📋Italian Donuts Graffe - Zeppole Di Carnevale

These fried Italian donuts Graffe are one of the many traditional fried desserts we eat at Carnival, also called Zeppole di Carnevale. Their dough is made with potatoes, flour, milk, butter, eggs, a small amount of sugar, and yeast. They are flavored with lemon zest, deep-fried in oil, and served with a coat of granulater sugar. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, Graffe are a special Carnival treat from Naples.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Carnevale zeppole, fried Italian donuts, fried Italian doughnuts

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Resting time 2 15

Total Time 3 25

Servings people

Calories 383kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Manual Vegetable Grinder
KitchenAid Attachment Food Grinder Accessory optional
KitchenAid Mixer optional
Deep Fryer optional
Pincers for kitchen

Ingredients

5 medium potatoes should be about 1 lb - 500 gr
4 cup flour
3 fresh eggs
3.5 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon caster sugar
½ cup milk To activate the yeast
½ cup milk Only if needed
1 lemon zest
2 tablespoon yeast 1 package
vegetable oil for frying
½ cup caster sugar for coating

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the potatoes

Boil the potatoes until they are cooked. For medium potatoes, it would take about 20 minutes
5 medium potatoes
Grind the potatoes while still warm
If you use a manual grinder, you need to peel the potatoes before grinding them
Let the potatoes cool down slightly

Activate the yeast

Slightly warm up half of the milk and melt the butter in it
3.5 tablespoon butter, ½ cup milk
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let it rest for a few minutes to activate.
2 tablespoon yeast

Prepare the dry ingredients

In the meantime, prepare the dry ingredients by adding the lemon zest to the flour
4 cup flour, 1 lemon zest
and the sugar
2 tablespoon caster sugar

Making the dough

Add the dry ingredients to the potato
Stir roughly with a fork and make a well in the center
Add the eggs to the center
3 fresh eggs
Roughly combine them with a fork
Add the milk with the butter and the activated yeast in the cent
Roughly combine with a fork until most of the liquid is absorbed
At this point, the dough is dry enough to use your hands
Knead the dough with your hands to feel the consistency
The dough should be moderately stiff and not sticky. If it is too firm, add more milk
½ cup milk
The dough is now done

Shape the donuts

Place enough flour on a flat surface
Cut the dough into half, then quarters
Cut into small pieces and roll the dough into strips
Shape them into rounds
or into ribbons
Line them up on the well-floured surface
Cover with a cloth
Let them rest for 2 hours

Frying the donuts

Place the frying oil in a pan and bring it to high heat, about 355 F - 180 C
vegetable oil for frying
Place one donut in the oil to make sure the oil is warm enough to fry
After a few seconds, the donut will float to the surface
Turn it around to cook it evenly on both sides.
If the oil is warm enough, you can fry a few donuts at the same time
Place them on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil

Serve them

Coat them with sugar while they are still warm
½ cup caster sugar
They are ready to serve
They can be served as they are or topped with jam

Video

Notes

The amount of milk used in this recipe will depend on the size and type of potatoes. The amount on the recipe card is used only as a reference.

I use an electric grinder in this recipe that automatically separates the skin. If you use a manual grinder, you must peel the potatoes by hand before grinding them.

Do not boil the potatoes already peeled as they will absorb too much water

Only use half of the milk (half the quantity in the recipe card) to activate the yeast.

Ensure the milk is at a lukewarm temperature. If the temperature is too high, the yeast will not activate

Knead the dough with your hands to feel the consistency in case you need to add more milk

If you have made other donuts dough before, you will feel this dough is much softer than dough without potatoes

When you start frying, place only one donut in the oil to make sure the oil is warm enough to fry. After, you can place more donuts at each time, depending on the size of the pan

Coat them with sugar while they are still warm
They are best eaten the same day

Nutrition