Ricotta, orange and lemon castagnole are soft, very fragrant Carnival fritters — irresistible. I made them on TV on Canale10 in my show La cucina di Vane.
A fluffier variation of the classic castagnole thanks to the ricotta in the dough, which makes them light and moist just right.
I love making them at this time of year because they fill the house with citrus aroma and immediately make it feel like a celebration! They’re very simple to make, no stand mixer required, and the dough is ready in a few minutes. Perfect served still warm, rolled in granulated sugar… you won’t be able to stop at one!
If you’re looking for a recipe for soft, easy and quick castagnole, this ricotta-and-citrus version will win you over.
You can read all the recipes featured on TV HERE and rewatch all the episodes on my YouTube Channel or on Canale10’s website, this episode can be seen here.
Remember I’m on TV on Canale10 with La cucina di Vane every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 1:10 PM and 7:40 PM — see you there!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 6 oz granulated sugar (about 3/4 cup (170 g))
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (250 g)
- 2 1/6 cups all-purpose flour (type 00) (270 g)
- 1 sachet baking powder (16 g (about 1 tbsp))
- 1 orange zest
- 1 lemon zest
- as needed peanut oil (For frying)
- as needed granulated sugar
How to make Ricotta, Orange and Lemon Castagnole prepared on TV
In a large bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar until you get a light, slightly frothy mixture.
Add the well-drained ricotta and work everything together until you obtain a smooth cream. Then add the grated orange and lemon zest, which will give your Carnival castagnole a wonderful aroma.Sift the flour together with the baking powder and add them gradually to the mixture.
Mix gently until you obtain a soft, homogeneous and slightly sticky dough. Do not overwork it: it must remain tender.With the help of two tablespoons, scoop small amounts of dough and form little balls. They don’t have to be perfect: during frying they will puff up and become round and beautiful.
Heat plenty of peanut oil to 329–338°F. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, dip the tip of a toothpick into the hot oil; if small bubbles form around it, the oil is ready for frying.
Fry a few castagnole at a time, turning them gently so they brown evenly. When they are puffed up and nicely golden, drain them on paper towels.
Be careful with the oil temperature: if it’s too hot they will brown quickly on the outside and remain raw inside.While still warm, roll them evenly in granulated sugar.
Serve them warm or at room temperature and enjoy all their softness… you’ll see, they’ll disappear in no time!
… Vane’s tips
Drain the ricotta well to avoid a too-soft dough.
You can flavor the dough with a tablespoon of anise liqueur or rum, or with rum extract.
If you want to make them even more indulgent, you can fill them after frying with pastry cream or hazelnut cream.
They are best the same day, when they’re still soft and fragrant.
Drain the ricotta well to avoid a too-soft dough.
You can flavor the dough with a tablespoon of anise liqueur or rum, or with rum extract.
If you want to make them even more indulgent, you can fill them after frying with pastry cream or hazelnut cream.
They are best the same day, when they’re still soft and fragrant.
