Today I present to you one of the typical carnival recipes from the Marche region: Scroccafusi! They are one of the best sweets that exist. They have a double cooking process; they are boiled and then fried. It takes a bit of work, but I assure you they are truly delicious! I remember helping my grandma fry them as a child, because they are the only sweet Grandma Lina didn’t make entirely at home; she used pre-boiled sticks that needed only to be cut and fried. Then, trying it myself, I understood why, given the somewhat laborious procedure! But enough talk, let’s make scroccafusi together, which believe me, are easier to make than to read about! TRADITIONAL MARCHIGIAN SCROCCAFUSI RECIPE (in the recipe, resting and cooking times are indicative due to their double cooking process (boiling + frying); instructions will be provided step by step)
Other Marchigian carnival recipes:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 18 scroccafusi
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients for Traditional Marchigian Scroccafusi (dough)
- 4 Small Eggs
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Mistrà (anise liqueur)
- 3 1/3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Pharmacy yeast dose for 4 eggs
- Plenty of water (for boiling the scroccafusi)
- Plenty of frying oil (I use peanut oil)
- Alchermes (as needed to soak them well)
- Sugar (as needed to cover them on the surface)
Tools Useful for Making Traditional Marchigian Scroccafusi
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Pastry Board
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- 1 Food Scale
- 1 Tea Towel
Preparation of Scroccafusi (Dough and First Cooking)
In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, mistrà, and oil until you get a frothy mixture.
Now add the flour mixed with the pharmacy yeast and, with the help of the spoon, start mixing. When you see that the mixture is not sticky, work it for about 15 minutes on a floured pastry board.
Once you have obtained a firm and smooth dough, make 6 sticks each about 12 inches long.
Put a large pot with plenty of water on high heat, and when it boils, lower the flame to a minimum (the water should slightly simmer). Now boil two sticks at a time, place them in the water, stir continuously (to prevent them from sticking), and boil for about 8/10 minutes.
Once the sticks are boiled, place them on a clean cotton tea towel and cover them. Let them rest covered for at least 4 hours.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-low heat.
Cut each stick into 3 pieces about 4 inches each, and on each piece, make an x incision (without going all the way through!) starting from the top left side and ending at the bottom right side and vice versa.
When the oil is hot and ready (you can check by inserting a toothpick for a moment, and if it forms bubbles around, it’s ready), dip (maximum 4 at a time) the scroccafusi in the pan with the cut facing down.
Turn the scroccafusi often (use a spoon and slotted spoon) until they take on a nice golden color, then drain them and let them rest on paper towels or paper for frying until they are cool).
Once the scroccafusi are cool, prepare a bowl with plenty of alchermes and immerse the scroccafusi almost entirely one by one (I leave only the bottom “white”). Place them on a tray and while they are still wet, sprinkle them generously with granulated sugar! And voila, now you just have to let them rest for a few minutes and then enjoy them!
Traditionally, Scroccafusi are red with alchermes and sugar soak, but if you don’t like alchermes, they can be left white (as in the photo) and covered with a drizzle of honey just warmed on the stove.
Useful Information
You can store the scroccafusi on a tray covered with paper like that used for bread bags. Pharmacy yeast is fantastic because unlike other yeasts it is dosed based on eggs, and that’s something I love! If you try them, leave me a comment! If you have any questions about the procedure, cooking, or anything else, contact me on the blog or my social channels listed below!
Acknowledgments
A special thanks to my grandma Lina for passing down her passion for cooking and for introducing me to so many amazing recipes as a child! Finally, a thank you also to the pharmacist for the patience shown in seeing me ask for different doses of yeast for different numbers of eggs until finding the ideal dose!
