Sfinci Recipe (Traditional Sicilian Donuts)

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by Mike CariosciaJanuary 5, 2018June 1, 2019

58 Comments on Sfinci Recipe (Traditional Sicilian Donuts)

Also known as Zeppole, Sfinci are traditional Sicilian donuts. They are a specialty of Palermo! These delicious donuts are light and fluffy andricotta in them makes them creamy. They are perfect for any occasion! Although they can be eaten any time of the year, they are commonly made to be eaten on the 19th of March which the holy day of San' Giuseppe (St Joseph), and also on Christmas. They are best eaten warm!

Also known as Zeppole, Sfinci are traditional Sicilian donuts. They are a specialty of Palermo! These delicious donuts are light and fluffy andricotta in them makes them creamy. They are perfect for any occasion! Although they can be eaten any time of the year, they are commonly made to be eaten on the 19th of March which is the holy day of San’ Giuseppe (St Joseph), and also on Christmas.

Ingredients:

(1 cup) fresh ricotta
Vegetable oil
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of caster sugar
2 eggs whisked lightly
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
Honey

Directions:

Addmilk and sugar to a saucepan on medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. (about 3 minutes) Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs and the ricotta. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and vanilla sugar. Next, fill a sperate deep pan with oil and heat to375. Drop about 4 tablespoons of the mix into the hot oil.
Cook dough in the oil for about 3 minutes or until it has become golden. When the dough is done frying, place it on a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon. Continue until all the dough has cooked and remember to reheat the oil between batches! Drizzle honey over them and enjoy!

Sfinci Recipe (Traditional Sicilian Donuts) | Hardcore Italians (3)

58 comments

Can you give the cups measurements in English?
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1. as long as you use the same cup measurement it doesn’t matter.
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2. What is caster sugar
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  1. Very fine granulated sugar. You can probably just use a good brand of granulated sugar, or to be extra careful, put it through a blender first.
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  2. Castor sugar is “superfine”. It is typically sold in a smaller C&H pink box at most major US grocery stores. You can def buy it online if not. I’m
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Nowhere in this recipe does it say what amount/when to add the Ricotta??????
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1. and how much!
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2. 1c… step 1
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3. It says 1 cup and to whisk it in along with eggs after sugar has been dissolved in milk on the stove but take the pot off the heat when you whisk in the ricotta and eggs.
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4. Yes it does, you whisk it with the eggs
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5. When you whisk in eggs and ricotta
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6. It says one cup and tells you to whisk it in with tbe eggs…
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7. Step 1 says to add eggs and ricotta.
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8. Air is in step 1. “Whisk in the eggs &the ricotta.”
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9. It says 1 Cup
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10. 1 cup of ricotta cheese and add it with all the other ingredients
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11. Go to Pinterest and put in Sfinci Recipe (Traditional Sicilian Donuts) it will give you the whole recipe & directions! 😊
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12. The first ingredient is one cup of ricotta. Re-read directions as it does tell you when to add the ricotta.
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13. It says 1 cup of ricotta in list of ingredients. The ricotta is mixed in as part of the dough that is to be dropped into the hot oil.
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14. Yes it does.
  Add milk and sugar to a saucepan on medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. (about 3 minutes) Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs and the ricotta. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and vanilla sugar. Next, fill a sperate deep pan with oil and heat to 375. Drop about 4 tablespoons of the mix into the hot oil.
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15. in No. 1 it says 1 cup fresh ricotta and in the second sentence it says whisk in the eggs with the ricotta.
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16. Susan B, what recipe are you reading? It is CLEARLY stated in the ingredients and in the directions. You should not make negative posts when you don’t know what you are talking about!
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We need this in ENGLISH. !!!!! Please
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Please show recipe for recotta cheese one.
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What is seed oil?.
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1. Grape seed oil maybe
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Grape Seed oil because it has one of the highest burn points of any natural food oil. Add the ricotta and egg when the sugar dissolves but remove from heat just before adding egg and ricotta cheese.
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Can any of you actually read? The recipe is typed
1 cup of fresh ricotta
VEGETABLE OIL
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of caster sugar
2 eggs whisked lightly
2 cups of sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
Honey
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1. This recipe looks awesome! I am going to make them for my Sicilian friends. Will make my own Caster Sugar too, because it is cheaper, easy to make and definitely easier to find. 😀
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  1. what is Caster sugar?
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2. What is caster sugar? Can it be replaced by cane sugar?
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  1. Can you make regular sugar into superfine? What is VANILLA SUGAR?
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  2. I’m a baker and there’s no difference between castor sugar and granulated sugar.
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  3. I watch the British Baking Show and they always refer to caster sugar and I believe it is super fine sugar.
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3. Yea so? Veg oil to fry in..
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4. What is caster sugar and vanilla sugar?
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  1. There IS a difference between Caster sugar and granulated. Nor is is confectioners sugar. Caster is about half way between the two. So granulated is to coarse and confectioners too fine.
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5. How many eggs.
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6. Can’t believe they can’t understand the recipe.
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7. Sure, I have been making Sicilian Donuts for decades, handed down from grandmother. I just made a batch tonight. I heat the honey in a warm oven where I keep the donuts hot until all are fried. I also make my own vanilla exreact, takes about three years and my own vanilla surger. So my flavors are powerful with lots of depth.
  I then drizzle the warm honey over the donuts, Mixing till all donuts are well coated then sprinkel with lots of powdered sugar. BRAVO!
  This amount of ingredients make a lot of donuts, about 32 to 40 using a tea spoon to scoop and drop batter in hot oil.
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We know it as confectioner sugar in the US
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1. Castor sugar is actually super fine sugar.
  Confectioners sugar is sugar with cornstarch. The subject is debatable. I used the superfine sugar. Worked beautifully.
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  1. Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar, .32 oz., 12 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049J5N5K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dMGdEbKWW7HNV
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what is vanilla sugar?
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1. I would like to know what vanilla sugar is too.
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  1. You can buy little packets from Deli’s
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2. I make my own vanilla sugar..
  When I use the inside of a vanilla bean for other recipes, I add the scraped bean to a cup of regular sugar and let it sit for a week or so in a jar. Sugar absorbs the vanilla taste
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3. Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar, .32 oz., 12 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049J5N5K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dMGdEbKWW7HNV
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4. Vanilla sugar is sugar that has been stored with a vanilla bean, from which it absorbs the flavor. You can just use a little vanilla with the sugar, though it won’t be quite as elegant.
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We used to add cooked cauliflower pieces…or ground anchovies to the mixture… these were soo good…!
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What is vanilla sugar,is it 1tsp of vanilla and 2tsp of sugar?
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Lol, I am recovering from foot surgery and was getting down.
Thank you for all the replies and comments regarding this recipe. I can’t stop laughing
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My Mother and her Aunt made sfinci donuts for Xmas but they didn’t use ricotta.
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I can’t believe so many people don’t know how to read a recipe!
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Thank you for sharing this recipe. I remember my grandmother, mother and aunts making these every Christmas. This recipe seems simple and quick. I can’t wait to try them!
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None of you stand a chance at making this without burning your house down.
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I am a grandma now and I can remember my grandmother making these for me, I just loved them so much she made them for me all the time not just on holiday’s. My grandfather was from Sicily I only know them as Sfinci and I have never had them with Ricotta cheese. My grandmother always made them I believe from pizza dough deep fried with regular white sugar, none of this cinnamon or honey drizzle. How food brings back such sweet memories, I can almost hear my grandmother calling me with her slight sweet Italian accent Mangia Mangia
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You all better pray you can go back to work soon and buy donuts on the way! But thank you for my hysterical laughter.🥰
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Sfinci Recipe (Traditional Sicilian Donuts) | Hardcore Italians (2024)

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