Tortelli de Milano--- Delicious Homemade Carnival Treat!

I have really attempted to have a good relationship with our neighbors (all Italian). For example, we brought all of them a huge Christmas Cookie basket for the Holidays and have recieved small little things from them as well. We always speak (as well as we can) and I feel like they value us as neighbors.

Today our grandmotherly neighbor brought us an amazing HOME-MADE Carnival Dessert!! It was amazing! It tasted like a combination between a doughnut and a funnel cake. But it was even better than that. It was sweet and airy with a slight lemony/orangy flavor.

I found out some information about this Tortelli de Milano. Tortelli di Milano, “Tortei de Carnevaa a la Milanese”. They are fried sweet dough, similar to doughnuts, covered with sugar and cinnamon. Many Italian Carnival holiday traditions include a sweet version of an everyday dish as if to imitate the concept of Carnival where things are never what they seem to be. They are delicious!


I found a reciepe for this delicious sweet Treat online:

Ingredients:
1 ¼ (150 g) All-Purpose Flour
½ stick (50 g) Butter
¼ cups (50 g) Sugar
2 ¼ cups (500 ml) Milk
4Eggs
2 tsp (12 g) Double Acting Baking Powder
1 Lemon Peel
½ tsp Vanilla
1 tbsp Rum
Olive Oil to fry with (or preferred frying oil)

Powdered SugarPreparation:
In a large pot, mix together the sugar, vanilla, milk, 2 1/4 cups (500 ml) of water, the butter cut into pieces, the peel of 1 lemon. Bring the mixture to a boil.

In a separate bowl mix the baking powder and flour. Remove from the heat and remove the Lemon Peel. Add the flour mixture to the liquid stirring briskly. Place the pot on the heat again and cook for 10 minutes continually stirring.

The dough will separate from the sides of the pot, similar to the procedure for Bigne. Remove from heat and allow the dough to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the whole eggs, one a time, working with your hands if necessary. Add the Rum. Set aside.

Heat the frying oil in a heavy skillet or deep fryer. Test the oil temperature by placing a small amount of dough and watching it fry. The oil should not smoke and the dough should take on a golden color.Use a tablespoon to create small balls of dough. Add them directly to the oil. Cook on both sides until golden. Remove from the oil and allow the Tortelli to drain on a wire rack. Serve hot with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Buon Appitito!!