Castagnole, one of the most popular Carnival deep-fried sweets

It’s that time of the year again: Carnevale is almost here!

 

Carnevale means floats, costumes, confetti, big party everywhere you go in Italy and it’s a lot of fun, not only for kids! We also have many traditional recipes that we make to celebrate Carnival.

 

I want to give you my recipe for some sweets that are delicious and perfect for your Carnival party: “Castagnole”.

 

They’re very popular in Italy, many regions have this recipe as traditional Carnival sweet: Veneto, Lombardia, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Lazio, Umbria, Abruzzo.

 

It is a very old recipe: some versions of it were found in an eighteenth-century manuscript. Some places make Castagnole stuffed with custard or whipped cream. I learned this recipe from my nonna and I want to share it with you.

 

However, be careful: once you know how easy it is to make them, you get addicted! I cannot help making “Castagnole” every year! They’re deep fried bites of heaven!

 

CASTAGNOLE 

• 600 gr flour

• 150 gr sugar

• 150 gr olive oil

• 4 eggs

• 1 small glass of anise-flavoured liqueur (optional)

• Grated peel of 1 lemon

• 8 gr baking powder

• Icing sugar 

• A pinch of salt 

• vegetable oil (to deep-fry)

 

Mix all ingredients together until you get a soft and smooth dough. Let it stand for a few minutes. Cut the dough into smaller pieces and roll them into strips; then using a knife, cut the strips into small pieces.

 

Shape each piece into a smooth, little ball. Deep-fry the balls in vegetable oil (I use sunflower oil). When they are golden, take them out with a skimming ladle and dry them. Give Castagnole a few minutes to cool down and then sprinkle with icing sugar. They are good for three/four days…but I doubt you will have any left!