The cream ravioli are fried Carnival sweets filled with delicious custard, to which I have also added dark chocolate chips to make them more indulgent. Together with chiacchiere, fritters and castagnole, the sweet ravioli cannot be missed in this period.
These very delicious Carnival sweets are widespread in various regions of Italy. Consequently, there are many recipes, different versions, and various fillings. Besides custard, Carnival fried ravioli can also be filled with sweetened and flavored ricotta, fruit jam or jelly, mustard, or chocolate.
I chose custard because I particularly liked the combination with their soft and delicious shell (they have a consistency similar to shortcrust pastry), but you can also use ricotta cream or chocolate custard.
Preparing cream ravioli is very simple and quick, also because they are made with baking powder, so there is no need to wait for the dough to rise, making them perfect to be prepared as a snack, dessert, or to enrich the buffet of birthday or Carnival parties.
Well, now let’s move to the recipe and see together how to prepare these delicious Carnival sweet ravioli, but first, I’ll leave you some other delicious links that might interest you.
Oh, I almost forgot, don’t miss my article on how to achieve perfect frying (both sweet and savory).
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 30 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 134.55 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 16.59 (g) of which sugars 6.40 (g)
- Proteins 2.40 (g)
- Fat 6.86 (g) of which saturated 2.54 (g)of which unsaturated 3.78 (g)
- Fibers 0.34 (g)
- Sodium 16.81 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 38 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for preparing cream ravioli
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- lemon zest (grated from one lemon)
- 1 tbsp limoncello (or other liqueur)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- lemon zest (from half a lemon)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- to taste peanut oil (for frying)
- to taste vanilla powdered sugar
Tools for preparing cream ravioli
- Small Pot
- Bowl
- Plastic Wrap
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Wheel
- Frying Pan
- Lemon Zester
- Sifter
Steps to prepare cream ravioli
Let’s see how to prepare sweet ravioli with cream. Take the ingredients out of the fridge at least an hour in advance to use them at room temperature.
First of all, prepare the cream. Heat the milk with the lemon peel, without bringing it to a boil. Turn off the heat, let the milk infuse for a few minutes with the lemon, then remove the peels. Let the milk cool down.
Beat the yolks with the sugar. Add the flour. When the ingredients are well mixed, begin to temper with the warm milk.
Put the cream in a small pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring continuously with a spatula. When it starts to bubble, cook for another minute, then remove it from the heat, place it in a bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap.
Let it cool completely and, in the meantime, prepare the dough for the sweet ravioli.
Prepare the dough by working all the ingredients fairly quickly until you get a compact dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or in the fridge for about half an hour.
After the resting time, take the dough and roll it out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. For an even thickness, I recommend a rolling pin with rings. I find it very useful.
With a pastry wheel, cut rectangles of about 3×2 inches. On one half of the rectangle, place a little bit of cream and a few chocolate chips. Moisten the edges with a little water and fold the other half of the rectangle over the filled part to close the cream ravioli.
Continue like this until all ingredients are used up. Then move on to frying.
Heat plenty of peanut oil in a thick-bottomed pan, reseal the edges of the cream ravioli, and then place them a few at a time in the oil.
Fry a few ravioli at a time at moderate temperature to avoid them getting too dark.
Turn them occasionally to make them golden on both sides, and when they are ready, drain them on absorbent paper.
When they have cooled, sprinkle them with powdered sugar and serve! You will see how delicious these cream ravioli are!
Storage
– As with all fried foods, it is best to consume them immediately. If leftovers, store them in the fridge in a closed container for no more than 24 hours.
– You can also use milk or dark chocolate flakes instead of chocolate chips. You can also omit the chocolate chips.
– To flavor the sweet ravioli and the cream, you can also use vanilla extract (or vanillin) or grated orange peel. In the cream, you can use a tablespoon of orange marmalade.
FAQ
Can cream ravioli be baked?
Yes, you can bake them in a static oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven. In any case, as soon as they start to brown, they are ready. They won’t have the same texture as fried ones, but it’s a good alternative.
How can I use the leftover egg whites from the cream?
There are many ways to reuse leftover egg whites. You can try the apple cake with egg whites, coconut sweets, breakfast egg white cookies, chocolate cake with only egg whites, coconut and chocolate chip bundt cake or brioche dough with egg whites.
If you don’t want to use them in desserts, you can add them to omelets or freeze them in a well-closed container. When you need them, you just have to thaw them in time.
