Carnevale Sweets: Umbrian Strufoli

02/25/2025

Today we present another typical Carnival dessert from the Perugia area: Umbrian Strufoli. In some areas of Umbria, they are also called "castagnole", and each family has its own version of the recipe. But regardless of the recipe or what you call them, the result is always the same: small fried balls that are very aromatic and incredibly delicious.

Originally, strufoli were cooked in lard and eaten before midnight on Fat Tuesday to avoid consuming animal fat during Lent. Today, instead of lard, it’s more common to use various types of seed oils for frying.

So, let's prepare Umbrian Strufoli together with the recipe from our Cesarina Marisa of Paciano, a small town in the province of Perugia.

"This is the recipe for masked celebrations, for joy. My mom always made them to celebrate my birthday!"

Umbrian Strufoli

The classic fried balls typical of Umbrian Carnival, easy to prepare and absolutely delicious

DifficultyMedium

Servings6

€

CostLow

Ingredients

4 eggs
70 g butter
100 g sugar
600 g flour
2 tablespoons of mistrà
1 small glass of cognac
1/2 small glass of sambuca
1 grated lemon and its juice
1 packet of baking powder

Method

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, add the flour, soft butter, lemon, and liqueurs little by little.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and add them to the mixture, then add the baking powder. Mix well and let it rest for at least a couple of hours.
Take a spoonful of dough and fry it in a pan with peanut oil.
When golden and puffed, place the strufolo on paper towels to drain. Repeat until the dough is finished.
Serve with warm honey or alchermes.