Carnival Castagnole, are named for their shape – they’re not much bigger than a chestnut (castagna). Castagnole di Carnevale, from the Italian province of Emilia-Romagna, are golden morsels found around Italy in the days leading up to Carnival. And they’re easy to prepare at home.
They're made with a mixture of eggs, flour, and sugar to which a little liqueur is added – usually a little rum or white grappa. Topped with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, castagnole can also be filled with custard or chocolate cream. Here's our recipe.
Recipe for Castagnole di Carnevale
Ingredients:
9 oz. flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
½ stick butter
2 large eggs
½ glass of rum
lemon or orange, only zest
½ packet of yeast
powdered sugar (to garnish)
peanut oil (to fry)
Method:
Shape the flour into a mound on your workspace. Make a well in the center and add the yeast, sugar, and butter. Start to knead mixture together. Add the eggs, one at a time followed by the lemon peel and the rum. Continue kneading until the dough has a smooth and silky texture. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for an hour.
Remove from the refrigerator and separate the dough into rectangles. Use your hands to roll each rectangle into small chestnut-sized balls of dough. Separately, heat peanut oil in a pan and, once hot, add the dough balls (or castagnole) to the oil a little at a time, and fry them until golden brown. To make sure they're cooked through, prick them with a toothpick. If they come out dry, then the castagnole will be ready. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer and place them on a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.