The Castagnole with Alchermes are a typical Carnival dessert, soft and sugary, they are always a hit! On the blog, you can also find the recipe for ricotta and lemon castagnole and chocolate castagnole. Castagnole are boozy bites, they can be fried or baked, the dough may vary, usually including flour, eggs, sugar, and in my case, seed oil instead of butter. My favorite variation is with Alchermes because they remain more flavorful and softer compared to those sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Carnival Sweets

- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 25
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 100.96 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.94 (g) of which sugars 4.78 (g)
- Proteins 1.57 (g)
- Fat 3.51 (g) of which saturated 0.53 (g)of which unsaturated 2.78 (g)
- Fibers 0.25 (g)
- Sodium 3.95 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 30 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
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 tbsp grappa (limoncello or rum)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup seed oil
- 2/3 cup alchermes
How to Make Baked Castagnole with Alchermes
Break the eggs in a large bowl along with the sugar, beat them with a fork, then add the oil and grappa.
At this point, incorporate the flour gradually and then the sifted baking powder.
Mix well with the fork, thoroughly combine everything, and then transfer the mixture onto the work surface and knead until you obtain a smooth and soft dough.
Take small amounts of dough and form small balls with your hands.
Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 356°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes.
Soak them with Alchermes and then roll them in granulated sugar.
Storage
Store the castagnole in an airtight container at room temperature away from heat sources. They keep for up to 3-4 days, freezing is not recommended.