Carnival: Venetian Frittelle

The Venice Carnival is one of most appreciated traditional events in the world.
Every year Venetians and tourists flock to the historic center to participate in the unmissable appointments of the official program (for more information visit the website www.carnevale.venezia.it).

From the day after the Epiphany, the shop windows of pastry shops and bakeries showcase frittelle and galani (or chat).
The Venetian frittelle are characterized by a soft dough with the addition of raisins, but you can also try those stuffed with cream, zabaglione, chocolate, pistachio and more: now every pastry chef indulges in offering his customers creative variations.

Venetian Frittelle: the recipe

Frittelle is a Carnival dessert that can be easily replicated even at home.

This is why we asked the chef of the La Caravella Restaurant, one of the historical and most picturesque places in Venice owned by the Serandrei family in the San Marco district, for help and he revealed the procedures to follow step by step.

Have fun and have a good Carnival!

Ingredients

500 gr 0 flour for cakes
75 gr granulated sugar
100 gr sultanas
50 gr pine nuts
50 gr candied citrons
2 eggs
20 ml grappa
30 gr brewer's yeast
Vanilla sugar to taste
1 lemon (zest only)
1 orange (zest only)
150 ml of water
Salt to taste
Frying oil (peanuts)

Method

Pour the flour into a bowl, the granulated sugar and the diluted yeast in the center of a glass of warm water, start kneading by adding the eggs and the rest of the water until you get a tender mixture.

The raisins should be soaked to hydrate in the grappa and then combined with all the rest of the ingredients (the pine nuts should be slightly crumbled) work well for 15 minutes. Then let the dough rest for two to three hours.

Bring the oil to 160 °C and with a spoon shape like walnuts fry until it becomes golden brown. With a skimmer bring the frittelle and put on absorbent paper and then sprinkle the Vanilla icing sugar.