Even at Carnival the Apulian gastronomic tradition does not disappoint! For the craziest party of the year, in Puglia quick and inexpensive desserts are prepared, to be offered to the many people who participate in the celebrations. These are tantalizing, frivolous and strictly fried desserts, because the caramelized and golden sugar from the high-temperature oil transforms even the simplest dough into an irresistible delight.
The ingredients are simple: flour, eggs, butter, powdered sugar but sometimes carnival sweets can also hide delicious fillings scented with lemon, orange and cinnamon peel. The shapes are of the most varied: square, round, balls, donuts and covered with powdered sugar, granulated, with colored sugars. Queens of the Carnival tables are pancakes made with flour, milk, yeast, rum and vanilla flavoring, dipped in just steaming oil. But we also find the Cicerchiata, a delicious donut-shaped dessert made up of cubes made from an egg-based dough and tied with a honey and almond syrup enlivened by multicolored sugar balls, or the Chiacchiere made up of a crunchy sheet of butter , eggs and flour.
Typical of the Gargano area are the "pruprète", sweet taralli that were once used to prepare for weddings. Each guest, in fact, had na cocche de puprète that is two donuts to be kept in a large handkerchief. Today, however, it is customary to put them on the right arm, at carnival and give to friends and relatives In the Putignano area, many carnival recipes use Farinella, a food of peasant origin, which was prepared by pounding barley, black and white chickpeas in a mortar. Today farinella is also enriched with walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, orange peel and lemon. In short, a real "feast of the belly and eyes", as enlightened writers defined the carnival.
