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.
- 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
- 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.
On the day before Epiphany, the 5th of January, the ancient and rural ritual of Panevin 
