Castagnole (Fried Sweet Dough Balls)

A pile of small round pastries, known as castagnole, dusted with powdered sugar sits on crumpled parchment paper, creating a cozy and inviting dessert scene.

5 from 5 vote

Castagnole (Fried Sweet Dough Balls)

Castagnole- Fried Sweet Dough Balls are what you will find in so many places in Italy during Carnevale time. They are hard to resist fried Italian dough ball treats that are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside- and dusted with confectioner's sugar before serving!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Fried Dough

Servings:

Calories: 40kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

2 ¼ cup flour plus ¼ for rolling dough
1 tsp. baking powder
grated zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp. butter melted
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
2 cups of vegetable oil for deep-frying enough for a 2- quart saucepan
confectioner’s sugar for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and whisk together; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add the butter, sugar, and vanilla; mix together with a wooden. Stir in the milk. Add in the flour and mix all the ingredients together (including the lightly beaten eggs).
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured and clean surface and gently knead until combined, adding a spoonful of flour if needed if you find the dough is too sticky. When the dough is smooth, roll out portions a bit at a time into 1-inch thick logs and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover the remaining dough with a clean tea towel until you are ready to work with it.
Add the oil into your pan on medium high heat. When the oil is hot enough (temperature should be 350F), start adding about 8 dough balls at a time. Turn them around while frying so that all sides get color and that they aren’t raw in the middle. Remove the castagnole with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined plate.
When completely cool, dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Notes

Pro Tips

Keep the dough soft, not dry.
If the dough feels sticky, add flour a teaspoon at a time. Too much flour makes castagnole heavy instead of light and fluffy.

Fry at the right temperature.
The oil should stay around 175°C. If it’s hotter, the outside browns too fast and the center stays raw. If it’s cooler, the dough balls absorb oil and turn greasy.

Fry in small batches.
I usually fry about 6–8 pieces at a time. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and prevents them from puffing properly.

Turn them while frying.
Rotate the castagnole with a spoon so they brown evenly on all sides and cook through without raw spots in the middle.

Nutrition