Stuffed Castagnole

Stuffed castagnole are a typical Italian Carnival dessert, very popular in many regions. There are different versions, but the one I describe to you includes a delicious stuffing, usually of pastry cream or ricotta. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients for the castagnole:

• 250 g of flour
• 50 g of sugar
• 50 g of butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• Grated zest of half a lemon
• One tablespoon of anise liqueur (or rum)
• 1 packet of baking powder for sweets
• Oil for frying

Ingredients for the pastry cream (if you opt for this filling):

• 250 ml of milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 50 g of sugar
• 25 g of flour
• The zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

1. Prepare the pastry cream by heating the milk with lemon zest. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they become light and fluffy, then add the sifted flour. Remove the lemon zest from the hot milk and pour the milk into the egg mixture, stirring continuously.
2. Put everything back on the heat and cook over low heat, stirring until the cream thickens. Transfer to a bowl, cover it with cling film touching the surface and let it cool completely.
3. For the castagnole dough, mix the flour with the baking powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add the eggs, melted butter, lemon zest, and liqueur. Knead until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
4. Take small portions of dough, form small balls and fry them in abundant hot oil until they become golden. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
5. Once cool, use a pastry syringe to fill the castagnole with the cooled pastry cream.
6. Finally, roll the stuffed castagnole in granulated sugar before serving.

Remember that you can customize the filling of your castagnole also with Nutella, jam, or sweetened ricotta enriched with chocolate chips or candied fruit, according to your tastes.

Curiosity

Castagnole get their name from their shape similar to small chestnuts when fried. This dessert can be found in simple or stuffed versions to satisfy all palates!