I was looking for something that wasn’t chocolate seeing as the kids’ bedroom was overflowing with chocolate wrappers.
Of course, it helps if you have delicious, fresh ricotta at your fingertips, however, if you do not and regular store-bought is the only option then the lemon zest will help boost the flavour. I wish I had a better photo of these delectable, morish balls, however, I have to confess these were made at the end of a very long and fabulous day of eating and drinking way too much so I was somewhat blasé when it came to the photo… I was also caught off-guard when I opened my icing sugar and found it had formed into one solid block, hence the lack of white powder elegance on the above balls. I was also supposed to make a lovely orange glaze to drizzle over these delectable doughnuts, alas I discovered that the oranges had never made it home (can’t say the same for the extra bottle of Prosecco). So I improvised and used pure maple syrup which worked a treat.
I love it when a recipe is very quick and easy, and I love it even more when I can improvise with the ingredients. I’m not sure we really needed these at the end of the day but I know I was pretty excited to eat them when they were fresh out of the oil. However, next time I will make the added effort to check my supply cupboard before I drink a bottle of prosecco and maybe even make a pot of lemon curd to serve with them…that would be really decadent!
Mini fried ricotta doughnuts
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
8 oz fresh ricotta
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon or orange rind
In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, ricotta, vanilla and zest.
With a wooden spoon, mix until just combined.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan (approx 1 inch in pot) then gradually drop in heaped dessert spoon sized balls of dough and fry until golden. Repeat until dough is finished.
Drain balls on some paper towel then sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with either lemon curd, orange syrup, maple syrup or whipped cream.
Just be warned they are very morish!
Italy Take Two 
Ooh, this would be a winner in our house. Sugar AND cheese? Wow.
I know right, and easy to make!!!
Oh gosh…I haven’t fried a donut in years, but these would be devoured in an instant! It’s been a long standing rule for any dinner party where I am running the show that Susie gets just one glass of wine until the entree is served! Wine makes me very passive (and quite hilarious) but I lose my finesse in the kitchen!
I know I shouldn’t drink and cook but sometimes I forget and the fact that these tasted as good as they did after drinks then they really are good! I’d like to have dinner with you one day x
Your ricotta doughnuts had to be delicious even if they were not quite what you had planned originally. I hope that now that you are back in Italy that your life might be getting a little easier. I hate to hear about your lowest of lowest. A big hug from me to you and your family.
Karen, thank you so much. Being back in Italy has helped a lot and we are mending. I gratefully except your hug x
Yum! Despite the lack of artistic flare or white powder touch, these look super delicious.
Thank you!
After spending Saturday at AGFEST cooking donuts for 1000’s of people I think we will give them a miss! You will be proud of me as I only had one or two!!
Must say yours look and sound delicious. X
They do look delicious and I will copy recipe despite being less interested in sweet things these days! Found I had gone down a size when I bought new jeans!
These sound divine! Seems like the perfect end to an Easter feast. 🙂
I’ll take two please! They look delicious!
As much as we love ricotta, these doughnuts would disappear — if they ever made it out of my kitchen. This is one dish that the cook is going to “test” plenty of. 🙂
And that is exactly what I did! 🙂
Yummmmm. (I feel like that’s all I ever say about your food posts, but I can’t help myself) 😉
These looks similar to our attempted Lokama Tatlisi from a couple of weeks back. I like how yours actually came out looking like they were supposed to instead of the mutants that we dished up.
I’ll take that as a compliment as I was onto my second bottle of plonk when I made these…or was it my third?? Clearly you needed to drink more 😉
I seriously do NOT need to drink more. I’m drinking ad I type this, it will only get worse lol
Ha,ha I was just thinking I need a G&T!
Yep late arvo in Florence. Enjoy.