Ricotta Fritters with Fresh Orange Sauce

Yum! Not too sweet, not heavy, just a perfectly airy ricotta doughnut. It has a crisp shell accompanied with freshly made orange sauce and topped with fresh ricotta and orange zest. Also very simple, promise.

In a mixing bowl put:
3/4C all purpose flour
1t baking powder
1/4C sugar
1t lemon zest
1t orange zest
1t vanilla extract
2 eggs
and 8oz ricotta cheese. Mix it all together until smooth, don't over mix.

In a saucepan, heat 1C non-hydrogenated shortening on medium heat. When hot, add the ricotta batter with a ice cream scooper. Keep the heat on medium as they should not brown too quickly since the inside will still be raw. When golden on one side, flip them over, continuing on medium heat. Place them on a paper towel and make the orange sauce.

Fresh orange sauce:
In a saucepan put 1/2C sugar and 1/2C water. Heat to boil.
Zest 1 orange, add half of the zest to the sauce, reserve the other half for the ricotta topping.
Squeeze 3 oranges and add the juice to the sauce. Reduce the sauce and let it thicken over high heat, about 15 minutes.
Add 1t vanilla extract. Cool a little.

Ricotta topping:
In a bowl add 1/2C ricotta
1t superfine sugar
the reserved orange zest
1t vanilla extract. Stir with a spoon.

Now on a plate put a few tablespoons of orange sauce, place the fritters on top of the sauce, dust the fritters with powdered sugar and dab a teaspoon of ricotta topping on each. Serve warm.