Place the ricotta in a bowl and, while mixing, add the eggs and erythritol with stevia. Then add the dry ingredients and mix until the batter thickens. Rum, vanilla, and lemon zest/juice give a wonderful aroma, so I recommend adding them.

Let the batter rest for a few minutes while preparing the fat for frying.

In a small pot or a pan with high sides, melt the lard. Yes, lard. Don’t worry, the carnival fritters won’t taste like Wiener schnitzel.

There should be enough fat for the fritters to “float,” about 2–3 finger widths.

There are two ways to shape the fritters:

1. For nice, perfectly round fritters, gently roll the batter into balls with moistened hands. I keep a small bowl of water nearby and wet my hands occasionally so the batter doesn’t stick. Shape balls about 3 cm in diameter. You can form them as you fry or prepare them all in advance and just place them in the fat.

2. Using teaspoons: Scoop some batter with one spoon and shape it into a smooth form with the second spoon, then put it into the fat. If the batter sticks too much, dip the spoon in the fat first. The fritters won’t be perfectly round and will have irregular shapes.

The fritters puff up slightly while frying, so don’t make them too large. About 3 cm is ideal. Fry slowly, making sure they don’t brown too quickly; otherwise, the inside will remain raw (see my notes at the end of the recipe regarding fat temperature). Turn them several times – round fritters often turn on their own. I fry them in a smaller pot in 3–4 batches, not all at once.

Drain them on paper towels.

Once completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered erythritol.