Get ready to celebrate Carnival with a treat that will make your taste buds dance! Castagnole, a must-have for the festivities, and today I’ll reveal the secret to making them light thanks to the air fryer!
Imagine biting into one of these soft delights, with a sugary crust and a soft heart that melts in your mouth. You won’t have to worry about excess oil! With the air fryer, you’ll achieve a delicious and light result, perfect for those who love to indulge in a guilt-free dessert.
Making them is a breeze: just mix the ingredients, form balls, and let them cook in the air fryer. And don’t forget to dip them in alchermes and then roll them in sugar for a finishing touch worthy of a true chef, that won’t make you miss traditional frying.
Whether you serve them at a masquerade party or simply to pamper yourself, these castagnole will bring a smile to everyone. Ready to get cooking? Happy Carnival and have fun!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 35Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup potato starch
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1 tsp baking powder (1/2 packet)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 packet vanillin (powder)
- to taste orange and lemon zest (grated)
- For the soak: (1/2 small cup of alchermes + 1/2 small cup of water)
- to taste sugar
Steps
In a bowl, put the previously softened butter, the flour, the potato starch, the sugar, the baking powder, the vanillin, the pinch of salt, the eggs, and the grated lemon and orange zest.
Knead the ingredients until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough. Then form a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
After the resting time, take the dough and pinch small amounts to form balls about 1 inch in diameter, trying to make them all the same size.
In the meantime, preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 4 minutes.
Place the dough balls in the air fryer basket on a sheet of parchment paper, spacing them apart.
Spray them with a light mist of sunflower oil and cook in the air fryer at 375°F for 8 minutes.
Do not exceed 8 minutes, and above all, do not let them become too golden. From fryer to fryer, cooking times may vary by a maximum of 2 minutes.
Remove them from the fryer when only slightly golden on the surface and let them cool before soaking them.
In a small bowl, mix the alchermes with water, and in another bowl, place the sugar.
Dip the castagnole one by one into the soak, remove them immediately, then roll them in sugar and place them on a serving tray.
NOTE: The alchermes soak can be replaced with orange juice.
