CROSTOLI – BRINGING ITALIAN FAT TUESDAY TO TULIPLAND

And it’s 12 years of Carnival bakes!
A very busy one this year, since my teaching period started yesterday. As one might imagine, there is a lot to do!
So not a very long #foodstory this year and not a very recent bake, yet I am happy to share this English version of my favorite Carnival fritters: the crostoli!
See below for the recipe in both fried and baked versions.

For the Italian version, click here.

CROSTOLI

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 600 g flour
  • 70 g sugar
  • 70 g melted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ glass grappa
  • Lemon flavoring or grated lemon zest
  • 1 sachet baking powder

For the topping

  • 1 egg, beaten with a few drops of milk (for the baked version)
  • Plenty of crystal sugar or icing sugar for dusting

For frying option

  • About 1 l peanut oil or another neutral vegetable oil (e.g., sunflower, corn, rapeseed) for deep frying

Equipment (optional but helpful)

  • Stand mixer with dough hook
  • Pasta machine (or a rolling pin and some patience)
  • Pastry cutter

Procedure

Dough & shaping

  1. Put all the dough ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer: make a well in the flour, then add the sugar, eggs, melted butter, grappa, lemon flavoring, and baking powder in the center.
  2. Start mixing on the lowest speed, then increase to low–medium until the dough is smooth, elastic, and comes away from the sides of the bowl. To the touch it should not be stick; if it is, add a little more flour.
  3. Now for the fun part: roll out the dough using a pasta machine or a rolling pin. Aim for a thin sheet (about 1–2 mm). The thinner, the lighter and bubblier the crostoli will be.
  4. Use a pastry cutter to cut the dough into rectangles or diamonds and make a small slit in the middle of each piece.

Baked crostoli

  • Preheat the oven to 210°C (static).
  • Place the crostoli on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the surface lightly with the beaten egg and milk.
  • Bake for 8–10 minutes, until they are golden and puffed with little bubbles.
  • Let them cool slightly, then dust generously with icing sugar.

Fried crostoli (like in my photos)

  • Heat the oil in a wide pot to about 170°C.
  • Fry a few crostoli at a time: slide them carefully into the hot oil and cook for a couple of minutes, turning them halfway through, until they’re just lightly golden and covered in bubbles.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
  • Once they’re warm but not hot, dust very generously with icing sugar.

Down the memory lane:
Looking back at the past 12 years of Fat Tuesday FoodStories

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