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200g plain flour
60g fine sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
a pinch sea salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 free-range organic eggs
40g soft butter, cubed
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional: 1 tablespoon anisette
1 L arachide oil, for deep frying
Favette traditionally are eaten at the Venetian Carnival, which is celebrated between mid-February and early March. When we saw the cute little balls we couldn't wait that long. We wanted to taste them!
Favette are sweet, bite-sized, fried dough balls. The children eat them sprinkled with icing sugar, at breakfast or after school. Adults prefer to eat them with anise liqueur, which is added to the dough.
How to make Favette
Grate the lemon.
Sieve the flour in a big bowl.
Add the sugar.
Baking powder and sea salt
and lemon zest.
Stir together and make a well.
Break the eggs in the well.
Butter cubes added.
The vanilla extract.
Stir it until roughly combined
Knead until smooth by hand.
Knead the dough until it feels smooth, elastic and slightly sticky then roll it into a ball.
Wrap the dough in cling film.
Allow the dough to rest 5 minutes, at room temperature.
Divide the dough into 5 roughly equal pieces and place the pan with oil on medium heat
Roll the 5 chunks into ± 1 cm thick snakes.
Cut the 5 snakes in ± 1 cm pieces.
Roll into balls between your palms.
When the oil reaches 180°C you fry the balls for about 4 minutes until they are deep golden all around
Fry the Favette in batches.
Drain well on kitchen paper then place them on a platter.
Roll the Favette in caster sugar or spinkle with icing sugar, at your choice.