The ricotta castagnole are typical Carnival sweets, with a very soft consistency and delicate, aromatic flavor. Everyone knows the classic castagnole, with a more compact dough and covered with granulated sugar, which, in the oven version, can also be colored and flavored with your favorite liqueur. The ricotta castagnole, unlike the classic version, are fried in spoonfuls in boiling oil, immediately assuming a nice round and regular shape. Just like my famous quick spoon fritters, the dough for ricotta castagnole is very quick to prepare – it only requires a bowl and a spoon – and you could almost make it in the time it takes the oil to reach temperature. The ricotta makes them incredibly soft, and their fluffiness remains intact even after a couple of days, which is quite rare for fried sweets. Like all the recipes on my blog, ricotta castagnole can also be made with gluten-free flour: I tried both with very fine rice flour and with a specific gluten-free cake mix and the result was excellent in both cases!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 40 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 34.40 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 5.34 (g) of which sugars 2.34 (g)
- Proteins 1.22 (g)
- Fat 0.95 (g) of which saturated 0.42 (g)of which unsaturated 0.47 (g)
- Fibers 0.09 (g)
- Sodium 17.82 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 12 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 about 40 ricotta castagnole
If you are celiac, you can substitute all-purpose flour with equal weight of very fine rice flour or a gluten-free cake mix. However, make sure the following ingredients have the “gluten-free” label: rice flour, baking powder, powdered sugar.
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 5.3 oz ricotta (sheep or cow)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder (half a sachet)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 lemon (only grated zest)
- 2 tbsp rum (or milk)
- as needed peanut oil (for frying)
- as needed powdered sugar (for garnish)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Pan non-stick and deep
- 1 Tongs for frying
- Absorbent paper
How to prepare the soft ricotta castagnole
To prepare ricotta castagnole, start by placing the ricotta in a bowl along with the sugar and a pinch of salt (1). Work for a few minutes with a wooden spoon until you get a creamy mixture (2). Then add the first egg (3) and continue to mix.
When it is well incorporated into the ricotta mixture, add the second egg (4) and mix thoroughly. Finally, add the grated lemon zest and rum (5). If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can replace the rum with the same amount of milk. Add the grated lemon zest as well (6).
Mix briefly, then sift the flour combined with baking powder into the bowl (7). With the wooden spoon, carefully mix it into the dough. You should obtain a homogeneous and fairly compact mixture that remains attached to the spoon (8). If you notice it’s too hard, you can add a little milk; if it seems too liquid, add a little flour. Small differences in dough consistency can be due to the type of ricotta, whether firmer or more watery.
Heat plenty of peanut oil in a deep enough pan or a deep fryer (if you have a kitchen thermometer, the optimal temperature is 338°F). Take half a tablespoon of dough at a time and, with the help of another spoon, let it slide into the boiling oil (9). In contact with the oil, the ricotta castagnole will puff up and take on a nice regular shape. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes, turning them often (10).
When they are golden on all sides, drain them with frying tongs (11) or with a skimmer and transfer them to a plate or tray lined with absorbent paper. Let them dry well (but if you have fried at the right temperature, you will see that the ricotta castagnole absorb very little oil), then sprinkle them with powdered sugar (12).
The ricotta castagnole, served freshly made, are irresistible, soft, and fragrant. Even in the following days, they remain soft and delicious.
Storage
You can store ricotta castagnole at room temperature under a glass dome or in a cake container to preserve their softness.
Tips and Variations
As with many fried sweets, cooking is the most delicate part because it’s not easy to control the oil temperature. The sugar in the dough also tends to darken very quickly when in contact with hot oil, giving the impression that the fritters are cooked when they may not be fully cooked. Therefore, my advice is not to make the dough portions too large, so they cook evenly inside, and to turn them often.
To make gluten-free ricotta castagnole, as I mentioned at the beginning, you can use either very fine rice flour or a gluten-free cake mix. I have tried both versions: with rice flour, the fritters are crunchier on the surface, while still maintaining a soft inside, whereas with the cake mix (I used Nutrifree), the outer part is as soft as the inside.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I bake these castagnole in the oven?
No, this type of castagnole cannot be baked in the oven or in an air fryer, as the dough is too soft and would not hold its shape. For oven-baked castagnole, you can follow this recipe.
