Zeppoli, Italian Dough Balls

“Our Assistant Scoutmaster, Mrs. A, taught us how to make these at summer camp!”

Servings: 6 to 8
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Challenge Level: Moderate

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 standard stick) salted butter
1 cup water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups vegetable oil
1 cup confectioners sugar

Required Equipment:
Cook stove
Medium-size cook pot
Medium-size frying pan
Long-handled tongs

Preparation at Camp:
1. Add butter, water and granulated sugar to a medium-size pot and warm over low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove pot from heat and add vanilla extract and flour.

3. Stir the batter until smooth. Allow pot to rest for about 15 minutes.

4. Warm vegetable oil over medium heat in a medium-size frying pan. If oil begins to smoke, reduce heat.

5. Very carefully drop batter by the teaspoonful into the hot oil. If the dough balls aren’t fully covered in hot oil, flip them with tongs to coat all sides. Don’t pack the pan full. Instead, cook the dough balls in batches.

6. Fry dough balls for a couple of minutes, until light brown.

7. Remove dough balls with tongs then set them on several stacked sheets of paper towels to drain and cool for a few minutes.

8. Pour confectioners sugar on a plate and roll the dough balls in the sugar powder before serving.