Z-z-z-zeppole!

One of the things I miss most about Ithaca is sauntering up to the counter at Smart Monkey Cafe, ordering an organic lunch, an obscenely large cup of Gimme! Coffee and freshly made zeppole. I miss it so much, in fact, that I decided last weekend that the only thing I wanted to do on Saturday morning was make those crunchy little Italian donuts at home. Having never attempted donuts before, I feared that this was a doomed prospect, but no! They were surprisingly easy, deliciously custardy when still warm, and they made for lovely little holiday gifts to all the friends and family we saw throughout the day.

According to my friend Steven, zeppole are an Italian holiday staple (at least at his house), and not always prepared sweetly. Apparently his grandfather stuffs them with anchovies every year, and from what I've read about zeppole, that's fairly traditional. I stuck with the cinnamon/sugar variety because I'm not a fan of anchovies in the morning, but you know, stuff these with whatever floats your boat. Jelly? Sure! Chocolate ganache? Why not! Steak tartare? Go for it. Just don't ask me to share.


Zeppole
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• vegetable oil, for frying

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon and stir. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan over a burner set to medium heat, bring butter, salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar and water to boil. When melted and combined, remove pan from heat and stir in flour. Return to heat and stir until the mixture forms a ball.

3. Pour enough oil into a frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. We didn't want to waste too much oil, so we went with a medium sized pan, and made the zeppole in batches. Heat oil over medium heat until a candy thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Make sure you keep an eye on the temperature throughout the process, and adjust the flame when needed.

4. Transfer dough to bowl of electric mixer. At low speed, mix in eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding another. Beat until smooth.

5. Using a melon baller, mini ice cream scoop or a spoon, carefully drop dough into hot oil a tablespoon at a time. Play around to see how many you can fit into the pan - we were able to do batches of six zeppole at a time. Turn the donuts a few times so that they're evenly golden and puffy, about 5-6 minutes. Drain on paper towels, roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture and eat. Eat! You're too skinny, you need some meat on your bones.

I actually enjoyed the donuts more after they'd cooled down a bit since the initial, just-fried bite is extremely rich and custardy. Either way, make sure you eat them the day you make them - this is one of those treats that doesn't keep.