This quick recipe comes together in minutes. The fritters are a drop batter that goes in by spoon drop and amazingly puff up round. Moist and spicy these a are a very satisfying quick path to warm 'donut holes'. If you can, fresh grind your spices for the freshest spice flavor.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice:
1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
Ricotta Batter:
1 1/4 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice (from mix steps above)
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
8 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese (1 cup)
Zest of one Lemon
Vegetable shorting (1 cup +)
Prepare
FOR THE PUMPKIN SPICE:
In a mixing bowl whisk together spices (or you can use 3 1/4 teaspoons of a pre-blended pumpkin spice mix)
Set aside 1/4 teaspoon of the spice blend for the ricotta batter.
Whisk or sift together the remain 3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice with powdered sugar.
FOR THE RICOTTA BATTER:
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice.
In another larger mixing bowl, stir together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula: eggs, sugar, vanilla.
Once blended mix in ricotta to egg mixture.
Once that is blended stir in flour and lemon zest. Stir until fully incorporated.
TO FRY & SERVE:
In a saucepan size of your choosing melt enough vegetable shorting to allow for a depth of 2 inches when melted. Depending on how much shorting you want to melt to achieve that depth, will determine the size of pan. I use my small 6" Finex sauce pot and 1 cup of shortening. Frying 3-4 fritters at one time.
Heat melt shortening to a temperature of 375 degrees.
Drop a teaspoon of batter into the hot oil and fry for about 2-3 minutes. Turning fritter as it fries.
Remove fried fritter to a cooling rack over a baking pan.
Repeat until all batter is used.
Roll and or dust fried fritters in pumpkin spice powdered sugar.
