This month we read One Italian Summer, a story about a woman who decides to take a trip to Italy that she was supposed to take with her late mother. While in the beautiful Positano, she meets her 30-year-old mother. A little of fantasy and romance, One Italian Summer transported me to Southern Italy.

If you’ve ever been to Italy, you’d know food is serious business, and this book was no exception. There were so many delicious breakfasts, dinners, and desserts in this book, I had a hard time choosing what to make this month. I ended up deciding on zeppole. I made a simple version, originating in the South because of my egg allergy. If you want to make the Northern-style zeppole check out this recipe.

Easy Zeppole Doughnuts Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water

• 1 tsp active dry yeast

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• vegetable oil

• icing sugar

Method

1. Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let it sit for 2 minutes until creamy.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast mixture, salt, and olive oil. Stir until a sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for an hour and a half.

3. In a deep saucepan, pour in vegetable oil to a depth about 3 inches. Heat the oil to about 370 F.

4. Create a ball of dough using two spoons and drop into the hot oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the the pan. Cook and turn the doughnuts while cooking to ensure an even fry. Once they are golden brown, remove them from the oil and transfer to a tray lined with paper towels.

5. Once all the doughnuts are fried, sprinkle with icing sugar. Serve hot.