Today, let’s prepare these delicious and fragrant limoncello castagnole. Soft, without butter and oil, a real temptation!
Castagnole, also known as “favette“, are a typical traditional carnival dessert, widespread throughout Italy.
No respectable Carnival exists without bringing to the table castagnole, chiacchiere, arancine, ciambelline, zeppole and frittelline.
Among the various versions we find, with or without butter, with or without yeast, with Rum or Alchermes, today I offer you a fragrant and delicious limoncello version.
These castagnole are very soft, without oil or butter. The dough is made with few ingredients. Eggs, sugar, flour, yeast, spreadable cheese and Limoncello.
The limoncello castagnole are really easy to make and do not require exceptional skills, except for one, the most important one! Knowing how to fry!
Yes, because frying seems easy but you have to follow some little tricks to make sure the fried food is dry, golden, and crispy.
Don’t worry, I will soon reveal the tricks for perfect frying!
Although castagnole are a traditional carnival dessert, they can be made and, especially, enjoyed all year round!
Moreover, these very soft castagnole can also be filled with custard once cooked. For a break of pure pleasure!!
But now let’s focus on these delicious, soft, and fragrant golden fritters!
Let’s see how to prepare limoncello castagnole!
Other delicious recipes you might be interested in!
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: about 60
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch (or all flour)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 7 oz cream cheese
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsps limoncello
- lemon zest
- 2 tsps baking powder
- as needed granulated sugar (for final decoration)
- as needed peanut oil (or olive oil, or extra virgin if preferred)
Tools
- Thermometer
- Saucepan
- Slotted Spoon
- Hand Whisk
- Bowl
- Paper Towels
Steps
For perfect frying, crispy, dry, and not heavy, first control the oil temperature.
The general rule is that the oil temperature should be between 320°F and 356°F before immersing the food (whatever it may be).
For practicality, I use a kitchen thermometer to measure the oil temperature.
Otherwise, as our grandmothers used to do, you need to insert a tiny amount of dough (or a small piece of bread crumb). If it sizzles, it means it’s ready!
Another golden rule is to put few pieces at a time into the saucepan.
In this way, you can more easily control the cooking and avoid a sharp drop in temperature.
Another important rule is the quantity and the quality of oil used for frying.
As the Latins said, Melius abundare quam deficere meaning better to abound than to lack.
So remember that for perfect frying, it’s preferable to use plenty of oil.
Regarding the type of oil to use, most people use extra virgin olive oil, which has a high smoke point (356°F).
However, since the final result might be quite “heavy,” many prefer to use peanut oil.
In a bowl, add sugar, spreadable cheese, and Limoncello. If you prefer, you can replace it with lemon juice or another liquor of your choice.
Mix with a hand whisk until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream.
Grate the zest of a possibly organic lemon, well washed and dried with a kitchen cloth.
Then, insert two whole medium eggs and continue mixing with the hand whisk (no need for an electric mixer).
Finally, add sifted flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.
Mix well until you get a thick and sticky mixture that you will handle with the help of two teaspoons.
At this point, you just need to move on to frying!
Pour the oil into a saucepan. The larger the pan, the more oil you need to cover the castagnole. If you want, you can use a tall, not too wide saucepan.
In this case, however, it will take more time to cook them all because, as mentioned above, it is necessary to insert few castagnole at a time.
Turn on the gas and wait for the oil to reach the indicated temperature, checking with the thermometer or the old-fashioned way!
Depending on the amount of oil added and the flame, it may take more than 5 minutes before the oil reaches temperature.
Once ready, immerse the castagnole inside by taking some mixture with the help of two teaspoons.
Since there is yeast in the dough and thus they will tend to puff up, I advise you to make small portions.
I got about 60 pieces. If you prefer them bigger, obviously do as you wish!
Once you have inserted a small number of pieces, after a couple of minutes, turn them with a ladle.
For optimal cooking, it takes ABOUT 4–5 minutes, also depending on the size of the castagnole.
Once they have become beautifully golden, drain them immediately on a plate with a sheet of paper towels on it.
At this point, to prevent the oil temperature from rising excessively, remove the pan from the gas because you need to perform an important operation.
After dabbing the excess oil, quickly pass all the castagnole in granulated sugar and then arrange them on a serving plate.
This operation must be done while the castagnole are still warm; otherwise, the sugar will no longer stick!
When you have finished covering them with sugar, put the pan back on the gas and check the temperature again.
It will definitely have dropped to around 266-284°F. No problem, wait a few minutes until it reaches 338°F again, then immerse other castagnole inside (a few at a time!).
Turn them occasionally to brown them on all sides, then drain them again and pass them in sugar.
Proceed in the same way until you cook them all! Yes, I know, it’s a bit tedious, but the final result will fully reward you!
When your serving plate is full of those wonderful castagnole, all you have to do is lock them away to resist the temptation or let yourself be won over!
Just taste one to fall in love with these soft, fragrant, and fragrant limoncello fritters!
If you are wondering how to store them or how to replace some ingredients, keep reading below!
I hope you liked this recipe and that you will also try to make limoncello castagnole!
Indeed, please, if you try them, leave me a comment below; I’d be delighted to read you!
Until the next recipe!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © Reproduction Reserved
Contains advertising content
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Is it necessary to use Limoncello or how can I replace it?
No, it is not necessary but obviously if you prefer not to use it, the “liquid” portion provided by the recipe must still be “adjusted”!
If you like liquor desserts, I recommend Rum; it goes great with castagnole! Or Alchermes!
If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, always in the same dose as indicated above, you can use lemon juice, or if you prefer, orange juice (in this case, use orange zest instead of lemon zest!).What can I use instead of spreadable cheese?
You can replace it with ricotta, provided it is well drained (if necessary, let it drain in a sieve for a few hours).
Or you can use mascarpone, robiola, or Greek yogurt. It is better to avoid classic yogurt because it is more liquid, and it may be necessary to increase the amount of dry ingredients.I don’t have cornstarch at home! Can I use only all-purpose flour?
Certainly! I preferred to put a part of cornstarch which makes the cakes softer and more fragrant, but it is not essential.
Can I fry the castagnole with olive oil?
It depends on your habits! I prefer not to fry with olive oil for a lighter fry; I usually use peanut oil. If you are used to using olive oil for frying, feel free to do so in this case, always paying attention to the temperature (between 320°F and 356°F).
Why did my castagnole come out too dark on the outside and raw on the inside?
For one of the reasons I mentioned above! For perfect frying, you need to follow those few simple but essential rules! If you inserted the castagnole into the oil not yet at the right temperature, you will get heavy, greasy, and not crispy fried food. If you had too aggressive a flame, they burn on the outside while not cooking on the inside. To help you control the cooking more easily, it is important to insert few pieces at a time.
How do I know if the oil is hot without a thermometer?
As I mentioned above, we must resort to the means our grandmothers (and mothers) once used! You can dip a toothpick into the oil, and if you see many small bubbles forming, it’s ready! Or a piece of bread crumb, if it starts to sizzle, it means you can proceed!
Why does foam form when I fry?
This happens when the oil temperature was not correct to proceed, and certainly not having the thermometer does not facilitate this control. It also happens when the temperature drops quickly, for example, if too many pieces are inserted inside.
How long do castagnole last?
Unfortunately, for a short time! This delicious dessert must be consumed on the same day if you want to enjoy it in all its wonderful fragrance and softness! Therefore, it is advisable to fry them in the morning and enjoy them throughout the day! Even the next day, they are good, they remain soft, but they lose the crispness of the outer surface. To keep them until the next day, I recommend closing them in an airtight container. In that case, the next day, you will see that the sugar is practically gone because it is absorbed by the moisture released by the castagnole. You can still pass them quickly and without exaggerating in a bit of granulated sugar, and they will be beautiful as if just made!
Can I freeze castagnole once cooked?
For the same reason castagnole must be consumed on the same day, I recommend avoiding freezing. The final result would not be the same! At most, you can freeze the dough once prepared and proceed with frying at a later time.
Can I fill the castagnole after cooking?
Of course! You can prepare a nice custard, chocolate cream, or use hazelnut or pistachio spread… a real delicacy!
