fritters Archives - Very EATalian

It’s almost time to go back Stateside…and finally be with my husband again! I can’t believe I’ve been in Italy for almost a year.

As I’m trying to wrap things up at work and I’m starting to get ready to move across the ocean again, I find myself dragging at the idea of doing things that keep me away from the people and the places I love and I’ll dearly miss one month from now.

One of the things I am trying to avoid these days is spending time in front of my computer. Up until not too long ago, the thought of not posting regularly on this blog would make me feel restless and inadequate. These days I’m “more” okay with leaving the blog hanging to give priority to other things that may seem trivial to most people, but that are SO important to me. I’m talking about simple things such as building train tracks with my almost-3-year-old nephew, paying a visit to a friend I haven’t seen in forever, having a cup of tea with my aunt, helping my mom plant flowers in her beautiful garden, or simply going for a long walk with my cousin in the country roads near my house.

Speaking of which, mid-spring is one of the times I enjoy the most here in Italy. It’s not too cold and not too hot, and walking in the countryside is so beautiful. The flowers of Acacia trees are in bloom now and their sweet scent attracts gazillions of bees. I love the fact that this plant not only gives us, through the precious work of bees, a delicate, clear, and floral honey, but also gives us flowers that can easily be fried and turned into delicious savory appetizers or sweet treats….

Carnevale is all about excess — it’s time to dress up in costume, throw coriandoli (confetti) in the air, and indulge in sweets of all sorts! Talking about sweets, our Carnival family tradition is to make enough fried confections (frittelle, castagnole, and crostoli) to feed 5 families (i.e.: us + aunts, uncles, and cousins)…so I’ll let you imagine the hustle and bustle going on in the kitchen during this frying marathon and the endless spread of goodies we always end up with.

For those who aren’t familiar with these typical Carnevale sweet confections, frittelle and castagnole are conceptually similar – they both come in a round shape and they’re typically fried. While castagnole are smaller and firmer to the bite, frittelle are bigger, softer and sometimes filled with different variations of delicious pastry cream (my favorite is Zabaione custard!). Also, what we call crostoli are called galani in Venice — they’re thin flaky sheets of pastry drenched in powdered sugar.

Last year, while I was in Florida, I made castagnole under the close supervision of my mom on Skype. This time around I’m lucky to be in Italy again and partake in the crazy preparations of Carnevale sweets in her kitchen. We made all the sweets listed above…and we’re probably not even done yet, since the last day of Carnevale is next (fat) Tuesday!

Here are her frittelle! They’re soft and relatively easy to make. I dare you to have just one.

Frittelle - Italian Carnival fritters

Author: Very EATalian

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

5.3 oz (150 g) raisins
3 medium eggs
5.3 oz (150 g) granulated sugar (+ more for final dusting)
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml) grappa (or rum)
3.5 g (half packet) active dry yeast
2 big apples, grated
a generous pinch of salt
the zest of 1 big orange
17.6 oz (500 g) flour, sifted
peanut oil

Instructions

Soak raisins in water for about 20 minutes. Then, let them drain in a colander and lightly dust them with flour.
Lightly beat eggs inside a bowl. Add sugar and mix well.
Add milk and grappa (or rum). Add yeast and let it dissolve in the liquid mixture.
Add grated apples, orange zest, and salt. Gradually add sifted flour and mix well. Cover and let it rest for an hour.
Add lightly floured raisins to the mixture and stir to distribute them evenly in the batter.
Heat peanut oil in a medium steel pot. The temperature of the oil should be between 160°-170°C (320°-340° F). Using your finger, release a spoonful of batter into the oil (be careful not to burn yourself!). Repeat. Cook frittelle in small batches and do not overcrowd the pan.
Rotate frittelle often to ensure even cooking. When they have reached a brown/golden color and they're completely cooked through, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the oil in excess. Sprinkle granulated sugar on them while they're still hot.

Acacia Flower Fritters

Frittelle – Italian Carnival Fritters