Castagnole: a Delicious Carnival Dessert!
Castagnole are a typical Italian Carnevale treat dating back to the 17th century. They are a delicious donut-like fried dessert, particularly when abundantly sprinkled with sugar. Castagnole are similar to what Americans know as donut holes.
Ingredients
- 250 grams Flour 250 8.8 ounces / 2 cups
- 50 grams Potato starch 50 1 ¾ ounces
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 70 grams Sugar 70 (2 ½ ounces / ⅓ cup)
- Orange zest from 1 untreated orange
- 1 Egg, large
- 60 milliliters Milk ¼ cup
- 50 grams Butter, softened 1 ⅖ ounces / about ⅓ cup
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- a pinch Salt
- Oil for frying preferably peanut oil
- Sugar enough to sprinkle on the castagnole
Instructions
- Sift the flour, potato starch and baking powder directly onto your work surface.
- Make a well in the flour mixture and add the remaining ingredients, except for the frying oil and sugar for sprinkling.
- Whisk the ingredients together with a fork, and once they are fairly well incorporated, begin kneading the dough.
- Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Pinch off small pieces of dough (about 10 grams / ⅓ ounce eacand roll into small balls.
- Each ball should be about 2 centimeters / ¾ inch in diameter.
- Heat the oil to 175°C before you begin frying the castagnole.
- Make sure that the temperature doesn’t go above 175°C the whole time you are frying. Otherwise you run the risk that the castagnole will be too brown on the outside and raw on the inside.
- Have enough oil in the frying pan so the castagnole are almost fully immersed.
- Fry the castagnole for several minutes, until golden, turning frequently so they fry evenly.
- Drain the castagnole on newspaper covered with paper towels.
- Toss in sugar and serve!