Today a sweet recipe: fried castagnole.
Fried castagnole are a typical Italian carnival dessert. Their name comes from their shape and size, similar to a chestnut.
A simple dough made of eggs, flour, and sugar from which small balls are formed and then fried. Once cooled, they are dusted with powdered sugar or, alternatively, rolled in granulated sugar while still warm, or drizzled with rum or alchermes liqueur to make them red.
Soft and delicious, they will win you over, and you won’t be able to resist them!
You can fry them in a pan or use a convenient home fryer similar to those in restaurants and pubs.
My castagnole are flavored with orange zest. This is the recipe my mother taught me, and I find it very good. Of course, you will find many variants out there, but I assure you that once you try this one, you won’t leave it.
This time I kneaded them by hand, but you can prepare them by putting everything in the mixer and letting it blend well.
Let’s see together, step by step, how to make them.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: about 30 balls
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients for the Castagnole
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup rum
- 1 orange (zest)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- to taste powdered sugar
- to taste vegetable oil (for frying)
Tools
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- 1 Kitchen Scale
- 1 Fryer
- 1 Pastry Board
Let’s Begin!
On a work surface, make a well with the flour, baking powder, zest of one orange, and sugar. Place the softened butter in the center in pieces and start kneading quickly. Reform a well and add the slightly beaten egg and rum, then knead to form a dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about half an hour.
Take the dough and form balls the size of a chestnut, place them on a sheet of parchment paper, then fry them in plenty of frying oil or a fryer. When they are golden, use a slotted spoon to drain the fried castagnole on paper towels to remove excess oil.
A Riccia Recommends
Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least half an hour so that the butter sets and the dough is more workable. Don’t cook them too much, or they will become hard.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How do I cover the castagnole with granulated sugar?
If instead of dusting them with powdered sugar you want to use granulated sugar, you will need to roll the castagnole in granulated sugar placed in a dish or bowl while they are still warm.
