Yes it's true, they're a bit high in calories, yet the traditional treats of Carnival are ever so sweet and yummy! Call them frittelle, chiacchiere, tortelli, zeppole or fritters, fried cakes, sugar puffs, churros, crullers... you name it, the more the better, but they all have one thing in common: they are fried... and they accompany Carnival perfectly.

For 2009 we chose Castagnole, fast and easy to make... and very quick to disappear!

Ingredients

• 400 gr. flour
• 75 gr. butter melted
• 100 g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon LIMMI lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons rum
• powdered sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• oil for frying

Preparation

Combine the eggs with the sugar, then add the flour, rum, 1 tsp LIMMI lemon juice, the butter melted in a double boiler (bain marie) and the pinch of salt to make a dough.

Roll the dough into little balls about 3 cm in diameter, then fry the castagnole in hot oil (around 180 degrees) keeping the oil temperature constant.

Turn the fritters to brown both sides, take them out of the oil, place them on parchment paper (to remove the excess grease), then sprinkle them with powdered sugar to finish.

And if "semel in anno licet insanire" (once a year feel free to act crazy), then get ready to celebrate all around Italy and moreover.