Maybe it’s a little bit early to think of Carnival, the period between Christmas and Easter, which ends before Lent. But it’s always time of sweets and delicacies, in my opinion. The following recipes are of two typical “cakes” (this name does not really explain what they are: they are absolutely unique!) eaten in that time, especially in Venice. Fritole, fritoe (different dialect varieties for the Italian frittelle) are round pastries with raisins. Many types developed from the basic recipe, so that you can find them filled with custard, with zabaione, with apples, or even empty. What follows is the typical Venetian recipe. But, before giving it to you, I should perhaps explain what grappa is, since this is one of the ingredients.

Grappa is a spirit distilled from the fermented remains of grapes after pressing. It has specific taste deriving from the kind of grapes that is used: grappa from Prosecco, for example, is fine. Of course the alcoholic degree is very high (40/42°) and one has better be careful about the quantity one drinks… It is used in the preparation of cakes, it enhances the taste of coffee: coffee and grappa is a typical binomial here in Italy (in the Veneto region, mostly) and can be drunk as a powerful digestive after dinner. There are still some farmers who make their own grappa illegally at home and make it circulate among friends and relatives. If you pour a little quantity of grappa onto a small plate and light it with a match, it burns for quite a long time. You could see the blue flame indicating the alcohol being consumed.

So, here it is:

Ingredients (for 6 people):

• 1 lb flour
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 tblsps pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• I/2 cup grappa
• 1 packet brewer’s yeast
• a pinch of salt
• peanut oil to fry
• icing sugar to decorate

Method:

Melt the brewer’s yeast and sugar with a little bit of warm water; then add flour, the eggs, grappa and milk. Don’t forget the pinch of salt. Mix everything and knead it for a while until you see some kind of small “air bubbles” forming on the surface. Cover then with a napkin and leave it in a warm place to rise. When the dough will have doubled its volume, add the raisins (and pinenuts). Make “balls” with a teaspoon and let them “slide” into peanut boiling oil (oil should be deep enough to cover all the small balls; and remember not to put too may of them at a time). When they rise to the surf, turn them over, so that they become brown all over. Dry on kitchen paper, sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy your fritoe!

Crostoli (in Italian “galani”) is another typical Carnival dessert.

Ingredients (4 people):

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup grappa
• 1 lemon
• icing sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• peanut oil to fry

Method:

Mix flour, sugar, vanilin, grated lemon peel and salt on the pastry board. Then make a well and put the eggs, the soft butter cut into small cubes inside the hole. Work it till it is smooth. With the rolling pin roll the dough very thin. Cut rectangles (about 8×12 centimetres) with the pastry cutting wheel and make three cuttings on each of the rectangles. Fry two or three rectangles at a time in abundant boiling peanut oil. Drain, dry on kitchen paper, cover with icing sugar. You can eat them either hot or cold.

I wish it were Carnival already…