Ricotta and chocolate fritters

Place the flour in a large bowl, then place the sugar in the middle, along with the pieces of soft butter, the seeds of the vanilla bean and a pinch of salt 1. Pour the milk into a jug, add the egg yolk and thoroughly emulsify. Start preparing the dough by hand, gradually adding the liquid and kneading all the while to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together. Place the dough on a work top and continue kneading by hand for around 10 minutes, until homogeneous and firm 2. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave to rest in a fresh and dry place for at least an hour (not in the refrigerator). In the meantime, prepare the filling: start by placing the ricotta cheese 3 in a steel sieve to remove any lumps.

Now add the previously sieved powdered sugar, the grated lemon and orange peel, the egg yolk, the seeds of the vanilla bean 4, the cinnamon 5 and lastly, the chocolate drops 6. Stir thoroughly.

Now roll out the pastry using a rolling pin (or a pastry rolling machine) to obtain a thin sheet and cut into squares around 8" x 4" (20x10 cm) in size, using a serrated wheel cutter. Dab the egg whites you saved for later along the edges of the rectangles 7 using a brush and place a spoon of ricotta filling onto one side of each rectangle 8. Close the fritters and delicately press down along the edges to seal them. Heat abundant peanut seed oil in a pan, at 355°F/390°F (180°C/200°C), and start frying the fritters, three at a time, for around 3 minutes, until golden and crisp 9. Drain your ricotta and chocolate fritters and leave them to dry on some absorbent kitchen paper; sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.