Ricotta Fritters Recipe

Preparation: Fill a large, heavy-duty deep saucepan halfway with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Place the ricotta in a mixing bowl and break it up a little, just to loosen. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg . Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, honey , and vanilla extract. Whisk the liquid ingredients until combined and then slowly begin to draw in the dry ingredients. The mixture should be fairly smooth before you draw in more of the dry ingredients. Add the ricotta to the batter and barely combine. Do not overmix; there should still be visible chunks of ricotta. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time and drop into the oil. Fry until the outside is a light golden brown and the center is still a bit runny, about 20 to 30 seconds on each side. Pile on a platter and sift a fine layer of nonmelting icing sugar over them, or allow to cool and sift powdered sugar over the top. Serve with jam or preserves. Yield: about 28 fritters Note: Use the best-quality ricotta available and add a little extra salt if the cheese isn't salted. Per serving: 78 calories; 5 g fat (1.2 g saturated fat; 58 percent calories from fat); 6 g carbohydrates; 19 mg cholesterol; 33 mg sodium; 2 g protein; trace g fiber. Recipe Source: Nancy Silverton's Pastries From the La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton (Villard) Reprinted with permission.