Castagnole in the Air Fryer
Castagnole are small Italian carnival buns about the size of a chestnut, scented with lemon and vanilla. Here they are baked crisp on the outside and soft in the middle in the air fryer instead of deep-fried in oil, then rolled in sugar while still warm.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
- 1 Brush
Ingredients
2 eggs
50 g sugar
50 g butter Melted and slightly cooled
1 lemon Organic, finely grated zest only
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 pinch salt
200 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Sugar coating
- 20 g butter Melted, for brushing
- 75 g sugar
Instructions
Preparation
- Whisk 2 eggs and 50 g sugar pale and fluffy in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes.
- Stir 50 g butter into the egg mixture along with the finely grated zest of 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla sugar and 1 pinch salt. The butter should be melted but only lukewarm.
- Sift 200 g plain flour and 2 tsp baking powder into the bowl, and stir until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Shape the dough into about 28 small balls the size of a chestnut, about 15 g each. Moisten your hands lightly with cold water if the dough sticks.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Line the basket with air fryer baking paper, and arrange half the balls in a single layer a couple of centimetres apart, as they rise during baking.
- Bake the balls at 160 °C for 10 minutes, turning them gently after 5 minutes so they brown evenly all over. They are done when golden and crisp on the outside, baked through but soft in the middle.
Sugar and serving
- Brush the warm balls lightly with 20 g butter so the sugar will stick. Use about half now and the rest for the next batch.
- Roll the warm balls straight away in 75 g sugar so they are coated all over. The sugar sticks best while they are still warm.
- Repeat with the remaining balls: bake at 160 °C for 10 minutes, brush with the rest of the butter, and roll in the sugar.
- Serve castagnole warm or at room temperature. They are best on the day they are made.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
When castagnole are baked in the air fryer instead of deep-fried, the surface is dry when they come out. A light brush of melted butter straight after baking helps the sugar stick and gives that crisp sugar crust. Roll them in sugar while they are still warm, since sugar barely sticks to cold buns. If the dough is too soft to shape, chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Good to know:
Castagnole are made without quark, which is what sets them apart from German Quarkbällchen. The dough is a simple egg dough with butter, sugar and lemon zest, giving a light, cake-like crumb. Variation:
Add 1 tbsp rum or anise liqueur to the dough for a more classic Italian flavour, or use orange zest instead of lemon zest. You can also dust them with icing sugar instead of rolling them in sugar. To serve:
Serve castagnole warm or at room temperature with coffee, or as a Carnival dessert, ideally with a cup of espresso on the side. Portion size:
The dough makes about 28 castagnole, or 7 per portion. If you have a smaller air fryer, bake them in several batches, and always leave plenty of space between the buns.
When castagnole are baked in the air fryer instead of deep-fried, the surface is dry when they come out. A light brush of melted butter straight after baking helps the sugar stick and gives that crisp sugar crust. Roll them in sugar while they are still warm, since sugar barely sticks to cold buns. If the dough is too soft to shape, chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Good to know:
Castagnole are made without quark, which is what sets them apart from German Quarkbällchen. The dough is a simple egg dough with butter, sugar and lemon zest, giving a light, cake-like crumb. Variation:
Add 1 tbsp rum or anise liqueur to the dough for a more classic Italian flavour, or use orange zest instead of lemon zest. You can also dust them with icing sugar instead of rolling them in sugar. To serve:
Serve castagnole warm or at room temperature with coffee, or as a Carnival dessert, ideally with a cup of espresso on the side. Portion size:
The dough makes about 28 castagnole, or 7 per portion. If you have a smaller air fryer, bake them in several batches, and always leave plenty of space between the buns.
Nutrition
Calories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 9gFat: 17gSaturated fat: 10gPolyunsaturated fat: 1.1gMonounsaturated fat: 4.7gTrans fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 342mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 1.4gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 586IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1.1mgNet carbohydrates: 62g
