The 4 jar castagnole are Carnival sweets that are very easy and really quick to prepare. They don’t need resting or rising time because they are made with baking powder. You don’t even need a scale because a 125g yogurt jar is used as a measuring unit, just like the 7 jar cake.
Because this recipe is so simple, you can even get your kids to help in preparing these tasty yogurt castagnole, involving them in making their “Carnival snack” (because you will obviously have to do the frying). You will just need a bowl, a fork, and a few minutes to prepare these delightful castagnole.
Like all fried foods, these yogurt castagnole are delicious freshly fried, so I recommend preparing them at the moment or, at most, frying them an hour before serving. To have perfect, crunchy, and dry castagnole, I leave you my article full of tips and tricks on how to make perfect frying.
Well, now let’s move on to the recipe, but first, I leave you some sweet recipes without a scale or mixer that you can make when you’re in the mood for something sweet.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival, Winter
- Energy 704.20 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 89.74 (g) of which sugars 45.67 (g)
- Proteins 9.20 (g)
- Fat 36.77 (g) of which saturated 4.24 (g)of which unsaturated 30.38 (g)
- Fibers 1.51 (g)
- Sodium 29.90 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 137 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 to prepare 4 jar castagnole
The unit of measurement used to prepare the castagnole is the classic 125g yogurt jar.
- 2 jars all-purpose flour (about 250 g)
- 1 jar granulated sugar (about 125 g)
- 1/2 jar sunflower seed oil (about 40 g)
- 1/2 jar plain natural yogurt (about 60 g)
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- as needed lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
- as needed sunflower seed oil (preferably high oleic)
- as needed granulated sugar
Tools
- Bowl
- Fork
- Frying pan
- Slotted spoon
- Plate
- Absorbent paper
- Lemon grater
Steps to prepare 4 jar castagnole
Let’s see together how to prepare these easy Carnival castagnole.
In a bowl break one egg and grate the peel of one lemon (organic), being careful not to grate the white part of the peel, which is bitter.
Quickly mix with a hand whisk or a fork.
Add the half jar of yogurt and mix again. Put the other half of the yogurt left over in another container (and use it for other purposes) and then rinse and dry the jar.
Measure half a jar of oil and pour it into the bowl.
Mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
Then add one jar of sugar. You can decide whether to fill the jar to the brim or to use less sugar, depending on how sweet you like it.
Add 2 jars of flour, one at a time, and mix. Finally, add the sifted baking powder.
Work the mixture with the fork or the whisk until you can, then continue by hand. The dough you should get in the end will have a fairly soft consistency (you should not get a dough ball).
Since it is a recipe with not very precise weights, you may need more or less flour. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour, then let it rest for about ten minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed pan with plenty of oil and prepare a deep dish or bowl with granulated sugar.
With floured hands, take small amounts of dough the size of a hazelnut and make small balls, which you will place on a floured surface. I recommend not making them larger because they will puff up during cooking, and you risk having an undercooked center.
Fry the 4 jar castagnole a few at a time and especially over moderate heat, the oil should barely bubble. Turn them often and when they are golden, drain them on absorbent paper.
Roll the castagnole while still warm in the plate with granulated sugar and place them on a serving plate.
Storage and Variants
– The castagnole should be consumed preferably at the moment because like any fried food it loses its crispness over time.
– Store them in a tightly closed container and consume within 24 hours.
– You can replace the grated lemon peel with another flavor of your choice.
– You can also use flavored or fruit yogurt, soy yogurt, or lactose-free yogurt.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
At what temperature should the castagnole be fried?
The castagnole should be fried at a moderate temperature because they should gently brown to have well-cooked castagnole even inside. Ideally, it should be between 300°F and 340°F maximum. If you have a kitchen thermometer at home, it will be easy to keep an eye on the temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, I recommend frying on the medium burner on moderate heat: the oil should just sizzle slightly.
