You will love these for dessert or just a snack…pillowy soft dough with raisins, deep fried until golden beautiful then rolled in sugar while still warm. Can you say yummy!!!
Where my parents come from in Pofi, Frosinone we call these delicious treats “crespelle”. In other regions of Italy you may hear people refer to them as zeppole, screppelle, or frittelle. Depending on the recipe’s region of origin within Italy, you will find variations of these in different shapes, sizes, and even flavours. Some are shaped like round fritters, some more resemble donuts while others are made into small logs. This particular recipe uses potatoes in the dough but others do not. Flavours vary from savory versions stuffed with fish such as cod and anchovies with ricotta while others are sweet, filled with a sweet pastry cream or chocolate. The possibilities are endless but all delicious.
Our parents and relatives recall these as a traditional treat that would be made for Christmas Eve. During the season of Carnevale, you are also sure to find a version of these at festivals throughout Italy. Here in North America, we have several cultural events and patron saint day celebrations throughout the year and often you will find these available during the festivities. But really, you do not need a special occasion to enjoy these!
This isn’t a difficult recipe but it goes much smoother if you have a helping hand when frying them. The dough is quite soft and sticky so it helps to have one person carefully putting the dough into the oil and another person turning them as they brown. They cook very quickly too so pay attention to the color & roll them in sugar while they are still warm! Be aware…they are addicting!
It is quite a sight to see the assembly line of volunteer nonnas and nonnos preparing them in quantity for large festive gatherings! This recipe makes quite a few depending on the size. They are best eaten the day they are made or once they have cooled they can be stored in airtight food safe containers, frozen then reheated in the oven when needed.
Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
• 2 large white potatoes boiled and well mashed and cooled
• 3 large eggs slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1 1/4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 11 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups lukewarm water
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• White granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar into 1 cup of lukewarm water. Add 1 teaspoon of yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside until yeast mixture starts to foam.
In a large bowl or container, add the cooled and mashed potatoes, eggs, butter, and 1 1/4 tablespoons vegetable oil.
Add the prepared yeast mixture.
Add 1 teaspoon salt to the flour and add all of this to the potato mixture.
Add the raisins if using.
Mix all the ingredients together to form a dough. While constantly beating the dough with your hands (by grabbing and lifting the dough), add the water a little at a time with your hands to the dough. You want to continue this until you have a very uniform, soft and sticky dough (about 10 minutes) (you may or may not use all of the water to get to this stage).
Now cover the dough with plastic and let it sit until it has doubled in size.
Once it has doubled in size, beat it down again then set aside and let it rise to double one more time.
Measure the oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of about 3 inches. Using a deep fry thermometer, heat the oil to 350 degrees F
Dip your hands into a separate bowl of room temperature oil before grabbing a small quantity of dough, stretch it out slightly and very carefully place into the hot oil. Turn the crespelle a couple of times and cook until they are deep golden in colour and have puffed up (this will take about 2 minutes). Cook only 3 or 4 at a time depending on the size of the crespelle and the size of the pan.
Once they are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon, letting any oil drain back into the pan, then place them onto a paper-towel lined pan.
While still warm, roll them in sugar (to your liking) and place in a platter for serving.
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