Venetian favette (castagnole)

by Valeria Necchio
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4
20 minutes

Ingredients

Favette (castagnole)

  • 200g of plain flour, sifted
  • 60g of caster sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 1 tbsp of baking powder
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
  • 1 unwaxed lemon, zested
  • 2 eggs, medium
  • 40g of unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced
  • 1 tbsp of anise liqueur
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1l sunflower oil, for frying

Method

1
To make the favette dough, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and break the eggs into it. Add the butter, the anise liqueur (if using) and the vanilla, and begin to stir all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until roughly combined
2
Using your hands now, knead the dough until you have a smooth, elastic, slightly sticky ball. Wrap it in cling film and allow to rest for 5 minutes
3
Fill three-quarters of a deep, medium-sized skillet with sunflower oil. Place it over a low-medium heat and wait for the oil to reach 180°C
4
Divide the dough into five chunks of roughly the same size. Roll each chunk out into long ropes that are about 1cm thick, then cut them into small pieces, about 1cm long. Roll each piece into a ball (favetta) using your palms
5
Finally, fry the favette in batches until crisp and deep golden all around, for about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer them to a plate covered with paper towels
6
Leave them to cool slightly, then roll in caster sugar and eat them as soon as you finish, or within the same day