Castagnoli

from the Touch Family Recipes

			      Castagnoli
		       "Aunt Dorothy's Recipe"
	       Refined by Joe Touch, her great nephew.

"kaas-taan-yoh-lee": Italian for "chestnuts", for their shape.
Small dough-balls made for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi-Gras), the
day before the beginning of Lent. A sweet indulgence before
the abstinence of Lent.

Aunt Dorothy was one of six children (four girls, two boys) living in
the small towns around Scranton, Pennsylvania, sibling to my paternal
grandmother, Antoinette ("Nonni"). This is her recipe for Castagnoli,
as first transcribed by my mother. I have indicated my clarifications
to the recipe below.

I hope you like them!

Ingredients:
	4 eggs			(large or extra large)
	2 cups flour		(needs about 3/4 cup more, add as indicated)
	1/4 cup melted butter	(no substitution - it's Mardi Gras!)
	5 tablespoons sugar
	lemon rind		(medium to big lemon)
	2 teaspoons baking powder
	salt			(I guessed 1 teaspoon, based on the eggs)
	a jigger of whiskey	(1/8 cup, or 1 oz. Can substitute rum)
	
	cooking oil		(canola, corn, etc. something that
				doesn't scorch easily, and with no
				taste - you may need up to a pint) 

	honey 			(as desired - needs about a pint or so)
			

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.	(I use a mixer with a dough hook).

Add butter, mix. 		(prevents the warm butter from 
Add remaining ingredients.	cooking the eggs). 

Add extra flour as needed to 	(you'll be rolling it, so make it as
make the dough manageable.  	soft as you can but not so soft that
				it sticks to everything. Add flour 
				slowly - it takes time to absorb the
				liquid, and if you add too fast the
				dough will harden as you work it.) 

Roll the dough into a stick	(can be larger, if you want, or
about 1/2" in diameter, cut	smaller, but make them all nearly the
balls off 1/2" around.		same so they cook evenly).

Drop balls into oil on 		Don't overcook. Balls should take a
MEDIUM heat, cooking until	minute or two to cook - if they cook
LIGHT BROWN.			faster, LOWER THE HEAT!!

Ladel balls out of oil as they	(paper towels in a bowl work well)
are finished - drain.

Before serving, cover with	(can be stored with or without honey.
honey.				Without stays crunchier, which I like,
				but with absorbs more honey, which my
				father likes).

Done!