Italian Castagnole Recipe – Backyard Poultry

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Fall weather is doughnut time! Make this Italian castagnole recipe a “doughnut cousin”, deep-fried balls of dough enriched with eggs, sugar, and vanilla.

It’s autumn here on my little patch of heaven in Southwestern Ohio. The days are, for the most part, warm but crisp, and the evenings bring a chill to the air.

We’re still in the gardens harvesting pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn.

Firewood is being gathered and stacked near the wood stove.

It’s doughnut time! And I’m not talking about the classic yeast-raised doughnuts, which require a couple of rising times, but what we call “doughnut cousins.” These are deep-fried little balls of dough enriched with eggs, sugar, and vanilla. They’re known as castagnole. Castagnole is Italian for “chestnuts,” which the doughnut balls are thought to resemble.

Castagnole are so versatile. Tossed in a simple blend of cinnamon and sugar, they’re perfect with a cup of tea or coffee for a warming afternoon break. But don’t stop there.

Pumpkin pie spice is synonymous with autumn. A shake or two of pumpkin pie spice adds depth and a haunting aroma to the castagnole.

Dress the castagnole up! Melt your favorite high-quality chocolate, then swirl the fried, cooled castagnole into the chocolate. You’re supposed to let the chocolate set before eating, but I’ve seen enough telltale chocolate-smudged fingers to know the temptation is that great. Yummy!

Now that I’ve piqued your interest, let’s talk about the details.

The recipe I’m sharing is easy and quick to make. The dough for the castagnole can be made by hand or with a mixer. Most of the dough ingredients you probably have on hand: Flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Castagnole take up only an hour or so of your time from start to finish. I’ve given detailed instructions to ensure success.

Whether you’re a newbie to doughnut making or an old hand at pastries, I hope you’ll make a batch. Let the little ones try rolling the castagnole dough into balls. The dough is forgiving, so they can fiddle with it as much as they like.

Italian Castagnole Recipe

Best eaten the day they’re made, but no worries there. You can’t eat just one!
Recipe doubles easily.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, very lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Cinnamon sugar* or confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

By hand:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
2. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, vanilla, and softened butter.
3. Mix with a fork until combined and dough leaves sides of bowl. Ingredients will be well-incorporated, but dough will be a bit sticky and clumpy.
4. Dump out on lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth. This takes just a few minutes. Form into a ball.
5. Wrap in plastic and let rest 30 minutes at room temperature. This allows the gluten in the dough to relax, making it easier to form into balls.
6. Divide dough into 2 to 3 pieces.
7. Roll each piece into a thick rope, about 1 inch or so thick.
8. Cut or pinch pieces of dough off about the size of walnuts. (They’ll puff up considerably as they fry.)
9. Roll between hands to form smooth balls. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet 1 inch or so apart.
10. Pour 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil into a large frying pan, sauté pan, or heavy pot.
11. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 325 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit. Any higher, and you risk the castagnole cooking on the outside before they’re cooked on the inside. Conversely, too low a temperature will make them soggy.
12. Slide castagnole balls into hot oil gently. I use a slotted spoon. Don’t overcrowd. Turn them a few times so they get brown on all sides. Mine took about 3 minutes. Cut or break the first one open to check it’s cooked through. If not, cook the castagnole a bit longer.
13. Drain on cooling racks or paper towels.
14. Toss with cinnamon sugar (recipe below) or sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar while still warm.

With mixer:

1. Place flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed to combine.
2. Make a well in the center, then add the eggs, vanilla, and softened butter. On low speed, mix until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix until ingredients are well-incorporated. Dough will still be a bit sticky and clumpy.
3. Continue recipe, following “by hand” instructions above, starting with instruction #4, dumping out the dough on a floured surface.
   Yield: 18 to 20

Cinnamon Sugar-No formal recipe — stir a tablespoon of cinnamon into a cup of granulated sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Castagnole

Add 1 teaspoon or so pumpkin pie spice to the flour mixture.
For the granulated sugar, stir in a teaspoon or so of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon.

Chocolate Dipped Castagnole

Melt your favorite chocolate. Dip cooled castagnole in, swirling them to coat halfway up. Let set on cooling rack.

Tips

• Make dough ahead and refrigerate.
• Wrapped tightly, dough can be refrigerated up to a day. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Does cinnamon go “bad?”

• According to the USDA, spices never really “expire” — they don’t pose health hazards after the expiration date.
• Spices, including cinnamon, should be stored away from heat and light.
• Ground cinnamon lasts about a year or so after opening.
• Cinnamon sticks are good for 3 to 4 years.
• The first time you open the container, write the month and year on it. That way, you have a visual note as a guide.
• Do the sniff test. Open the container and sniff. The fresher the cinnamon, the stronger the aroma.

Rita Heikenfeld comes from a family of wise women in tune with nature. She’s a certified modern herbalist, culinary educator, author, and national media personality. Most importantly, she’s a wife, mom, and grandma. Rita lives on a little patch of heaven overlooking the East Fork River in Clermont County, Ohio. She’s a former adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, where she developed a comprehensive herbal course. Abouteating.com column: Rita@CommunityPress.com

Originally published in the October/November 2024 issue of Backyard Poultry and regularly vetted for accuracy.