During the Carnival festivities that lead up to Lent, you can find these indulgent sweet fritters on bakery shelves all around Italy. Now, you can try them at home!
Sferette di ricotta
Sferette di ricotta, or ricotta cheese balls, are delightful round fritters stuffed with ricotta cheese, a characteristic of many Sicilian sweets.
Makes 80 pieces
Skill Level Easy
Time 1 hour + 1 hour of resting
Ingredients:
14 oz. sheep milk ricotta
11 oz. honey
9 oz. primo sale cheese
11/4 cups remilled durum wheat
1 cup semolina 2
⁄3 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 oranges
1/4 tsp. saffron
baking powder
aquavit – peanut oil
Method:
Let the ricotta and primo sale drain for 30 minutes on a plate covered with a layer of paper towels to absorb the excess liquid. Then vigorously whisk the ricotta with the sugar until it forms a creamy foam. Crumble the primo sale into fine pieces and grate the zest of one orange. In a mixing bowl, combine the primo sale, egg yolks, saffron, orange zest, 1 Tbsp. aquavit, semolina and 1/2 tsp. baking powder. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, grate the zest of 1/2 the other orange and heat it with the honey, but don’t bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep until the recipe calls for it. Shape the ricotta mixture into 11/2” spheres and place them on a tray. Pour enough peanut oil into a pan to cover the balls when frying and heat. Dust with a handful of semolina, fry until nicely golden and drain on paper towels. Dip in the orange-scented honey and serve on a plate.
Chiacchiere
Chiacchiere means “chit chat” and each city has its own name for these sugar-dusted fried diugh sheets - frappe in Rome, bugie in Turin, galani in Venice and sfrappole in Bologna, for example.
Serves 4
Skill Level Intermediate
Time 50 minutes + 2 hours of resting
Vegetarian
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup whole milk
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp. white wine
2 Tbsp. grappa
2 large egg yolks
powdered sugar
lemons
peanut oil
Method:
Knead the flour with the egg yolks, grappa, wine, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, butter and milk. When the dough is still a bit rough, flavor with the grated zest of 1 lemon and continue to knead until smooth and evenly combined. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Pour enough peanut oil into a pan to cover when frying. Roll out the dough into paper-thin sheets, cut into small rectangles, then cut a slit into the top of each and fry for 1 minute. Drain the chiacchiere on paper towels. When dry, dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.\
Frittellone del Luna Park
Frittellone del Luna Park, or Amusement Park Fritters, are also popular at Carnival, a cousin of those pillowy fried fun fair treats you likely know and love.
Serves 8
Skill Level Intermediate
Time 1 hour + 1 hour and 20 minutes for rising
Vegetarian
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup bread flour
7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp. fresh brewer’s yeast
1 vanilla bean pod
peanut oil
lime
salt
Method:
Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and dissolve them in the milk. Add the pod and the grated zest of 1 lime and let the milk infuse for 10 minutes before removing the pod. In a bowl, mix the flours then add the sugar and crumbled yeast. Pour in the flavored milk and start to knead, gradually adding the butter in pieces and 1 ½ tsp. salt. Knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and your hands, becoming more elastic and less sticky.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1 hour. Finally, divide the dough into pieces, knead them briefly and shape into small balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 20 more minutes. Flatten the balls and stretch them out like small pizzas. Fry in plenty of peanut oil for 4-5 minutes, turning often. Drain on paper towels, then dunk and cover in granulated sugar while still hot. Eat immediately.
Ciambelline glassate
Ciambelline are the Italian take in donuts. Though available all-year round, many bakeries pull out all the stops and offer an array of options come Carnival.
Serves 12
Skill Level Advanced
Time 1 hour and 30 minutes
Vegetarian
Ingredients:
For the ciambelline
1 cup flour
3 oz. unsalted butter
2 oz. milk
2 oz. large egg whites
2 tsp. granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean pod
bergamot
peanut oil
salt
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. bergamot juice
2 tsp. milk
Method:
Melt the butter in a saucepan with the milk, 3/4 cup of water, the sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and add all the flour at once. Return the pan to the stove and cook, stirring vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer, add the seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean pod, then mix the eggs in well one at a time to make a soft dough. Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and add to the dough along with the grated zest of half a bergamot. Let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip around 1/2” in diameter. Cut out 12 squares of parchment paper, 5”each, and draw a ring of dough on each one. Fry in plenty of hot oil, dropping them in face down, still attached to the parchment paper square. Cook them until you can remove the paper with tongs, then flip the ciambelline to fry them evenly until golden all over (2-3 minutes). Remove and place them on paper towels to dry.
Mix the powdered sugar with the honey, bergamot or lemon juice and milk to create the glaze. Drizzle it over the donuts and serve.
Bignole alla crema
Bignole alla crema are cream-filled beignets that are also known as castagnole or, in Milan, tortelli. They're also offered with various fillings including chocolate, Nutella, jam, zabaione, chantilly and more.
Makes 50 pieces
Skill Level Intermediate
Time 1 hour and 10 minutes + 1 hour of resting
Vegetarian
Ingredients:
For the bignole
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
⅔ cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
dried brewer’s yeast
peanut oil – salt
For the cream
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean pod
Method:
For the bignole: Mix 1 tsp. baking powder with the flour, then add the milk, egg and 1 egg yolk and start to blend. Add the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 1 hour in a warm place. Fry small spoonfuls of the mixture in plenty of hot oil, continuously stirring the small pastry puffs that form until they become airy. Drain on paper towels and let cool.
For the cream: Heat the milk with a vanilla bean pod opened lengthwise. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the cornstarch. When the milk reaches a boil, pour it through a strainer into the egg yolks and stir. Put the mixture back on the stove and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes until it thickens. Let the cream cool, then transfer it to a pastry bag with a small tip. Gently insert the piping tip to make a hole in the pastry and fill with the cream.
Recipes Joelle Nederlants
Photography Riccardo Lettieri
Styling Beatrice Prada