Chocolate Castagnole

Name: Chocolate Castagnole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 40
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 1 &frac13; cup; Unsweetened cocoa powder 6 tbsp; Eggs (about 2 medium) 3.7 oz; Sambuca 2 tsp; Fine salt 1 pinch; Vanilla bean 1; Powdered yeast for sweets 2 tsp; Sugar ¼ cup; Butter soft 3 tbsp; Chocolate drops ½ cup; Peanut seed oil 3 ¼ cups; Sugar 1 cup

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Makes: 40 pieces
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Jokes, confetti, but above all Carnival fritters! These are a must-have for Carnival: the classic castagnole and the stuffed ones are unbeatable, but let's also try the chocolate castagnole! The "dark" version, a super tasty idea to enrich the selection of sweets alongside fried and baked chiacchiere! Sweet lovers from every corner, step forward! This tasty recipe is designed for you: an aromatic dough with chocolate chips and a dusting of cocoa, flavored with sambuca, for such soft bites that you can't stop at one! And after frying, the classic sugar coating will make them even more inviting!

To not miss anything, try other fried and baked Carnival sweets to prepare at home like the soft and fragrant ricotta castagnole or the savory castagnole!

INGREDIENTS

Type 00 flour 1 ⅓ cup (170 g)

Unsweetened cocoa powder 6 tbsp (30 g)

Eggs 3.7 oz (106 g) - (about 2 medium)

Sambuca 2 tsp (10 g)

Fine salt 1 pinch

Vanilla bean 1

Powdered yeast for sweets 2 tsp (8 g)

Sugar ¼ cup (50 g)

Butter 3 tbsp (40 g) - soft

Chocolate drops ½ cup (90 g)

for frying: Peanut seed oil 3 ¼ cups (700 g)

for garnish: Sugar 1 cup (200 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Chocolate Castagnole

To prepare the chocolate castagnole, pour the flour and cocoa 1, the baking powder 2, and the sugar 3 into a large bowl.

Flavor with sambuca 4 and the seeds from the vanilla pod 5. Then add the eggs 6

a pinch of salt and the softened butter 7, knead everything by hand until you get a compact and homogeneous mixture 9.

Finally, incorporate the chocolate chips 10. Knead everything, transfer the mixture to a work surface 11, and form a loaf 12.

Roll it 13 and cut pieces weighing 12-13 g each 14. Shape them into round balls with your hands 15.

As you form the balls, place them on a tray 16. With these quantities, you will get about 40 castagnole. Now fry in hot oil at 340-350°F (to be measured with a kitchen thermometer) for 2-3 minutes. Remember to fry a few pieces at a time, so as not to lower the oil temperature 17. Drain with a slotted spoon 18.

Place them one by one on a tray lined with kitchen paper 19. Once frying is finished, roll the balls in granulated sugar 20. Your chocolate castagnole are ready 21!

Storage

It is advisable to consume the chocolate castagnole immediately, or at most within the day. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Freezing is not recommended.

Advice

Instead of sambuca, you can use limoncello, grappa, or orange juice.

Tips and curiosities

• Can they be filled after cooking?

Chocolate castagnole have a rather compact internal consistency that does not lend itself to stuffing, and they will already be delicious as they are!

• What can I replace sambuca with?

You can use another aromatic liqueur like rum, limoncello, or orange juice.

• Can chocolate be used instead of cocoa powder?

This substitution is not recommended because it is a product with a different consistency.

• What can I substitute vanilla pod seeds with?

Vanilla extract can be used as an alternative.

• What are the secrets for perfect frying?

We recommend cooking the castagnole at the indicated temperature, monitored with a food thermometer, and it is important to cook a few pieces at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.