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Desserts

Italian Carnival Fritters

Let's make quick and easy Carnival Fritters, golden and crispy, with a simple batter that delivers surprising flavors. Here's the recipe!
Recipe Italian Carnival Fritters
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 15 minutes
  • Cooking 15 minutes
  • Servings for 4-6 servings

Carnival Fritters are delicious and fragrant quick and easy sweet treats that will win everyone’s applause thanks to their simple yet absolutely delightful taste.

This Carnival Fritters Recipe is a humble tradition tied to this festivity. They can be prepared in less than 15 minutes using a batter similar to Choux Pastry (used for cream puffs), which is then portioned using a piping bag and fried in abundant vegetable oil, following the oldest tradition of carnival sweets.

These Quick Carnival Fritters make a perfect snack for children or can be served as a dessert during carnival season. If you want to truly impress your guests, you can make these Simple Carnival Fritters even more tempting by filling them with jam or pastry cream.

Moreover, this Carnival Fritters Recipe uses a rather neutral batter, so you can also enjoy them in a savory version, perhaps paired with a nice cheese board and jams.

And now, let’s put on our aprons and heat the oil: let’s prepare these fragrant and delicious Carnival Fritters together!

Ingredients for 4-6 servings

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Method

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  1. To prepare Carnival Fritters (Frittelle di Carnevale), start by placing butter, water, and sugar in a small saucepan and let them melt completely. Once it reaches the boiling point, add all the flour at once and start stirring with a wooden spoon until the flour is fully incorporated.
  2. Cook until the dough forms a ball that easily pulls away from the sides of the pan, then turn off the heat. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and spread it out to let it cool down slightly.
  3. Start working the mixture with an electric mixer and add the first egg, letting it fully incorporate. Only then add the next egg. Continue this process for all 4 eggs and finally add the pinch of salt.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a wide, plain tip. Cut squares of parchment paper (about 2.4×2.4 inches) and pipe walnut-sized balls of dough onto each square.
  5. Heat the oil to 170-180°C (338-356°F) and immerse a few fritters at a time with their parchment paper. Once the paper detaches, remove it with tongs and let the fritters cook until golden brown.
  6. Once cooked, remove the Carnival Fritters with a slotted spoon and let them rest for a moment on paper towels to drain excess oil. Finally, dust with powdered sugar and serve!
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Variations and Alternatives

Carnival Fritters are delicious on their own, but if you want to make them even more indulgent, fill them with creams such as Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera), Gianduja Cream, or jams. Alternatively, you can skip the powdered sugar coating and serve them with cured meats and cheeses, similar to the traditional Italian Gnocco Fritto (fried dough pillows typical of Emilia-Romagna region).

Tips

To make perfect round Carnival Fritters (Frittelle di Carnevale), without any small peaks that could burn during cooking, after creating the dough balls with the piping bag, wet your finger with cold water and smooth out their shape.

Storage

To best enjoy the fragrance of these Carnival Fritters, we recommend eating them fresh right after preparation. If you have leftovers, you can store them at room temperature, under a cake dome or in an airtight container, for about 2 days.

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