Venetian Treat: Le 'Frittole'

With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, I’ll probably be serving up some Venetian sweets. Venetian Frittole are a bit similar to donuts except a little richer and a bit more complicated (like most Italian fussy dishes)…


Le Frittole are usually served around Carnival time in northern Italy, but we also make them for other fun or special occasions. They’re not the healthiest- granted, but they are traditional- dating back centuries, so I do make them once in a while. We feast and indulge in them, knowing these only come around occasionally, so even ‘lean Angeline’ will make the exception;)


Here’s the recipe for these very filling, but yummy little donuts:

You’ll need:

400 gr. of flour
100 gr. of sultan raisins
1 tbl. Sp. Sugar
2 eggs
30 gr. of yeast
1 glass of milk (heat it up to luke warm)
1 glass of rhum
About a litre of oil for frying (I know, I know…)
100 gr of icing sugar (for topping- optional)
A bit of salt

To prepare:

Dilute the yeast in a cup with about 3 tbl. sp. of water.
Put the raisins to moisten in some lukewarm water.
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar and salt. Dig in the middle to make a tunnel-like with the flour, so that you can place whole eggs, rhum and diluted yeast in that middle.


Mix it all up with the help of milk (to moisten). When you get a dough that is consistent enough, mix in the raisins. Cover up the whole mixture and set aside for about 2 hours (or until the mixture doubles in size)


When you’re to ready to fry, make sure the oil is very hot in the pan (175celcius). Gently drop the mixture by the spoonful, turning them gently only once (this will give you small golden balls). Remove and place on a large tray lined with absorbing paper to remove excess oil.


Once they’re well dried, sprinkle some icing sugar on them and they’re ready to serve.

Delicious! (I’ve already gained a few pounds just writing this).