AGRILIFE BLOG
CARNIVAL CAKES
Today we talk about... tipical Carnival cakes. During the most cheerful and coloured period of the year it is possible to taste special delicacies.
Umbria has an excellent gastronomic tradition and Carnival cakes are absolutely to be tasted: the most famous are "frappe" and "strufoli".
Both of them are fried and in the past times was used the lard to friethem but this animal fat was not good to be eated from the first day of Lent.
The secret to obtain very special "strufoli" and "frappe" is the frie: it must be slow and careful, done with seed oil. The "frappe" can be coocked also in the oven.
I have a real passion for handmade cakes, particularly prepared following ancient recipes: here below you find two recipes that I personally prepared and photographed.
RECIPE FOR STRUFOLI
8 eggs
8 spoons of sugar
8 spoons of extra virgin olive oil
16 spoons of flour
1 glass of rum or mistraŽ
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 small spoon of baking powder
honey or alchermes to decore
seed oil to frie
Mix all the ingredients and obtain a firm but soft paste.
Let stand for 1 hour. In the meantime heat the seed oil in a cooking pan.
Then take a small part of the paste with the spoon and put it in the heated oil.
When "strufoli" are puffed and golden put them on the blotting paper.
Serve them when they are cold, with honey or alchermes, as you like.
RECIPE FOR FRAPPE
500 gr. of flour
3 eggs
125 gr. of sugar
100 gr. butter
1 spoon of baking powder
grated rind of 1 lemon
a pinch of salt
honey, alchermes or icing sugar to decore
seed oil to frie
Mix all the ingredients and prepare a smooth and homogeneous paste.
Put the paste on the pastry board and spread it in dough.
Cut rectangular strips and do a cut in the middle: then pass part of the paste on it and create a node.
Hot the seed oil in a cooking pan and frie the "frappe" for about 5 minutes. As alternative you can cook them for 20 minutes in the oven: put them on a baking tin covered by a greaseproof paper.
Serve the "frappe" with icing sugar, honey or alchermes as you like.
#UMBRIA | #Umbrian recipes | #Umbrian local food | #food in Umbria |
