Neapolitan graffa is one of the pillars of Neapolitan street food and one of the most appreciated desserts of Neapolitan cuisine. They were prepared mainly for the Carnival period, but today you can always taste them and it is easy to find them at every corner of the city.

The origin of the Neapolitan “graffa” (the current one in which potatoes are also used) dates back to around 1830, shortly after the birth of the famous “zeppole di San Giuseppe“, a cake typical of Father’s Day.

Although graffe are one of the most appreciated desserts of the Campania cuisine, it seems that the origin is however Austro-German. In fact, the term “graffa” derives from “krapfen”. The story goes that the name derives from a Viennese confectioner,”Cecilia Krapf”, who invented the recipe of this famous dessert back in the 17th century, and then only after, around the 18th century arrived in Italy during the Austrian domination.

Recipe of Neapolitan Graffa

Here is the recipe of the Neapolitan graffa of gacher_land

Ingredients

• 400 g of flour
• 450 g potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 cube of yeast dissolved in milk

Procedure 

Boil the potatoes and mash them.

Add the eggs, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt and finally the yeast previously dissolved in the milk.

Start kneading and add the flour gradually until you get a consistency such that you can transfer the dough on a work surface and start working it with your hands.

Once obtained, divide the dough into many pieces and work each piece until you obtain a shape similar to a small “salami”.

Close them in a donut shape and leave to rise for 1 hour.

Once leavened, fry the graffe in deep oil or, alternatively, cook them in a ventilated oven at 180 degrees.

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Enjoy your meal!