The filhos are Portuguese sweets present on the family table during Christmas lunch; in Brazil, however, tradition says that filhos can only be eaten during Carnival, hence the name Filhos de Carnaval, a typical sweet particularly from Pernambuco.
These are “bolo“, understood as fritters, dipped in sugar syrup.
The name derives from the Mediterranean, as the recipe originates from the north of the African continent in the Maghreb region, where they are called “rghaif”: a fried bread with a syrup of honey, orange blossom water, and sesame.
Also the cueca virada, cavaquinho, ceroula virada or orelha de gato, in Brazil are a kind of filhó, that is pastries made from wheat flour and egg dough, rolled into a thin strip that is fried and then sprinkled with sugar, like our chiacchiere which, however, in Brazil have no connection to carnival.
The Filhos de Carnaval were the highlight of the ViaggiandoMangiando on-air broadcast on February 21, 2023, video HERE.
You can find another Brazilian carnival recipe on the blog and other carnival recipes in the blog’s collection “Carnival Sweets”.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 12 pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Brazilian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 7/8 cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- as needed salt
- as needed soybean oil
- 1 glass sugar
- 1 glass water
- as needed ground cinnamon
Steps
Boil the water with the butter and salt.
Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Add the baking powder.
When the dough becomes a firm ball, remove from heat, place on a floured surface.
Let it cool.
Then take the dough again and add one egg at a time, continuing to beat.
Heat the oil.
Shape small balls with the help of two spoons, and fry them in the oil when it’s hot.
Fry until they triple in volume and become golden, then transfer to a plate with absorbent paper.
To prepare the sugar syrup: add the ingredients to a saucepan and heat over high heat until it boils.
Turn off the heat, let it cool to thicken, and finally drizzle the fritters with the syrup.
Brazilian Carnival:
The Brazilian carnival takes place 40 days before Easter. As tradition has it, it is the time of year when people let loose and indulge in the last “pleasures of the flesh” before Lent.
To see the Rio Samba Show, you need to go to the Sambadrome, a kind of huge track/stadium where the traditional School of Samba parades take place, competing until a winner is proclaimed.
There are two different groups, the “access group” (consisting of 15 minor schools) and the “special group” (composed of the 12 most prestigious schools). The winner among the minor schools wins access to the special group for the following year. Conversely, the winner of the special group is proclaimed the absolute champion and performs in the great “Champion Parade” that closes the celebrations.
@viaggiandomangiando Castagnole ? No FILHOS DE CARNAVAL Le frittelle brasiliane del carnevale Ricetta sul blog #viaggiandomangiando #carnevale #carnavalbrasil #carnevalebrasiliano #ricettadicarnevale #castagnole #filhosdecarnaval #ricetta #blog
♬ original sound – Antonella Alberti
