Carnival Rice Balls
- Vegetarian
- Energy Kcal 175
- Carbohydrates g 17.6
- of which sugars g 7.1
- Protein g 2.1
- Fats g 10.7
- of which saturated fat g 2.56
- Fiber g 0.6
- Cholesterol mg 13
- Sodium mg 7
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 20 min
- Cook time: 10 min
- Makes: 22 pieces
- Cost: Low
- Note + 2 and a half hours of rising
PRESENTATION
Confetti, streamers, but especially the essential fried treats, are the must-haves of Carnival that, year after year, never go out of style and brighten up the costume parties. The shop windows of pastry shops are full of chiacchiere, castagnole, and tortelli, and in every region, ancient traditional delights also appear, which are still much appreciated today. In the Marche region, we discovered rice balls, small rolls of fried dough flavored with orange, not to be confused with the Sicilian ones. These simple Carnival fritters will delight both adults and children, and cheer up the festive days. Alongside this version, there is also a widespread variant using lemon zest, in which case the treats are called "limoncini."
Come and discover other Carnival sweets:
- Chocolate Castagnole
- Stuffed Chiacchiere
- Ricotta Castagnole
- Carnival Zeppole
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for 22 rice balls
- Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups (300 g)
- Eggs 1.9 oz (53 g) - (about 1)
- Butter 2 tbsp (25 g) - soft
- Whole milk ½ cup (125 g)
- Fresh brewer's yeast 0.3 oz (10 g)
- Sugar 2 ½ tbsp (30 g)
- for the filling
- Sugar ½ cup (100 g)
- Orange peel 2
- for frying
- Peanut seed oil to taste
How to prepare Carnival Rice Balls
To prepare the Carnival rice balls, first slightly heat the milk and then dissolve the yeast in it 1, stirring with a spoon. Pour the flour into a large bowl, add the softened butter 2, the sugar 3
and then incorporate the egg 4. At this point, slowly pour in the milk in which you dissolved the yeast, kneading by hand to combine the ingredients 5. Continue kneading by hand to absorb the liquids 6
and when you obtain a smooth, lump-free dough 7, cover it with plastic wrap 8 and let it rise at a temperature of about 78-82°F for 2 hours; it should triple in volume. You can leave the bowl in the oven with the light on for optimal rising. Meanwhile, flavor the sugar, which will be used to season the rice balls, with grated orange zest 9
and mix with a spoon 10. After two hours, retrieve the risen dough 11 and transfer it to a lightly floured pastry board 12.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin 13 to get a thin rectangular sheet measuring about 20 x 14 inches 14. Fill the sheet with the sugar and orange zest mixture, distributing it evenly 15.
Now roll the sheet from the short side 16 to form a tight roll. Cut the roll into slices about 0.4 inches thick (17-18).
Place the slices on a tray lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart 19. Let the rice balls rise for another 30 minutes. After this time 20, the treats will be ready for cooking: heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and when it reaches a temperature of 340°F, immerse a few rice balls at a time 21
fry them until they are golden brown. Drain them with a slotted spoon 22 and transfer them to a tray lined with frying paper 23; do not use absorbent paper as they will stick due to the sugar caramelizing during cooking. Enjoy your Carnival rice balls immediately 24.