INGREDIENTS for about 60 zeppole:
1 Kg of yukon gold potatoes
about 1kg of all purpose flour
4 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
250 ml of warm milk
200 gr sugar
5 tsp dry yeast
the lemon zest of one organic lemon
1 tsp of vanilla
120 gr butter
a pinch of salt
about 6 cups of Wesson vegetable oil
a mix of about 3 cups of sugar and 2 TBS of cinnamon (or more according to your preferences)
Rinse well the potatoes and boil them - skin on. Once they are boiled, mash them using a potato ricer.
Allow the yeast to dissolve in the warm milk for a few minutes.
Create the dough by mixing all the ingredients together by hand, adding the flour a little at the time.
You may need more or less than 1kg of flour, depending on the consistency of your potatoes. The dough should be soft and not sticky on the outside.
Cover the dough with a cloth. Flour a few baking sheets.
Remove a chunk of the dough from the original piece. Dust your working surface with flour, roll out the dough in strips about 18cm long (about 7 inches). Cross the two ends on top of each other to form a donut, so that you have two "tails" on each side. Place on floured baking sheets. Cover each baking sheet with a clean cloth and let the zeppole rest and rise for about 45 minutes to one hour in a non drafty warm room (not in the oven).
Pour vegetable oil in a tall pan. Heat up on medium high heatzeppole that you can fry at the same time will depend on the size of your pan. However, be careful not to overcrowd it. I can fry about 4 at the time. After frying the first ones, you will realize if you need to adjust the temperature. They need to be golden - not dark brown or they will burn - and will need to be turned on both sides while frying.
. When hot, start frying. The number of
Drain them on paper towel and while still warm, dip them in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Place on a serving platter.
Zeppole are best when still warm or eaten within the same day. Their consistency will change with time, and they will become harder and stale as time goes by.
