Recipes

Frappe: Roman-style Sweet Carnival Fritters

11/02/2013

I know, today should be the day to write about pancakes. It is Pancake Day in UK after all, but in Italy we have different traditions. Instead of pancakes we eat frappe, Roman’s favourite Mardi Gras and Carnival treats.

Frappe - Roman Style Sweet Carnival Fritters

We celebrate Carnival with street parades and masquerade parties, music and by making pranks. Children and adults dress up in colourful costumes and throw coriandoli (aka confetti in English) at each other on the street. It’s very joyful and fun!

The best place to celebrate Carnival is Venice, it may be crowded and overwhelming, but definitely something worth experiencing once in a lifetime!

Foodwise, we have many regional recipes that are typical of Carnival, but more or less they are all a variation of these sweet fritters. In Rome, where I come from, they are called frappe, but elsewhere they are also known as cenci, chiacchere, lattughe, crostoli, bugie and so on.

Frappe: Roman-style Sweet Carnival Fritters

Frappe are crispy fritters made with flour, sugar, butter, eggs and liquor. While names and recipes differ between regions, the substance remains the same: to stuff yourselves with fatty foods, before the fasting period of Lent will start tomorrow, on Ash Wednesday.

Frappe - Roman Style Sweet Carnival Fritters

I love these sweet fritters, though I am not usually a fan of fried food (exception made for custard doughnuts from St John’s Bakery) and admittedly this is not something you can eat all year round! But it is a great indulgence to have during the Carnival season and a tradition I’d love to maintain in my family.

Frappe - Roman Style Sweet Carnival Fritters

I used my mum’s recipe for frappe, which means it had approximate measurements and instructions. Every time I ask my mum how to make a recipe, the answer is usually: add a bit of this, a little bit of that, mix it and fry it!

My mum got this recipe from my grandma, who never writes down recipes, but simply makes them up from memory as she goes along.

Ingredients

  • 250g white flour
  • 1 medium free-range egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 50g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp of grappa or dry white wine
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • pinch of salt
  • a little bit of milk
  • vegetable oil (to fry)
  • icing sugar

Preparation

Sift the flour onto a counter and make a well in the center. Add the egg and yolk, sugar, butter, grappa and lemon zest to the center of the well. Work the ingredients together until a firm dough forms, adding a little milk if the dough is too dry or a little flour if it is sticky.

After you’ve kneaded the dough, it should be just a little sticky to the touch. Cover with plastic wrap, and rest on the counter for 30 minutes (do not refrigerate).

Divide the dough into two or three pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the pieces of dough, 2-3mm thick. With a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 3cm strips. At this point, the dough is ready to be fried.

Heat the vegetable oil. When hot, drop the pieces of dough in it and fry until golden all over and puffed, for about 2/3 minutes.

Frappe - Roman Style Sweet Carnival Fritters

Remove to a platter lined with kitchen paper; continue in the same way with the remaining dough.

Serve hot, dusted with the icing sugar.

Frappe - Roman Style Sweet Carnival Fritters

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Mondomulia
22/02/2013 10:35

Absolutely, just follow the recipe without alcohol, it will work anyway!

Lily
Lily
21/02/2013 23:59

Hi thr.. Wud luv to try out ur recipe… But is there any way I cud do it witout using alcohol?? Thnx =)

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