Serves: 16
Total Calories: 261

2 cups ricotta cheese (1 pound)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons dark rum
grated zest of 1 orange
vegetable shortening or vegetable oil for deep-frying
confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. If using supermarket ricotta, place the cheese in a paper towel-lined sieve set over a bowl and let stand for 1 hour to drain off excess whey. (Freshly made ricotta is firmer, and doesn't need draining.) Discard the whey and transfer the ricotta to a medium bowl. Stir in the flour, sugar, eggs, rum, and orange zest.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a jelly roll pan with crumpled paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 360°F. In batches, without crowding, carefully drop tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to the paper towels and keep warm in the oven while frying the rest of the fritters. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the fritters and serve warm.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 16
Total Calories: 261
Calories from Fat: 3

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