The soft castagnole with mascarpone and orange are one of the many versions of spoon castagnole; easy to make, they are prepared and fried quickly, and they remain soft for a long time if well preserved. We are in the height of Carnival, and the patisseries’ windows are full of chiacchiere, arancini, and fritters of all kinds, which are really hard to resist; making them at home will allow you to save and get lighter and healthier products.
The recipe I propose is a variant of my ricotta castagnole, the dough is the same but I replaced the ricotta with the same amount of mascarpone which gives the castagnole a unique softness, making them very soft and delicate.
I don’t like frying, I don’t do it often, but this year I can’t stop; ever since I took the course with Luca Montersino, I can’t wait to put the tips received into practice. It’s not difficult, but you have to follow a few rules that will make your fried foods perfect.
What are the rules for perfect castagnole?
– the oil you use in cooking should never reach the smoke point (every fat has a different smoke point, for peanut oil it is 446°F)
– the ideal temperature for carnival fried foods like castagnole is around 329°F
– it is important to monitor the oil temperature with a thermometer to keep it under control
– never fry too many pieces together; otherwise, the oil temperature will drop, and the castagnole will absorb more oil
– always keep the castagnole moving, so they cook evenly
Let’s see how to prepare soft castagnole with mascarpone
Also try other Carnival recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: for 450 g of castagnole
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 381.80 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 42.45 (g) of which sugars 16.62 (g)
- Proteins 6.08 (g)
- Fat 21.54 (g) of which saturated 7.70 (g)of which unsaturated 9.34 (g)
- Fibers 0.76 (g)
- Sodium 27.60 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 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
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 1 egg (medium)
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp rum
- 1/6 cup milk (or orange juice)
- 1 tsp orange zest (grated)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 17.6 oz peanut oil
- to taste fine granulated sugar
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Scale
- 1 Hand whisk
- 1 Saucepan small
- 1 Slotted spoon
- Absorbent paper
Procedure
In a bowl, work the mascarpone with the sugar, incorporate the egg, add the vanilla, orange zest, the liqueur, and the milk (or orange juice), mixing well with the hand whisk.
Add the sifted flour with the baking powder, mix the mixture until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough. Cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Pour the oil into a small saucepan with a thick bottom and bring it to 329°F. Take a small amount of dough with a teaspoon and with the help of another teaspoon, gently drop it into the hot oil.
In a short time, the castagnole will double in size and become round.Fry a few at a time, moving them often with the slotted spoon so they cook evenly.
When they are golden, drain them on a plate covered with absorbent paper so they lose the excess oil. Let them cool slightly and pass them in fine granulated sugar.
The soft castagnole with mascarpone and orange are ready.
Tips
The soft castagnole with mascarpone and orange can be stored for 2 days at room temperature.
**********************
For advice on making the recipes, contact me on FACEBOOK and, if you like, follow me on INSTAGRAM
Send me your photos, I will gladly publish them on my social media
