There is no Carnival without ricotta chestnuts

Castagnole with ricotta are one of the best fried carnival desserts ever and we will also reveal the recipe for making them in the oven.

There are many Carnival sweets and you should start at least a month in advance to try them all. However, if you have little time and don't want to give up frying, then we recommend you try the ricotta castagnole. This typical dessert of the carnival period is really simple to prepare: it starts with a soft dough from which small balls are then made to fry .

The secret to obtaining very soft ricotta chestnuts is to let the dough rest and then fry each sweet chestnut at the right temperature . If the oil is too hot then the fried chestnuts will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside. Don't worry though: thanks to our recipe you won't have to worry about anything! And for those who pay attention to their figure, we have also thought of the light variant of baked ricotta chestnuts. What more could you want than to taste one?

How to make chestnuts with the original recipe

1. Pour the flour, starch, sugar and yeast into a bowl.
2. Flavor with the seeds of the vanilla bean, taken by cutting it in half lengthwise and scraping the inside, and the grated zest of half an organic lemon. Be careful that it is not treated .
3. Then add the ricotta, melted butter, egg yolks and liqueur. We like to strengthen the lemon flavor by adding limoncello. Grappa or Strega liqueur are also fine.
4. Knead first with a spoon and then finish working by hand, rather quickly, just long enough to form a dough.
5. Leave it to rest under a covered bowl for 30 minutes.
6. Then heat the seed oil so you can proceed with deep frying.
7. Tear off small portions of dough about the size of a walnut and start frying. To test the temperature of the oil you can help yourself with a thermometer and check that it is at 175°C or dip a ball and see how it behaves: if it goes to the bottom and does not rise the oil is cold, if it colors quickly then it is too hot . Bear in mind that it takes 2 minutes for the heat to penetrate to the heart of the dough, cooking it well.
8. Then fry the carnival castagnole with ricotta a few at a time, draining them with a slotted spoon as soon as they are ready.
9. Pass them quickly on absorbent paper and then roll them in granulated sugar to cover them.

To fully appreciate the soft chestnuts with ricotta , enjoy them immediately : we know that fried foods tend to lose consistency after just a few minutes. In any case, try the other carnival desserts that we have experimented for you!

As promised, here are our tips for preparing soft baked chestnuts with ricotta. First you will have to make some changes to the recipe by using 90 grams of sugar . We increase the doses because baked desserts, compared to fried ones, have a more delicate flavour. Then place the balls well spaced on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook them at 180°C for 15 minutes . While hot, roll them in icing sugar and serve.

storage

Castagnole, like many fried desserts, should be enjoyed at the moment or at most within a few hours. We therefore advise against any type of conservation.