This Old-School Italian Pastry Might Remind You Of A Dunkin' Staple

Easter in Italy is marked by picnics, processions, and pizza rustica, but if you've got a sweet tooth, visit a couple weeks earlier. In Italy, Carnival, or Carnevale, takes place during the weeks leading up to Lent, and while it's celebrated in different ways across the country, one thing you can count on is the sweet treats — many of which are available only once per year. You'll find everything from crispy fried dough to apple fritters, but nothing beats a handful of castagnole — small, sugar-coated dough balls. These old-school delicacies are quite similar to Dunkin' Munchkins, but trust us: They're much more delicious.

Castagnole dough is typically made with a mixture of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, yeast, and some sort of Italian liquor, like grappa or anisette. Their flavor may also be enhanced by a citrus zest or vanilla. Once it comes together, the dough is rolled into little Munchkin-like balls; the Carnevale favorite is actually named after the Italian word for chestnuts, castagne, due to its petite chestnut size. Then, they're fried in oil until they're golden brown and slightly crispy. While they're still warm, they're tossed and coated in sugar, just enough to coat your lips with each bite.

If you're lucky, you might come across a bakery that specializes in filled castagnole. Among the most popular fillings are sweetened ricotta and crema pasticcera (Italian pastry cream), but you might even find them filled with the ultra-popular pistachio cream. Plain, old-school castagnole are just as tasty, though, and they're absolutely worth booking a flight for.

Castagnole are originally from the central and northern regions of Italy, but you should be able to find them all over the peninsula during Carnevale season. Wherever you are, your first stop should always be an Italian pastry shop, or pasticceria. Many of these shops have big windows where they display their products, but if this doesn't lure you in, the smell of fresh dough and sugar sure will. Beyond pastry shops, you might have luck finding these specialties in pasta shops, bakeries, or even in grocery store bakeries. In Italy, Carnevale is the season of indulgence, so castagnole are likely to pop up where you least expect it.

You'll find that prices vary depending on where you're buying castagnole. What you can count on is that these sweets — along with other Carnevale desserts — are almost always ordered by weight. While they are a fairly inexpensive food in Italy, it's good to have an idea of how many you want before ordering so you don't accidentally end up with pounds of castagnole, although that wouldn't be the worst thing. If you don't want to spend much, the grocery store bakery is probably your best bet, but if you're willing to splurge a little bit, a local pasticceria will certainly have better quality ones. While you're at it, pick up some frappe or fritelle for a truly authentic Italian Carnevale feast.