The Carnival brighelle are small fried cream puffs of Umbrian origin traditionally filled with pastry cream. The recipe is simple to make; you need to prepare a choux pastry specifically balanced for frying (low in sugars and fats compared to classic cream puff pastry) with which we will prepare these magnificent sweets to fill as we like.
The characteristic of the brighelle or fried cream puffs is that they are completely hollow inside to hold a generous filling. Fry a few at a time because their volume triples during cooking and try to keep the temperature not too high (329/338°F), otherwise they will cook immediately on the outside and remain raw inside.
We are in the middle of Carnival, the most beloved festival by children, full of colors, confetti, streamers, and costumes to dress up in. There are many typical sweets, chiacchiere, bignole, soft castagnole, rice fritters, milk and semolina fritters; each of these sweets changes name and ingredients depending on the region we are in, and each one is more delicious than the last.
Here are some recipes to try:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 50 brighelle
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 274.61 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 23.14 (g) of which sugars 11.94 (g)
- Proteins 6.81 (g)
- Fat 17.75 (g) of which saturated 6.00 (g)of which unsaturated 11.02 (g)
- Fibers 0.36 (g)
- Sodium 152.34 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 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
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs (medium)
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 1/8 cups water
- 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp salt
- orange zest (or grated lemon peel, half an orange's zest is sufficient)
- 2 cups pastry cream
- 2 cups peanut oil (or any other oil you prefer)
- as needed vanilla powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Piping bag
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Saucepan
Procedure
First, prepare the pastry cream, following the recipe you can find HERE. Place it in a bowl covered with cling film in contact with the surface and let it cool completely.
If you have time, you can easily prepare it the day before to optimize your time.
Put a saucepan on the heat with the water, butter, sugar, a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
As soon as the liquids come to a boil, remove the saucepan from the heat, pour the flour all at once and mix quickly with a spoon to avoid the formation of lumps.
Lower the heat and cook the mixture until it detaches from the sides, creating a thin white layer on the bottom of the pan.
Turn off the heat and transfer it to a bowl to let it cool, 5 or 6 minutes will suffice.
Add the room temperature eggs one by one, letting each be completely absorbed before adding the next. Add the orange or lemon zest, and the choux pastry is ready.
You should obtain a creamy and velvety batter, do not add more eggs than necessary, or the mixture will become liquid and irrecoverable.
Pour the oil into a pan with a thick base and bring it to 329/338°F. Take a small amount of dough (a small teaspoon) and, using another spoon, place it in the hot oil; if you prefer, you can use a piping bag. If the mixture is well made, they will triple in volume in a short time.
Fry a few fritters at a time, moving them constantly so that they are well browned on each side.
Drain them and place them on a plate with absorbent paper. Let them cool and fill them with pastry cream, place them on a tray, and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.
The Carnival brighelle with pastry cream are ready to serve.
Tips
Storage
The Carnival brighelle can be kept at room temperature for one day. In the fridge, they last for 2 or 3 days, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
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