The Carnival Castagnole, like the chiacchiere, are among the most representative desserts of the happiest celebration of the year. Small, round, and golden, they captivate at the first bite thanks to their soft interior and crunchy, sugar-coated surface. A simple dessert that certainly enriches the table of masked parties and fills the kitchen with aromas.
Making homemade castagnole means rediscovering an ancient recipe, passed down from generation to generation, born from a poor but ingenious kitchen. With a few genuine ingredients and quick preparation, you get a truly irresistible result, perfect even for those without much cooking experience. For this reason, castagnole remain one of the most beloved Carnival desserts, along with chiacchiere, frappe, and tortelli. I almost forgot… Follow me on my social pages, on Instagram by clicking HERE and on Facebook click HERE and also on Pinterest HERE.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 35 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 236.93 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.72 (g) of which sugars 6.99 (g)
- Proteins 0.95 (g)
- Fat 21.24 (g) of which saturated 2.84 (g)of which unsaturated 17.44 (g)
- Fibers 0.15 (g)
- Sodium 28.57 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 17 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 the Castagnole dough
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsps butter
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 tsps baking powder (for desserts)
- 1 pinch fine salt
- Half packet vanillin
- 1 tbsp limoncello ((10 g))
- 2 1/2 cups sunflower oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Preparation
Place the all-purpose flour in the stand mixer or a bowl.
Add the sugar, baking powder, vanillin, and salt.
Then add the very soft butter cut into pieces and start mixing.
Add the limoncello and the egg and continue kneading. Transfer the dough to the table and work it with your hands until you obtain a soft, homogeneous, and smooth dough.
Let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
After the resting time, take the dough and take a little at a time to form many small balls weighing about 10 g each.
Fry in a small pot with plenty of oil, no more than 4-5 castagnole at a time for about 3 minutes. The oil must be very hot (around 340-350 °F, but not too hot; otherwise they burn and remain raw inside. If you don’t have a thermometer, to check the right temperature, you can insert a piece of dough, if bubbles form immediately the oil is ready.Drain the castagnole and place them on a sheet of absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.
Decorate them by rolling them in a small bowl with sugar.
Tips, storage, and variations
The castagnole are best when fresh, but they can be stored and remain soft in an airtight container for about two days.
If you prefer a lighter version, you can bake the castagnole in the oven at 350 °F for 10 minutes. In this case, to have soft castagnole, add 80 g of sugar instead of 50 g and also add 2 tablespoons of milk.
