Glazed Pignolata

The pignolata is a typical dessert from Southern Italy, especially in Sicily and Calabria, similar to small fried choux pastry balls covered in icing, generally white and chocolate. Here is the recipe for making glazed pignolata:

Ingredients

• 250 ml of water
• 100 g of butter
• A pinch of salt
• 150 g of flour
• 4 eggs
• Oil for frying
• 150 g of powdered sugar
• 50 g of dark chocolate
• About 50 ml of water for the icings

Preparation

1. In a small pot, bring the water to a boil with butter and a pinch of salt.
2. Once the butter has completely melted, add all the flour at once and stir vigorously to dry the dough, which should detach from the sides of the pot.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
4. Heat plenty of oil in a frying pan and, when it reaches the frying temperature (about 170 °C), form small balls of dough using two spoons and fry them until they become golden and puffy.
5. Drain them on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
6. Prepare the icings by melting powdered sugar (add water gradually until you get an icing that is not too runny) and the dark chocolate pieces (add a little water to facilitate melting) in two separate pots.
7. Dip half of the fried balls in the white icing and the other half in the chocolate icing, then arrange them on a tray, alternating the colors to create a marbled effect.
8. Allow the icing to harden before serving the pignolata.

Curiosity

It is said that the pignolata is a sweet with ancient origins, dating back to Roman times. The modern version, however, is predominantly linked to the culinary traditions of Sicily and Calabria, where it is customary to prepare it during the Carnival period. The double icing, white and chocolate, symbolizes the contrast between good and evil, typical of the carnivalesque period that precedes Lent.