How to make a traditional sweet from the Italian town of Trapani: Ricotta filled Graffe.
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
Italian
Prep Time2hours
Cook Time20minutes
Total Time2hours20minutes
Servings12
AuthorManuela Zangara
Ingredients
Ricotta Filling
500gms– 1.1 lbs. ricotta
360gms– 12.5 oz. sugar
1tspvanilla extract
70gms– 2.5 oz dark chocolate chips
1pinchsalt
Graffe
500gms– 1.1 lbs. flour
50gms– 1.75 oz. lard
50gms– 1.75 oz. sugar
7gmsdry – 2 ¼ tsp yeast
250mlwater – 1 cup+ more to make batter, lukewarm
1egg
1pinchsalt
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Olive oil for handling the dough
Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
Ricotta Filling
Put all the ingredients (apart from the chocolate chips) in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until smooth.
Fold in the chocolate chips. Let the filling rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Graffe
Dissolve the yeast and half of the sugar in the lukewarm water and set aside to activate.
Sift the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add the rest of the sugar, lard and salt. When frothy, add the water with the yeast. Knead until it comes together.
Remove the hook and put the paddle attachment. While kneading, add the egg and enough water to get a thick and sticky batter (like in the picture).
Let it rise for 1 hour, covered, in a greased bowl.
Grease your hands with olive oil and make 12 balls the size of small oranges.
Put them on a tray covered with baking paper and let them rise for 30 minutes.
Deep fry them at 170°C – 340°F until golden brown. Put them on a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
When lukewarm cut a slit halfway through the graffe and and fill them with a generous amount of ricotta cream.
Dust some icing sugar on the top and serve
Recipe Notes
Be gentle when you put the raw graffe in the oil or they may deflate.