Castagnole noble goodness
Castagnole, name due to the shape that makes them resemble small chestnuts, according to some the “perfect recipe” of carnival, of ancient and popular origin in different regions. Among the various carnival sweets certainly the most loved along with chiacchiere.
Recipes for castagnole can be found as early as the 1700s, for the first time in a book by Italo Arieti, kept in the State archives of Viterbo. However, we know that excellent castagnole were served at the royal table of the D’Angiò and at the desk of another influential family in Rome, the Farnese. Like a national symbol, carnival castagnole travel almost all over Italy, becoming a carnival tradition in Umbria, Lazio, Veneto, Marche and Emilia Romagna. Like other desserts, fragrant castagnole are also based on doughfried, with some baked variants.
The preparation of castagnole requires experience to achieve an excellent browning and not make the outer surface too hard: castagnole are characterized precisely by the balance between the crunchy exterior and the soft filling. The ingredients are: flour, eggs, sugar, butter, yeast, lemon, vanillin, anise liqueur, and salt, but there are many variations on the theme: filled with candied fruit, raisins, cream, or whipped cream.
