| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- Olive oil, for frying
Instructions
- Cut open the vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the back of a knife, scrape along the inside of the vanilla bean to collect the seeds. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl. Add the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine the butter, salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Take pan off the heat and stir in the flour. Return pan to the heat and stir continuously until mixture forms a ball, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the flour mixture to a medium bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg completely before adding the next. Beat until smooth. If not frying immediately, cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
- Using a small ice-cream scooper or 2 small spoons, carefully drop about a tablespoon of the dough into the hot olive oil, frying in batches. Turn the zeppole once or twice, cooking until golden and puffed up, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss with cinnamon-sugar. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 298 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 23 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 129 mg |
| Sodium | 141 mg |
Reviews
So this wasn’t a very successful dish but that was my fault and not the recipe’s. The batter turned out well but when I fried them, my oil was too hot and they didn’t cook all the way through. Even though they were raw in the middle, the parts that weren’t, were very good. Will try these again and manage the oil temp better.
I liked it. While not the zeppole I’d get in most NYC pizzerias, it held its own and I wound up really appreciating the eggy texture. We always have too many eggs (from very spoiled, old chickens) and this could even be part of a breakfast if you go easy on the sugar topping (we just used powdered sugar on ours). I still want to try some traditional ricotta ones, but this recipe is nice because it utilizes ingredients I almost always have onhand.
These turned out light and airy. I used three eggs (my son cracked #4 into his lap ☺️). My kids love these with powdered sugar, so we tossed them in that with ground cinnamon mixed in. Also, I put a capful of vanilla in the batter. Delicious! An amazing base recipe you can do so many variations with!
The inside was kind of eggy so I didn’t really prefer that, however if you add more flour that makes them a little more dense and it solved the issue. Tried with the cinnamon sugar, I prefer powdered sugar. Overall great taste, just have to play with the consistency bc this recipe won’t make them as dense as they usually are.
The taste was good, but I did not like the texture. The outside crisps up nicely, but the middle of these zeppoles stay mushy (for lack of better words). It’s because of the 4 eggs. It makes a custard-like center. If you don’t mind this texture, then continue on with this recipe. It just depends on your personal preference. If you’ve tried it, and the eggy centers are not your thing, I found another recipe that was practically the same. The difference was it called for only one egg, and 4 tablespoons of butter. For me, It was much better texture wise. I still love u Giada ❤️P.s. This is a base recipe for pâte à choux pastry dough, used to bake profiteroles, eclairs, cream puffs, etc.
My father in law made me these just like this.
Loved them, easy and fast recipe. Tasted great, melted in your mouth.
These are not traditional Zeppole. They aren’t bad but if you are looking for a traditional recipe then this isn’t for you. Also, I finished with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce on half of them and cinnamon sugar on the other half. I prefered the powdered sugar and chocolate.
WOW! it does not taste as the regular zappole I had before, this might be a Special recipe of zappoli. I just finished my and It is so delicious. Five stars!
These are not your typical street fair zeppoles. These are pure bites of light and airy goodness. Got rave reviews for these and will definitely make them again!