Zeppole Zeppole

➤ SERVES about 20 ➤ PREPARATION 20 mins ➤ COOKING 5 mins 500ml water grated rind of 1 unwaxed lemon pinch of salt 1 tbsp sunflower oil (plus oil for frying) 300g plain flour ½ tsp baking powder 4 medium freerange eggs granulated sugar cinnamon

In a medium-sized pot, bring the water, lemon rind, salt and a tablespoon of oil to the boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and gradually sprinkle in the flour, mixing continuously to avoid forming lumps. Keep stirring for about 3 minutes until the dough comes away clean from the sides of the pan and forms around the spoon (in the way you would make choux pastry).

Transfer the dough onto a clean, cold surface and allow to cool. Once it is tepid, flatten out by hand, sprinkle over the baking powder and crack the eggs directly on top.

Start mixing by hand, until a dough starts to form. It’s going to feel too wet. Don’t be tempted to add flour. Persevere and keep mixing. It will come together.

Put a heavy-based deep-sided frying pan on the heat and add a few inches of oil. Cut off lump sized pieces of dough and roll out into snakes about the thickness of a middle finger. At this point in the process you can add a sprinkling of flour to help you work if you find the dough too sticky.

Cut the dough and form into doughnuts. Alternatively, you could form other shapes. It’s important that the dough is rolled out into the thickness of fingers.

Gently fry the shapes in oil, half a dozen at a time. They’ll take about 2 minutes, turning once in the oil when golden. Prepare a tray with granulated sugar mixed with the cinnamon. As soon as the zeppole are cooked, dust liberally in the sugar and allow to cool on a tray with kitchen roll. They’re good warm or cold!