Frittelle: Traditional Italian Christmas Eve Doughnuts (Zeppole)
Zeppole or frittelle are traditional Italian Christmas Eve doughnuts which are made from a sticky, flavored version of bread dough. However, there’s nothing plain about them once they’re ready: they’re incredibly delicious and light!
Every year, my mother makes these zeppole or frittelle (a type of Italian doughnut), for Christmas Eve and we stuff ourselves silly because we just can’t help it–they’re so good!
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What are Zeppoles?
First of all, the word “zeppole” is already plural, so everyone asking “what are zeppoles?” on Google, are double pluralizing the word–now you know. 😊 Zeppole are a form of Italian doughnuts. There are at minimum, two main types of zeppole:
- One type of zeppole are made from a flavored, wet bread dough, made with yeast, which is the recipe I’m sharing with you here.
- The other type of zeppole are made with choux pastry (these are more often associated with St. Joseph’s day).
For this recipe, just type “zeppole” into the search bar at the upper right hand side of my page (under my logo) and you’ll be taken there.
An Italian Christmas Eve Tradition
Just like cioffe or frappe, which I posted earlier this year, these doughnuts are called by many different names, depending on the region of Italy where they are made. I wouldn’t even know how to write the name that my family calls them (because it’s in dialect), but the fancier way to pronounce the dialect version is “torciniegli.”
I don’t believe anyone can eat just one frittella. Truly, I don’t think it’s ever happened. I start eating them as I’m standing at the stove, frying them; are you getting the picture here?
You may also enjoy these Italian ricotta doughnuts.
These babies are awesome! But there’s one thing we always ask ourselves when we’re in the midst of our frittelle frenzy, “Why do we only make these once a year on Christmas Eve?” Of course, it’s tradition to make them then, but what I can’t believe is that we don’t make them more often!
If you’re interested in more, here are some authentic Italian Christmas Eve dishes
Maybe it’s the same reason we don’t make turkey with stuffing, and pumpkin pie in April: because it’s tradition to make these dishes at a specific time of year. Or maybe not, because I’m putting a note on my calendar for March 15th (as good a day as any) to make zeppole again–yep, I’m gonna be a rebel!
Interested in a British Christmas tradition? Read all about Christmas Pudding.
Here’s another reason we kick ourselves: they’re so easy to make! You’ll get your hands a bit sticky with dough, but there’s no rolling and cutting like traditional yeast doughnuts! Give them a try, and maybe you will also be putting March 15th down on your calendar, as “Frittelle Making Day”, too.
How do you Make Zeppole From Scratch?
Zeppole, or frittelle, are made from a very wet bread dough, and then deep fried. Follow the recipe below for simple step by step directions.
Can Zeppole be Frozen?
In short, yes you can freeze them. However, I would advise against it. The texture will not be the same as when they were fresh, and they will be sticky. In essence, they simply don’t freeze well.
Zeppole or Frittelle: Traditional Italian
Christmas Eve Doughnuts
Recipe from my Nonna Chiarina
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Special equipment: deep fryer (or wok or pot), tongs and if desired, a candy thermometer.
Make the Zeppole/Frittelle Dough
Put the yeast in the water and set aside for 5 minutes.
Place the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and mix together. After the yeast is ready, pour the water and yeast mixture into the bowl along with the juice and peel, and mix by hand until a very sticky dough forms (if using rum-soaked raisins, add them at this time).
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until at least doubled.
It will look like the photo below when it is ready.
Next, place the oil into a deep pan (I used a wok) and heat to a medium high temperature.
Test the oil by dropping a tiny piece of dough into it: if it doesn’t begin to fry right away, the oil is too cold; if the dough browns too quickly, lower the heat as the oil is too hot.
When the oil temperature is correct (you can use a candy thermometer to check for 350F), take a piece of dough (it will be very sticky) and pull into a doughnut shape with a hole in the center, as shown.
Fry the Zeppole/Frittelle
Next, drop the doughnut into the hot oil and continue to make more. It is necessary to have another person frying the doughnuts while one person is shaping them. It is just too difficult (and dangerous) to do both things at once, since the dough is very sticky.
The zeppole will rise and cook quickly, so turn them as soon as they begin to brown on one side. Once they are cooked, remove them from the oil and place on paper-towel lined plate for a minute or two.
Serve the Zeppole/Frittelle
Finally, dip the zeppole into the sugar and cover completely. Place on a serving plate, if they make it that far! You can eat them without sugar if you prefer, but remember, the dough isn’t very sweet.
I highly suggest serving these immediately!
Zeppole or frittelle are truly best when eaten the same day they are made. I served them piled on a glass cake plate.
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Frittelle: Traditional Italian Christmas Eve Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¾ tsp dried yeast
- 8 oz water lukewarm
- 1 tbsp orange or lemon juice
- 1 tsp orange or lemon peel
- ½ cup raisins soaked in rum, optional
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Put the yeast in the water and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Place the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl; mix together and after the yeast is ready, pour the water and yeast mixture into the bowl along with the juice and peel, and mix by hand until a very sticky dough forms (if using rum-soaked raisins, add them at this time). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until at least doubled.
- Place the oil into a deep pan (I used a wok) and heat to a medium high temperature.
- Test the oil by dropping a tiny piece of dough into it: if it doesn't begin to fry right away, the oil is too cold; if the dough browns too quickly, lower the heat as the oil is too hot.
- When the oil temperature is correct, take a piece of dough (it will be very sticky) and pull into a doughnut shape with a hole in the center.
- Drop into the hot oil and continue to make more. It is helpful to have another person frying the doughnuts while one person is shaping them, as it just too difficult to do both things at once, since the dough is so sticky.
- The frittelle will rise and cook quickly, so turn them as soon as they begin to brown on one side. Once they are cooked, remove them from the oil and place on paper-towel lined plate for a minute or two.
- Dip the frittelle into the sugar and cover completely. Place on a serving plate. Best eaten the same day.
Notes
- You can make these savory, too. Just omit the sugar.
Nutrition
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a winter sunrise from my back door.
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zeppole
Hi Christina.
We spoke in the past about these Zeppolis, or whatever they’re called. LOL. I asked you about something my family called “dadowls”. I never knew how it was spelled, just what my mom called it. You had told me that you never heard of that name, but they could have been called different things in different parts of Italy. My grandmother was from a town in Pulia, near Foggia called Castellucio Vallemagiorre. I looked high low for the recipe for these elusive “dadowls”. Then, I saw this recipe for Fritelles posted here and it clicked. These are the exact donuts my mom made. And I suspect that the word Fritelle is the original name that was mispronounced over the decades to what my mom thought was being said by her Italian relatives. . . Mystery solved. Merry Christmas.
Donna Grove
Oh, I’m soooo happy, Donna! It’s fantastic to recover a lost recipe, but rather than saying it was mispronounced, I would hazard a guess that they were called something else in your mother’s region. The same recipe can have hundreds of different names within Italy! Merry Christmas!
These were called Culurelli by my grandparents/parents from Piane Crati, Calabria, dipped in powdered or reg. sugar. Husband’s Sicilian side said “sfingi”-much like beignets. No raisins,or citrus and no potatoes. Mmm in the big scolapasta, lined with paper towels.
Soooo many names! Lovely memories!
This is something I would love to make! And sit down with coffee from the moka coffee pot to enjoy….thank you for all the great recipes…
Good luck, Michelle!
This looks delicious and certainly goes perfect with espresso made in the moka pot! Yum!
Thank you for all of your kitchen love and inspiration this year
I’m going to finally do this! Your directions gave me the confidence! This recipe would go great with an espresso from D&G’s moka pot. Have a Merry Christmas Christina