baked donuts

This baked donuts are perfect even the day after, are very soft and lighter respect of the fried version. To make them softener I substituted milk with buttermilk. Here is the recipe. Perfect also for Carnival. 

le castagnole di carnevale

Typical fried sweets in the period of carnival, the Italian Castagnole are made of a dough, then fried and made rolled on caster sugar. For the very greedies they are often stuffed with cream, ricotta or chocolate. Here is the recipe. 

chiacchiere... fried carnival sweets

I did last year and I propose here again this recipe, because since I use the pasta roller machine to make the "chiacchiere" very thin, also flatten the dough (which is hard enough) has become quite a simple work to do. And when I fry them they are light as meringues, really impalpable. 

Ingredients for a large tray:

• 500 g all purpose flour
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean                                                          
• zest of 1 lemon
• 50 g free range eggs
• 60 g yolks
• 100 g softened butter
• 0,5 dl white wine
• salt
• oil to fry
• icing sugar for dusting

How to make

1. Sift the flour with the sugar on the work surface, add a pinch of salt, the seeds of the vanilla, and grated lemon rind. Mix together the ingredients, make the fountain and in the center put the eggs. the yolks, the butter cut into small pieces, and wine. Knead all the ingredients vigorously with you hands until dough is smooth and consistent ( I put everything in a mixer). Make a ball and cover with a cloth for 20 minutes.  

2. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and then with the pasta roller machine till 2mm thickness they come out perfect. With a toothed wheel make two incisions within the rectangles, paying attention not to reach the edges.

3. Heat the oil and when the temperature reaches 180 °C, take the "chiacchiere" in a hand turning them on themselves forming a twist, dip them 3-4 at a time into the pan. Fry turning them until golden. Let drain on paper towels. Serve them sprinkled with icing sugar. 

carnival fried sweeties (castagnole)

Here is the video recipe I presented on TG5 Gusto 

I found out this recipe with a little variation in the ingredients, the ricotta cheese.

Ingredients for 6 persons                                

• 250 g flour 00
• 75 g cottage cheese (ricotta)
• 35 g butter
• 200 g caster sugar
• 7.5 g baking powder
• 100 g of eggs (2 eggs)
• 2.5 g of salt
• oil for frying
• powdered sugar for garnish