The soft spoon castagnole are delicious fried sweets typical of Carnival and very easy to make. The recipe requires simple ingredients that we all have at home; to flavor the mixture, you just need the zest of a citrus fruit and a bit of vanilla, and in a few minutes, you’ll have a dough ready for frying.
My favorite Carnival sweets are definitely the Emilian castagnole, crumbly and crunchy, and the Bolognese sfrappole that Grandma Amelia used to make. She kneaded them with eggs and orange juice and fried them strictly in lard; I remember they stayed perfect for days.
The spoon castagnole are not only very soft but also particularly light and delicate. The difference lies in the cooking method: instead of forming small balls with your hands, you use a spoon to drop the batter into the hot oil. Often, people worry that fried foods can retain a lot of oil, but this only happens if the temperature is wrong.
With this recipe, you will obtain light castagnole that do not retain excess oil, thanks to the right oil temperature, which allows for a crispy exterior and light interior.
After cooking, just pass them onto absorbent paper and dip them in granulated sugar, which will add sweetness and make them absolutely irresistible.
Try also the other Carnival recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 379.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 45.61 (g) of which sugars 22.26 (g)
- Proteins 6.98 (g)
- Fat 19.33 (g) of which saturated 3.95 (g)of which unsaturated 14.32 (g)
- Fibers 0.76 (g)
- Sodium 35.57 (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
The characteristic of this recipe is that you can measure everything with a spoon, I prefer to also provide the weight of the ingredients, choose how you wish to proceed.
- 2 eggs (large – 120 g)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (50 g)
- 3 tablespoons milk (30 g)
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil (30 g)
- 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour (heaping, about 160 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (heaping – 8 g)
- 1 tablespoon rum (or other liqueur of choice – 10 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
- 500 g peanut oil
- as needed granulated sugar (fine)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Saucepan small
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Small bowl
- Paper towels
- 1 Electric whisk
Procedure
Ingredients must be at room temperature.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar, and whisk them for a few minutes until they become light and frothy.
Continue whisking the mixture while adding the oil, milk, and rum.
Add the flour, aromas, and baking powder.
The batter is ready; you will have a fairly thick and smooth batter, perfect to scoop with a spoon.
Pour the oil into a small saucepan with a thick bottom and heat it to 320/329°F. Scoop a small amount of batter with a spoon and, using another spoon, gently drop it into the hot oil.
In a short time, they will double in size and become round.
Fry a few castagnole at a time, moving them often with the slotted spoon so they cook evenly.When they are golden, drain them on a plate lined with absorbent paper to remove excess oil. Pass them in fine granulated sugar and place them on a tray.
The soft spoon castagnole are ready.
Tips
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