Castagnole
Carnival fried dough balls
Castagnole: Emilia-Romagna and Lazio's little Carnival fried dough balls rolled in sugar
In February, from Bologna and Rimini down to Rome, pastry shop windows fill with castagnole, small fried balls of sweet dough the size of a chestnut (castagna), rolled in sugar while still warm. Children eat them by the bagful at Carnival parades, often in costume, and some bakeries fill them with custard or ricotta. Families in Romagna add a splash of anise liqueur or rum; this version flavours them with lemon and vanilla instead, so they are alcohol free. Chef's tip: fry them in oil that isn't too hot, about 165 °C; castagnole need time to puff and cook through to the centre.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 9 oz plain flour
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 lemonzest only
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oilfor frying
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugarfor rolling
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt and the zest of 1 lemon. Add 2 eggs, 1 ¾ oz butter, 2 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract and knead briefly into a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands.
Step 2: Roll the dough into ropes 2 cm thick and cut into 2 cm pieces. Roll each into a ball.
Step 3: Heat 3 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oil in a deep pan to 325°F. Fry 8–10 at a time for 4–5 minutes, turning, until puffed, deep golden and cracked slightly on one side. Common mistake: oil too hot; they brown fast but stay raw inside. Break one open to check: it should be fluffy, not doughy.
20 minStep 4: Drain on kitchen paper for a minute, then roll in 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar while still warm. Eat the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does castagnole take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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