Categories
Carnival Dessert Fried

Carnival Raisins Fritters or Friciò Piemontesi

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Friciò”

Everyone loves this delicious sweet pastry from Piedmont region, north of Italy: The Friciò. It is simply a Carnival Fritters variation with raisins. Tasty and sweet dough-balls very similar to Castagnole typical of Marche region, but with added Raisins. Like many Carnival Italian Recipes this is as much delicious as much a calories bomb, but definitely worth to try! Diet another day…

Ingredients

  • 200 grams of Flour
  • 100 grams of Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 glass of Milk
  • 30 grams of Baking powder
  • 100 grams of Raisin
  • 1 Lemon
  • Sugar Powder as you need
  • a pinch of Salt
  • Oil for fry

Preparation

  1. Soak the raisins in warm water for about twenty minutes.
  2. In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, a pinch of salt, add the eggs and continue stirring, add the warm milk gradually until it becomes a batter without lumps, incorporate the raisins drained and squeezed, the grated lemon rind, cover with a cloth and let sit for thirty armed.
  3.  Heat a pan with plenty of oil, laid a tablespoon of batter into the prepared pan with the aid of another spoon, fry until golden, drain them with a slotted spoon and pat dry on paper towels, repeat the process until all the batter is finished. Arrange the Friciò on a platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy ideally on the same day, freshly fried!

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

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Categories
Carnival Dessert Fried Vegetarian

Sweet Cocoa Ravioli with Ricotta Cheese or Ravioli al Cioccolato

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of  Cocoa Ravioli with Ricotta cheese or “Ravioli al Cacao con la Ricotta”

This is a fried pastry used originally in the Middle Ages, of course without the addition of cocoa because it has discovered in the nineteenth century! A tasty dish prepared for Carnival Festivities, a real triumph of gluttony.

Ingredients

  • 250 grams of Flour
  • 500 grams of Ricotta Cheese
  • 200 grams of Sugar
  • 20 grams of Cocoa powder
  • 30 grams of Butter
  • 1 Egg
  • 3 tablespoons of Milk
  • 2 tablespoons of White Wine
  • 1 Lemon
  • Powder Sugar as you need
  • a pinch of Salt
  • Oil to fry

Preparation

  1. On a large bowl pour the flour, make a hole in the center, add 100 grams of sugar, cocoa and softened butter and mix; add the egg, milk, wine, grated lemon rind, a pinch of salt and  continue to knead until the dough is compact and smooth.Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until you have a smooth dough ball. Wrap the dough in a plastic film and let rest for at least 1 hour in a cool place ( not refrigerator).
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: in a different bowl mix the ricotta with the remaining sugar, remove the dough from the plastic film, arrange it on a work surface, roll out with a rolling pin into a thin sheet, and form rectangles of 10X20 cm (1 mm thick). Brush the edges with egg white. Put a spoon of filling onto one side; fold over to form a “raviolo” shape. Fold them in half and sealed the edges with a fork.
  3. Fry the ravioli in a pan with hot oil on both sides until golden, drain them with a slotted spoon, let dry on paper towels and sprinkle with powder sugar before serving.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

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Categories
Carnival Dessert Vegetarian

Indulgent Honey Dough Mini-Balls or Carnival Struffoli

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Small traditional Honey Dough Mini Dough Balls or “Struffoli”

“Struffoli” or Honey Mini-Dough Balls are a typical dish from Naples, made traditionally during Christmas, while in many regions of Italy is eaten during Carnival time. Struffoli are small balls of sweet dough, fried and then dipped in honey and decorated with colored sprinkles and candied fruit. Small dough balls, really small, are deep-fried and then rolled in honey before being assembled into a cone structure. Fancy to try them? Always a good idea!

Ingredients

  • 500 grams of Flour
  • 8 grams of Salt dissolved in water
  • 50 grams of Sugar
  • 50 grams of White Wine
  • A bit of Semolina or Flour for the baking tray
  • 4 Eggs
  • Vanilla seeds
  • 1 Orange
  • 1 Tangerine
  • 60 grams of Butter
  • Honey
  • Candied Orange and Cedar as you refer
  • Colored Sugar Sprinkles

Preparation

  1. Mix the flour with the salt, sugar and white wine. Add 2 eggs and the vanilla seeds, finely grated orange zest (better if Organic!) and tangerine zest. Include the other 2 eggs and, in addition, include the softened butter. Beat until frothy. Mix well. If it is too sticky, then add more flour and keep kneading, using either your hands or a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook, until you have a smooth, pliable dough. Let it stand 2 hours in the refrigerator.
  2. Flour your work surface and turn out your dough. Then divide the dough into 10 roughly equal pieces, each about the size of a small ball. Take 1 ball and roll it into a rope approx. 1/2 inch thick, then with floury hands divide this into about 20 small pieces, and roll each piece between your hands (flouring them again if this helps) to make marble-sized “Flipper” balls, about 1/4th of a golf ball.
  3. Place the formed balls of dough on a semolina-sprinkled baking sheet, as you shape them. Repeat the process with the remaining portions of dough. On a large frying pan heat the oil (180 °or 375°F), remove the excess of flour and fry the Struffoli balls.
  4. Gently lower, using a mesh scoop or perforated spoon, about 15 little dough balls at a time. At first they will sink and then, as they cook, they’ll float to the surface and begin to turn golden brown. Continue to cook them in batches making sure the oil returns to the correct temperature.
  5. When the Struffoli turn gold as the crust of bread we remove them from the oil  and put on paper towels. You can fish them out with your mesh scoop or perforated spoon.
  6. Pour the honey into a roasting pan that can go on the stove, and heat very gently until it becomes runny—a matter of moments, so do not leave the pan—then take it off the heat. Tip all of the fried dough balls into the warmed wildflower honey and, using a soft spatula, turn them gently to coat them.
  7. Move them to a bowl and cover the Struffoli with the candied orange peel, grated orange zest (or tangerine or lemon), mix well and present them in a structured cone shape on a serving dish with the colored sprinkles on top. Delicious!

TIP: These delicious  struffoli are best if eaten on the day they’re made. Use a scoop or spoon and fork to serve. It will be a sticky business, but that’s part of their charm.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

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Categories
Biscuits Carnival Dessert Fried Vegetarian

Crispy Sweet Fritters or Carnival Frappe

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Carnival Fritters or “Frappe”

Frappe, Chiacchiere or Lies are quite delicious, many names for those simple thin fried dough strips, typical during Carnival time in Italy, over February. Very ancient Roman tradition. Slightly different in every region. In Italy, Frappe are crispy and light as air when you bite into them. Enjoy with family and friends. If you start, you can’t stop eating. Happy Carnival!

Ingredients (40 Frappe)

  • 500 grams Flour (3 full cups)
  • 4 tablespoons (70 grams) Sugar (do not add too much sugar or they burn when you fry)
  • Butter 50 gr.
  • ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) Baking Powder like Pane Angeli
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 Vanilla bean or “Vanillina” powder
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) Butter diced, at room temperature
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • Rhum or Grappa 30 gr
  • Oil to fry
  • TOPPING: powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preparation

  1. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Add to a food processor, or mix manually, then add the eggs together with the butter, combine till the dough comes together.
  2. Remove from the food processor and leave on a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth (should not be a sticky dough). Wrap in plastic and let rest at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  3. Remove from fridge and taking ¼ of the dough at a time roll into a very thin strip. It is weighed and rolled in a pasta machine as you would do with pasta dough. Then cut into strips with a fancy edged pastry cutter, cut into approximately 2-3 inch sizes and fry in a pot of hot vegetable oil for frying (approximately 2 inches of oil, the temperature must reach 170° and stay at this temperature, no higher or dough will burn). Fry until frappe becomes golden turning them over once at the mid-cooking time while frying.
  4. Remove to drain and cool on a plate lined with kitchen paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Consume fresh. Enjoy as soon as ready!

TIP: for a light version you can also bake the Frappe. Will be a very nice healthier option. But traditionally Frappe are the best if fried!

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 Frappe-baked

Categories
Biscuits Carnival Dessert Fried Vegetarian

Carnival Sweet Fried Balls or Castagnole

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Carnival Sweet Fried Balls, Fritters, or “Castagnole”

Get this all-star, easy-to-follow recipe. In Italy, we always say: “A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale” it means literally “on Carnival time every kind of joke counts”, but this delicious recipe is definitely not a joke! Between the most popular pastries we use to cook during this very special period, let’s keep up with the celebrations!

Ingredients

  • 400 grams of Flour
  • 2 Eggs
  • 150 grams of Sugar
  • 30 grams of Butter
  • 1/2 zest of Lemon (grated)
  • 1/2 glass of White Wine
  • 16 grams of Baking Powder
  • a pinch of Salt
  • Oil for frying
  • Flour for dusting

Preparation

  1. Knead the flour with 2 eggs,  sugar, butter, zest of lemon, 1/2 glass of white wine, add the baking powder and a pinch of salt.  Work well the dough with your hands until it is firm and elastic, making many small balls.
  2. Set your oil to heating. Fry each “Castagnola” until pretty golden brown, drain them all well on absorbent paper, dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy it warm or cold!!!

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

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