Hello friends, welcome to Donuts Recipes. Today we are going to make Tortelli di Carnevale – Italian Carnevale Donuts.

Donuts are typical of Carnevale in Italy, the famous festival in the days leading up to Lent. Each region, and indeed each family, has its own recipe.

In Milan and the Lombardy region, Carnival donuts are called ‘tortelli’ and they are flavored with anise liqueur, grappa, and lemon zest.

Recipe Summary for making Tortelli di Carnevale – Italian Carnevale Donuts

• preparation time: 20 minutes
• cook: 12 minutes
• additional: 3 hrs 30 minutes
• total: 4 hrs 2 minutes
• Servings: 8

Ingredients for making Tortelli di Carnevale – Italian Carnevale Donuts

• 12 fluid ounces water
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 5 fluid ounces anise-flavored liqueur
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons grappa
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 cups lard, or as needed

Directions for making Tortelli di Carnevale – Italian Carnevale Donuts

1. Combine water, butter, and salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in flour until well mixed.
2. Return saucepan to medium heat; cook and stir until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the saucepan, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Remove saucepan from heat and stir anise-flavored liqueur, sugar, grappa, and lemon zest into dough.
4. Cool dough to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
5. Beat egg yolks into the cooled dough until well mixed. Cover bowl with a clean towel and let rest for 3 hours.
6. Beat egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form; gently fold into the dough until no white streaks remain.
7. Heat lard in a heavy saucepan over medium heat or in a deep fryer.
8. Form dough into balls the size of golf balls; fry in the hot lard in batches, until Donuts are lightly browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.

Nutrition’s information for making Tortelli di Carnevale (Italian Carnevale Donuts)

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Calories: 298.9
• % Daily Value *
• protein: 5.3g 11 %
• carbohydrates: 30.1g 10 %
• dietary fiber: 0.8g 3 %
• sugars: 9g
• fat: 14.5g 22 %
• saturated fat: 7.2g 36 %
• cholesterol: 93.7mg 31 %
• vitamin a iu: 313.5IU 6 %
• niacin equivalents: 2.7mg 21 %
• vitamin c: 1mg 2 %
• folate: 59.2mcg 15 %
• calcium: 18.6mg 2 %
• iron: 1.6mg 9 %
• magnesium: 9.1mg 3 %
• potassium: 59.3mg 2 %
• sodium: 49mg 2 %
• thiamin: 0.2mg 23 %
• calories from fat: 130.3