Growing up in close proximity to an Italian kitchen, every holiday season was marked by my grandmother preparing a traditional Sicilian confection called sfinge (ˈsfindʒe or SFĒN-jeh). My grandmother recalls the seasonal tradition of making sfinge with her sisters on the family farm in Tunisia. Though the recipe changed during hard times in the 1930’s when ingredients such as ricotta cheese were held at a premium, the version she uses today, which incorporates French influence, is fit for royal decadence:
Photo: gastronomia-online.com
- 1 cup flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pound ricotta cheese
- 4 eggs
- powdered sugar to garnish
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add ricotta cheese and eggs.
- Blend until smooth.
- Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.
- Spoon batter into pot of boiling canola oil.
- Remove sfinge from oil when they turn golden brown.
- Garnish with powdered sugar.