Carnival donuts, or frittelle di carnevale, are consumed in huge quantities in February all around Italy. Each region has its own twist, a different liquor or candied fruit, to make them their own. This is the way our kids like them.
Ingredients for lots!
Milk – 1 cup/250ml/8.4 fl oz
Instant yeast – 4 tsp
Eggs – 3
Sugar – 4 tblsp, plus a load for coating
Salt – a pinch
Butter – 45g, melted/1.6oz
00 Flour – 300g/10.6oz
Raisins – ½ cup
Citrus peel – ¾ cup
Pine nuts – ½ cup
Lemon – 1 grated zest
Extra virgin olive oil – around 400ml/13.5fl.oz depending on pan
Gently warm the milk and put it in a mixing bowl with the yeast. Add in the eggs, sugar, salt, melted butter and mix it all together. Then add the flour and mix it with a wooden spoon until it becomes smooth. Now you can throw in all the other ingredients (except the olive oil which is for frying!). Knead this together for 10 minutes with a spatula, scraping around the bowl and mixing from bottom to top. Now you need to let it rest for half an hour with a damp cloth over the top to stop it from drying out. The doughy mixture should double in size.
Now heat your olive oil over a medium flame. Once the oil is hot, use two spoons to mould a cherry tomato sized ball of dough, and scrape it into the hot oil. Fit a few in at once then take them out with a pair of tongs, drain them on some kitchen towel for a minute, then transfer them to a plate of sugar for a darn good coating.
