When I decided to make baked castagnole for the Light and Tasty section, which today dedicates its release to Carnival recipes, I didn’t realize that today is… ahahah it makes me laugh… today is my birthday! Uahuahah! 😄

Yeah, I know, I imagine this might not be that funny for you, but for me, it’s a rather peculiar coincidence that instinctively amused me.

And perhaps, those who know the recipe for my mom’s castagnole have already understood why.

It’s the karma of the castagnole! 😄

It’s that inevitability of events that means on my birthday, castagnole must never be missing, a family tradition my mom has always accustomed me to, and which persists despite the venerable (and at times unbelievable! 😂) age I find myself with since this morning.

That’s why the coincidence made me laugh heartily, because I hadn’t realized at all that the Light and Tasty release, my birthday, and the absolutely random choice to make castagnole coincided. But it can’t be a coincidence; surely my subconscious wanted to tell me something!

Dun dun dun (suspense music)… But what?

Oh yes! Now… that the baked castagnole are in our bellies… now I know! The right day has arrived to say no more to birthday castagnole fried!

Yesssss! Baked castagnole are yummyyyy! 😃

〰〰〰

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Cheap
Preparation time: 40 Minutes
Portions: 38 Pieces
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Carnival

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup potato starch
3.5 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
3 tbsps sugar
3 tbsps corn oil
2 tbsps sambuca (up to 3)
1 lemon (grated zest)
Half packet baking powder
sugar (powdered, granulated, or brown, for decorating)

Tools

Bowl
Parchment paper
Baking tray

Steps

Mix ricotta, egg (whole), sambuca, oil, and sugar with a spoon until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the grated zest of one lemon, then add the flour, potato starch, and baking powder.
Mix with a spoon.
When the mixture appears crumbly, start kneading with your hands until you get a dough.
Divide the dough into small portions, roll them between the palms of your hands to form balls (I got 38, but the number may vary according to size).
👉 The dough is easy to work with, but if desired, it can be briefly chilled in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Do not chill it too much; otherwise, it becomes less convenient to form the balls.
Place the dough balls on a baking tray covered with parchment paper, and bake in an oven at 356°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes if the balls are small or for 15 minutes if they are preferred a bit larger.
Serve the baked castagnole dusted with icing sugar.
Or, alternatively, I suggest a variation that we really liked:
Before baking, roll the castagnole in granulated sugar or coarse brown sugar, covering them entirely.
👉 If the sugar doesn’t stick (this can happen if the dough is cold), you can moisten the balls by brushing them with a little milk.
Baking them like this, covered in sugar, the baked castagnole will be crunchier on the surface.
😉 Before saying goodbye, a clarification dedicated to those who don’t like converting traditional fried items to the baked version:
We really liked these baked castagnole and, I’ll tell you, they surprised me. Sure, they are a bit drier and obviously less greasy than fried ones, but they really are castagnole, the anise flavor is there.
Therefore, they are a very valid alternative to traditional fried castagnole, especially in the crunchy sugar version, and especially for those who, like me, don’t like frying (and only eat fried foods when others fry them!).
We finished them all, and some we even dipped in alchermes. But to avoid misunderstandings: no, they are not exactly like the fried ones, did you hope so, huh? 🤪😀😉