Pignolata Glassata
A classic Southern Italian Carnival sweet made of tiny fried dough bites clustered into mounds, half glazed in lemon icing and half in dark chocolate.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 395 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep frying pot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Rolling pin
- •Heatproof bowl
- •Digital kitchen thermometer
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 395 kcal
- fat
- 17 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 395 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Sift the flour into a wide bowl and make a well in the centre.
- 2
Add the whole eggs, grappa, and pinch of salt to the well.
- 3
Draw the flour in with a fork, then knead for five minutes until smooth.
- 4
Cover the dough with a cloth and rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
- 5
Roll pieces of dough into thin ropes, each the thickness of a pencil.
- 6
Cut the ropes into small pieces roughly one centimetre in length.
- 7
Heat the oil to 175°C in a deep frying pot.
- 8
Fry the pieces in small batches for two minutes until crisp and pale gold.
- 9
Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain completely on absorbent paper.
- 10
Whisk the egg white, lemon juice, and icing sugar until thick and glossy.
- 11
Melt the dark chocolate, butter, caster sugar, and water gently over simmering water.
- 12
Toss half the fried dough in lemon glaze and half in chocolate, mounding them side by side on a platter.
Chef's tips
Keep the cut dough pieces small because they expand considerably in hot oil. Let the fried dough cool completely before applying the glazes so the icing sets firmly. Allow the assembled pastry to rest for at least two hours at room temperature before slicing.
Ingredient substitutions
- grappa → anisette, strega, or dark rum
- unsalted butter → an equal quantity of water to make the chocolate glaze dairy-free
Storage
Keep uncovered or loosely tented at room temperature in a cool, dry pantry for up to 3 days; avoid refrigeration as humidity will soften the glaze.
Reheating
Pignolata glassata is enjoyed exclusively at room temperature and must never be reheated.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting the dough pieces too large, resulting in dense and chewy centres.
- •Frying in oil that is too hot, causing premature browning while the dough remains raw inside.
- •Glazing the dough while still warm, which makes the icings run off instead of coating evenly.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Pignolata Glassata?
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