Chiacchiere—called Frappe here in Rome—are Italy’s unmistakable Carnival sweets.
Thin, crisp ribbons of fried dough dusted generously with powdered sugar, they appear in every bakery during Carnevale, although each region gives them a different name and its own small variation.
Few Italian celebrations smell more like childhood than Carnival and a tray of freshly fried chiacchiere.
WHAT ARE CHIACCHIERE?
Italian Chiacchiere, called Frappe in Rome, are delicate strips of fried dough covered with powdered sugar.
They are the traditional sweet of Carnival throughout Italy, although every region seems to have its own name—and sometimes its own recipe.
Some versions are flavored with citrus liqueurs or spices, others are baked instead of fried, and modern pastry shops occasionally cover them with chocolate or Nutella.
During Carnival, almost every family gathering ends with a tray of Chiacchiere and another local specialty.
Here in Rome, they’re almost always accompanied by Castagnole: small fried dough balls with a soft, tender interior and a generous coating of sugar.
They may belong to the same celebration, but they’re completely different in texture.
Fortunately, no one expects you to choose.
THE SECRET TO PERFECT CHIACCHIERE
Instead of buying them, I sometimes make my own.
After many attempts, I discovered the little trick that gives homemade Chiacchiere the same light, crisp texture as those from an Italian bakery.
The secret isn’t in the ingredients.
It’s in the thickness of the dough.
A rolling pin rarely gets the dough thin enough.
For beautifully crisp Chiacchiere that blister and curl while frying, a pasta roller makes all the difference.
Roll the dough almost paper-thin, cut it into ribbons, fry it for just a few seconds, then finish with a generous snowfall of powdered sugar.
Chiacchiere recipe
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/3 cups 00 flour 170 gr - 6 oz
- 1 egg
- 1/5 cup white sugar 40 gr - 1.4 oz
- 2 tablespoons Mandarinetto or other citrus liquor
- 1.5 tablespoons butter at room temperature 20 gr - 0.7 oz
- 1 organic lemon the grated zest
- 1 pinch salt
- frying oil
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2-3
tablespoons
confectionary sugar
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best results with a pasta roller
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!Instructions
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Sift the flour through a strainer into the food processor bowl. Add the egg, the butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and liquor.
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Mix, dough-hook on, until a ball forms around the hook.
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Cover the bowl with a tablecloth and let the dough rest for an hour.
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Roll out the dough over a floured working surface. Make it as thin as you can. The best result I’ve ever had was by rolling it out with a pasta roller, gradually, from the largest size to the penultimate one. The result is an almost see-through dough.
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Use a pasta cutter to cut out rectangles or long strips of dough (about 4-6 inches or 10-15 cm long and 1.5-2 inches or 4-6 cm wide).
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Heat 2 cups of frying oil in a wok or tall saucepan.
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Deep-fry no more than two strips at the time: in a few seconds, you’ll need to flip them around and golden brown the other side for another few seconds.
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Remove the chiacchiere and set them over a plate with grease-absorbing paper.
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When you finish frying the chiacchiere, display them over a tray and sprinkle them with confectionary sugar (help yourself with a colander).
Enjoy your crunchy and sugary Italian Chiacchiere recipe!
Claudia