Vivian Howard’s recipe for sweet potato Zeppole (donut)

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour + 2 tbs cornstarch “cake flour”
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup ricotta 
• Flesh of 1 baked sweet potato 
• 2 tbs lemon zest 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Heat oil in Dutch oven to 375. Combine dry ingredients in small mixing bowl, set aside. Whip together wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl then slowly add dry mixture, gently working together with hands. Once combined, drop a heaping spoonful of dough directly into hot oil. Fry until golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of Vivian Howard, Benny’s Big Time Pizzaria and the National Sweet Potato Convention. More recipes and information on Howard and North Carolina sweet potatoes can be found at www.VivianHoward.com and www.sweetpotatoconvention.com.