Ricotta castagnole

Name: Ricotta castagnole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 30
Ingredients: Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup; Eggs 1; Flour 00 1 ¼ cup; Baking powder ½ tbsp; Flour 00 to flour hands 3 tbsp; Orange peel 1; Sugar &frac13; cup; Peanut seed oil 2 ½ cups; Powdered sugar to taste

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Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Makes: 30 pieces
Cost: Low
Note + time to drain the ricotta

PRESENTATION

In addition to frappe and migliaccio, castagnole are another symbolic dessert prepared during Carnival season, soft and delicious fritters typically served in many regions up and down Italy, delicious alone or filled. We know that many of you are already poised with pans and frying oil...and today you will not be disappointed with this tasty delicacy, typical for this time of year, brought to you here in a reinterpreted version! Slightly different from classic castagnole, even softer and tastier: ricotta castagnole! One bite is all it will take to win you over, thanks to their consistency and delicate flavor. We're certain you too will find these small fritters of tender goodness simply irresistible.

INGREDIENTS

Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 cup (240 g)

Eggs 1 (55 g)

Flour 00 1 ¼ cup (135 g)

Baking powder ½ tbsp (6 g)

Flour 00 3 tbsp (20 g) - to flour hands

Orange peel 1

Sugar ⅓ cup (60 g)

For frying: Peanut seed oil 2 ½ cups (500 ml)

For sprinkling: Powdered sugar to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Ricotta castagnole

To prepare your ricotta castagnole, start by draining the excess whey from this cheese. Simply place the ricotta in a sieve and leave to drain for 2 hours inside a container (best kept in the refrigerator!). Now sieve it and pour it into a container 1 together with the egg and sugar 2, stir vigorously to mix all the ingredients together. Grate the zest of one previously washed and dried orange 3

and stir some more. Then add the previously sieved flour and baking powder 4, one spoon at a time to prevent the formation of lumps; stir with a spatula. After adding all the flour you will notice that the resulting dough is soft and sticky 5, so to form balls that are around 0.5 oz (15 g) each, be sure to flour your hands regularly 6.

With these amounts, you should be able to make around 30 castagnole 7. Add abundant peanut oil to a pan and as soon as it reaches a temperature of 340°F (170°C - check using a kitchen thermometer), add a few fritters at a time 8 so that the temperature does not drop too much and the castagnole do not absorb too much oil. After 3-4 minutes, they will be golden and ready to be drained 9.

As you finish cooking them place them on absorbent kitchen paper 10. Now your ricotta castagnole are ready to be sprinkled with icing sugar 11. Now all you need to do is enjoy them 12!

Storage

You can prepare ricotta castagnole in advance: simply place them on a plate with some baking paper and cover with plastic wrap. Store them in the refrigerator before frying! Once cooked they are best enjoyed immediately.

Tips

The typical aromas of ricotta castagnole? In addition to orange, you can also use lemon or mandarin too. Take things to the next level by adding 1 tablespoon of Anis or limoncello to the dough.

Do you want to make castagnole according to tradition? You can fry them in lard instead of seed oil.

Looking for a lighter version? Bake in a static oven at 340°F for around 20 minutes.