Fried Wine Pastries: the typical recipe for Italian Cenci

Fried wine pastries are one of the most typical Carnival specialties. These are strips of crunchy pastry, fried in peanut seeds oil and then covered with plenty of powdered sugar. It's a delicious variant of the classic sweet fritters, without brewer’s yeast and flavored with a drop of red wine, which will make them swollen, fragrant and slightly colored. Simple and tasty, they bring joy to the table and are perfect to serve at the end of a meal or to enjoy as a snack. So let’s find out how to make fried wine pastries.

How to make Fried Wine Pastries

Collect the flour in a bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, soft butter and ground cinnamon; pour in the red wine (1) and knead, first with a fork and then with your hands, until the mixture will be firm and homogeneous.

Form a loaf, transfer it to a bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel (2) and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

After the resting time will be elapsed, roll out the dough and make very thin sheets with the appropriate pasta machine or a rolling pin (3).

Using a rolling knife, cut out the dough (4) and make some central cuts.

Heat plenty of peanut seeds oil in a large pan, dip the fried wine pastries, a few at a time (5), and fry them for a few minutes on both sides.

When the fried wine pastries will be puffy and golden, drain and let them dry on a sheet of absorbent kitchen paper (6).

Finally sprinkle the fried wine pastries with plenty of powdered sugar and serve (7).

How to store Fried Pastries with Wine

To enjoy fried pastries with wine at their best, we suggest to fry and eat them while still warm. If there is something left, you can store Carnival pastries for a few days in a tin box, in a cool and dry environment.