Venetian Fritole Recipe

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These Frittole, Fritole or fritters are a speciality of the Veneto during Carnevale. Be warned, they are addictive! An alternative to cooking them at home...if you are in Venice is here!

Between Candlemas (2nd of February) and Martedí Grasso (Fat Tuesday) the Venetians celebrate Carnevale. The festivities are not the drunken bashes associated with Mardi Gras. The focus is on the beautiful costumes that recall the history of Venice. There are many costumes that would be considered performance art.

This is one of my favourite dolci recipes. The fritole are much more than a donut or a simple fritter.

Venetian Frittole Recipe
Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups + 2/3 cup milk
  • l tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 ounce yeast (1-1/2 cakes)
  • 1 tsp + 1 pinch sugar
  • 3 1/2 cups flour, sifted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup grappa (substitute rum if necessary)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • cooking oil for deep frying
  • powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Soak the raisins in the grappa.
  2. Break up the yeast in the 1/4 cup lukewarm water in a small bowl. Add a pinch of sugar and set aside. If the yeast is fresh, bubbles should begin to form immediately.
  3. Put the sifted flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix in 1 1/4 cups milk.
  4. Add the egg and mix well.
  5. While stirring, add the yeast-water mixture and an additional 2/3 cup milk.
  6. Continue stirring until smooth. This should be a very thick, doughy batter.
  7. Bubbles will start to form within the batter.
  8. Add the raisins, pine seeds, and remaining grappa and mix well.
  9. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in a warm, draft free spot.
  10. Allow the batter to rise for about 3 hours.
  11. Fill a deep fryer or a saucepan half full of good cooking oil. Heat the oil to 375F.
  12. Wet a tablespoon with cold water. Scoop up the batter, and with a moistened a thumb, push the batter off the spoon into the hot oil (Be careful of the oil. By dropping the batter in close to the surface you will prevent splashing.)
  13. Repeat with 4 or 5 more spoonfuls of batter. Cook the fritter until it has an even deep golden brown color, turning it once or twice during cooking. The fritters should not be too big.
  14. Remove the fritters from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Cut open this test fritter to make sure that it is cooked through. If so, proceed as described above for the remaining batter, cooking 4 or 5 fritters at a time.
  15. When the fritters have cooled, roll them in powdered sugar and place on a platter.

Venice Frittelle (Frittole)

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frittele of St Giuseppe, pastry typical of mar... Ok Ok I know Christmas and New Year are still here, but we have to think ahead and ahead in sweets terms means: Frittelle…Frittole..Fritoe, or fritters, are the most famous dolci or sweets of  Venice during the Carnival Season.

Frittelle begin showing up in pastry shops, Cafes and  bakeries, mid January and  during the weeks leading up to il Carnevale di Venezia. When Carnival is over, frittelle disappear from the store windows almost as quickly as tourists in masks.

Frittelle come in a variety of styles, both filled and unfilled, the available choices usually include:

Frittelle veneziane. No filling, but with raisins and pine nuts mixed into the fairly heavy dough. After frying, the frittelle are rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con crema chantilly. Filled with a light vanilla-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con cioccolata. Filled with a mild chocolate-flavoured pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con zabaione. Filled with a Marsala-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

The most famous and renowned places where to get the Frittelle (and my votes) are:

  • Pasticceria Tonolo: Contrada San pantalon in Dorsoduro 10/10
  • Pasticceria Didovitch: Campo Santa Marina     9/10
  • Pasticceria Bonifacio Calle degli Albanesi San Marco 4/10 (uncooked)
  • Panifico Fornareto Calle del Forner Cannaregio  8/10
  • Coffe Pasticceria Pitteri Strada Nuova Cannaregio  9/10 but poor Cappuccino!
  • Dal Mas  Cannaregio Rio Terà Lista de Spagna, 150  8/10
  • Rosa Salva  (5/10)

The worst Frittelle (IMHO)

  • Majer (San Giacomo dell’Orio) : just one word Terrible!!!

Last year prices were around 1.00 and 1.30 Euro each  but I have seen also a few outrageous 1.50