At Carnevale

Recipe by Simone Bortolus from the Pasticceria Dolcevita in Codroipo

Frittelle (deep-fried dough rolled in sugar) are the Carnival sweet treat par excellence in many regions: fried in little balls, they can contain raisins, pine nuts or be filled with vanila pastry cream. Simone's raisin and apple frittelle Pasticceria Dolcevita from Codroipo are made with raisins, which are a must, and apples, as per Friulian tradition to make them even softer

Ingredients

• 600 g plain flour
• 300 g fresh milk
• 200 g sugar
• 60 g rum
• 200 g fresh whole eggs
• Peel of 2 lemons
• Peel of 2 oranges
• 30 g baking powder
• 300 g raisins 
• 650 g diced apples
• 20 g sale

Preparation

1. Mix the milk, sugar, rum, eggs and citrus peel.
2. Then add the flour with the yeast, and when the mixture is well blended, add the raisins and apples.
3. Fry in hot oil at 180 °C.

Recipe by Cotič del Panificio-Pekarna Cotič

A truly unmissable Carnival treat, among the many variations of Carnival frittelle, this recipe proposed by Janina from the Panificio-Pekarna Cotič is perhaps the most traditional.  For those with a particularly sweet tooth, you can also sprinkle them with sugar.

Ingredients:

• 450 g Strong flour
• 100 g Liquid natural yeast
• 40 g Sugar
• 125 g Butter
• 100 g Egg yolks
• 100 g Eggs
• 20 g Brewer's yeast
• 400 g Raisins
• 8 g Salt
• Zest of 2 lemons
• approx. 90 g Water

Preparation

1. Mix the flour, natural yeast, brewer's yeast, sugar, egg yolks, eggs and lemon zest until the dough is smooth, even and elastic.
2. Add the salt and butter.
3. Knead until fully blended. Gradually mix in the remaining water and finally the raisins.
4. Let the dough rise at room temperature for about an hour, then flatten the dough on a work surface and let it rise again.
5. Cut the dough into small pieces without squashing the mixture and dip the frittelle in the oil previously heated to 175 °C, turning them until they are an even golden brown.

Recipe by Elisa Costantini from La Gubana della Nonna in San Pietro al Natisone

Strucchi and gubana are the typical sweet pastries from the Valleys of Natisone: soft fried morsels of shortcrust pastry with a very rich and delicious filling. Created as a Carnival treat, in the past they were also served on more important occasions instead of the classic sugared almonds.
There are many Carnival traditions in the Valleys of Natisone, as well as many recipes for strucchi, which vary from house to house: here we provide the recipe by Elisa from La Gubana della Nonna.

Ingredients for the dough

• 100 g of butter (softened)
• 200 g of sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• the grated rind of one lemon
• 50 g of milk
• 500 g of white wheat flour
• one sachet of baking powder
• one egg white
• peanut oil for frying

 
Ingredients for the filling

• 500 g of sultanas
• 125 g of white wine
• 500 g of sugar (of which 250 g to caramelize the almonds)
• 100 g of unpeeled almonds
• 500 g of clean walnuts
• 200 g of amaretti biscuits
• 2 tablespoons of rum
• one vial of almond flavouring
• one sachet of vanilla flavouring
• the grated rind of one lemon
• the grated rind of one orange
• 50 g of pine nuts
• 50 g of butter

 
Preparation of the filling

1. A couple of days before, soak the sultanas in the white wine.
2. In a saucepan, melt 250 g of sugar, add the almonds and leave them to caramelize for about 5 minutes.
3. Once they are well caramelized, spread the mixture out on a sheet of baking paper. Let it cool completely and break it into small pieces.
4. Grind the walnuts, amaretti biscuits and caramelised almond pieces together, pour them into a large bowl and add the sugar, soaked sultanas, flavourings and pine nuts (browned in butter). Mix everything together, cover with cling film and set aside.
5. Shape into little balls and set aside.

Preparation of the dough

1. Cream the softened butter and the sugar with pinch of salt; add the eggs, the lemon zest, milk and finally sift in the flour and yeast.
2. Mix well until you obtain a smooth dough, mould into a brick shape and wrap it in cling film, then let it rest in the fridge for an hour.
3. Once chilled, roll out the dough thinly into a rectangle using a rolling pin.
4. Arrange the previously prepared balls of Gubana filling in rows on top of one half of the pastry, and cover them with the other half brushed with egg white.
5. Using a small wheel, cut out the strucchi and seal them around the edges.
6. Heat the oil to 180 °C and fry the strucchi for about 8/10 minutes, taking care to turn them often and making sure they are not too dark.

Extra tip

• Use a ravioli mould to help you fill and seal the strucchi.
• A special frying pan with a basket will make cooking easier.

Recipe by Chiara Selenati from @blogthatsamore

‘Chiacchiere’, or ‘crostoli’ as we call them in Friuli, are a typical Carnival treat. They are known by different names in different Italian regions and this is the recipe by the food blogger Chiara @blogthatsamore, or rather the recipe that her grandmother Gemma passed down to her.
 
Ingredients:

• 500 g of plain flour
• 4 medium eggs
• 60 g of sugar
• 2 dessert spoons of grappa (or dark rum)
• 40 g of softened butter
• salt
• peanut oil
• icing sugar for decorating

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, place the flour, sugar, grappa, butter and a pinch of salt.
2. Add the beaten eggs and mix all the ingredients until you obtain a smooth and even dough.
3. Wrap it in cling film and leave to rest in a cool place for 30 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into 5 parts and roll them out with the pasta machine, starting from the thickest setting and working your way down to number 6.
5. Cut the strips in half if they are too long and difficult to handle.
6. Cut out rectangles with a pastry wheel and prick/cut them in the middle.
7. Fry them in hot oil, over low heat, until golden.
8. Lift the chiacchiere out onto kitchen paper to remove excess oil, then sprinkle with icing sugar.

Recipe by Matteo Romanin from the Dorfarpeck bakery in Sappada

An old, traditional Sappada recipe with ground poppy seeds in the filling, which goes perfectly with the cornflour and cream dough. Enjoy this unusual combination in the frittelle by Matteo from the Dorfarpeck bakery in Sappada.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 150 g sugar
• 5 g salt
• 2 g vanilla essence
• 10 g baking powder
• 250 ml single cream
• 50 g rum
• 600 g plain flour
• 150 g fine cornflour
• white flour to dust the work surface Per il ripieno: 100 g semi di papavero macinati finemente 20 g zucchero a velo
• 1 uovo
• 10 g ruhm

For the filling:

• 100 g finely ground poppy seeds
• 20 g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 10 g rum

Preparation:

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites
2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff 
3. Place all the other dough ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with the egg whites until you obtain an even and somewhat sticky dough
4. Dust the work surface or board thoroughly and roll out the dough into a sheet 3/4 mm thick
5. Prepare the filling by mixing together the ingredients
6. Cut the sheet of dough into two equal halves
7. Arrange small amounts of the filling on one sheet of dough in rows at 2 cm intervals
8. Lay the other sheet over the top
9. Cut out like ravioli using a pastry cutter and seal the edges
10. Fry in hot oil at 180 degrees  
11. Once cooled, dust with icing sugar

Extra tip
You can also use jam as an alternative filling - we recommend cranberry jam - but it must be thick and with minimum liquid to prevent them from opening while frying.

Recipe by foodblogger @Sara.dalmas

Originating in the Resia Valley, Bujadnik is a cake made of cornflour and wheat flour, eggs, sugar, milk and cream with dried figs, sultanas, walnuts and apples. Added to these ingredients are caraway seeds, which give the cake an unmistakable boost in flavour.
Bujadnik dates back to the 19th century, when it was the traditional sweet treat on feast days and was baked under the ashes in the hearth, wrapped in Savoy cabbage leaves.
Each family in Friuli has its own personal recipe; this is by the foodblogger @Sara.dalmas.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 275 g of cornflour
• 200 g of plain flour
• 250 g dried figs
• 200 g sultanas (soaked)
• 210 g milk
• 200 g thick cream
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g walnuts
• 2 apples
• 1 ½ sachets of baking powder
• 1 dessert-spoon of caraway seeds
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Peel the apples, dice them and cook them in a pan with a little water until soft.
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with a hand whisk until smooth. Gradually add the plain flour and cornflour, slowly also adding the milk to make mixing easier. Finally, add the cream.
3. Soak the sultanas in water, cut the dried figs into small pieces and coarsely chop the walnuts.
4. Add the sultanas (soaked and padded dry), figs, walnuts, cooked apples, a pinch of salt, caraway seeds and baking powder to the mixture.
5. Mix well and transfer the mixture to an oven dish or baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Level the surface and bake at 180 °C for about 40 minutes.
7. Leave the bujadnik to cool, then cut into 5x5 cm squares.

Recipe by Antonella Petris from the Restaurant Pa' Krhaizar in Sauris.


In Sauris/Zahre, a village nestled in the Carnic Alps, carnival tradition includes the preparation of vledlan (frittelle with herbs). Vledlan are classic frittelle with the addition of grappa and chopped dried herbs, such as wild mint and sage, which give them a delicate and unmistakable aroma. 

Ingredients:

• 200 g flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 200 g milk (adjust according to the consistency of the dough)
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of half a lemon
• 4 dessert spoons of sugar
• half a shot of grappa
• dried sage or mint
• icing sugar to decorate

Preparation:

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites; whip the egg whites until stiff; beat the egg yolks with the sugar, grappa, lemon (juice and zest) until creamy.
2. Add the chopped herbs, flour and baking powder, mixing slowly a bit at a time, and finally the milk, adjusting the quantity to obtain a dense dough that is neither too firm nor too sticky.
3. Take small spoonfuls of dough and fry them in plenty of hot oil until golden, then serve with a dusting of icing sugar.