Gabriella Catolino

Gabriella Catolino

MDiv (she·her·hers)

London, Ontario

Holiday Recipe:Mum’s Crostoli

In every Italian household (as is the custom in many countries), every holiday is celebrated with gusto. And every holiday has certain foods associated with it—desserts too. But no matter the reason, eating, drinking, and being merry is all part of the culture, and any reason will do.

For example, frittole and crostoli are a Venetian custom during Carnevale, an annual festival held in Venice that ends on Shrove Tuesday before Lent. The festival is world-famous for its elaborate masks. My daughter, Carla, who lives in Italy, often goes to Venice during Carnevale and is more likely to adhere to the food customs during their specified times. I love both frittole and crostoli, so I make them whenever there is an important (and sometimes not so important) event, like a shower, wedding, Christmas… you get my meaning.

My next-door neighbor’s daughter, Abby, loves crostoli and asks Ariana to ask me when I’ll make them again. What’s not to love? Fried pastry! I loved making them with my mum. The crostoli would puff up, and my brother, Ciano, and I would eat them for breakfast with our café-latte. We would dunk them, fill up the bubbles with coffee, and eat them… lots of them. I suppose that partly explains my life-long weight challenges. Still, in moderation, these are a lovely treat. But be careful—they are addictive, like potato chips!

They’re not hard to make, but I usually like to make crostoli with another set of helping hands. Once you start frying, you cannot leave the stove unattended, so you must work fast.

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 6 tbsp. melted butter
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of grappa (or white wine … mum always used grappa)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Vanilla
  • Lemon rind grated
  • Flour – enough to make the consistency of fresh pasta and can be kneeded well.
  • Oil or lard for frying … or 1/2 and 1/2 (I usually do 1/2 and 1/2)


Directions

  1. Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add melted butter, grappa and incorporate completely.
  3. Add flavourings.
  4. Add salt and flour until a nice dough consistency is obtained.
  5. Cover bowl well and let stand for one hour.
  6. I use my stand mixer pasta roller attachment and roll out the dough as if I was making lasagna sheet.
  7. Cut into rectangles with scalloped-edged pastry cutter.
  8. Fry in medium hot oil. They should float on to.
  9. Remove when just pink … they fry quickly.
  10. Sprinkle with sugar or icing sugar … which every you prefer. Mum and I both use sugar.