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Crostoli: a perfectly crisp Carnevale Treat | Very EATalian

Carnevale is the period falling right before Lent when Italians indulge in rich foods, silly costumes, and pranks. Kids (and sometimes adults) dress up for Carnevale and even go to school and local parades, all dressed up. I was an adorable Pierrot at age 3 and a cute gypsy at 4. Then there’s no other photographic evidence of my Carnevale outfits…until I was about 10. That’s when I wore my unforgettable (cringe!) 1800s-style Principessa Primavera dress. I looked like a pink cloud, covered in tulle and frills, with a silly hoop at the bottom of the skirt, bouncing back and forth as I moved anywhere. The best part of the costume? The wide-brim hat covered in pink tulle, leaving my poofy bangs intact. In the picture I looked all cheerful, right next to my cousin wearing the same exact dress (yikes!).

As I grew older, my interest shifted from wearing costumes and throwing confetti in the air, to savoring delicious Carnevale treats, i.e., frittelle, castagnole, and crostoli. My mom usually makes one batch of each and they all disappear pretty quickly. Crostoli are the treat that goes the quickest, as they are utterly and sneakingly addictive!

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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.

Crostoli: a perfectly crisp Carnevale treat

Frittelle – Italian Carnival Fritters