Chiacchiere_Bugie_Frappe_Bugie_Crostoli

Fried Chiacchiere

Written by Wetta on in Desserts
Servings: 16Calories (per serving): 343 kcal

Ingredients

  • 400 g Manitoba flour
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 500 g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • grated lemon and orange zest
  • 1 small glass of rum
  • 1 glass of white wine
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • plenty of oil or lard

Directions

  1. Pour the flour onto a work surface or into a bowl, then mix in the granulated sugar and salt. Form a well (a small hole where you can add the ingredients without them spilling out), add the butter in small pieces and the eggs, and knead the dough, gradually incorporating the rum, wine, and orange and lemon zest.

  2. Knead the dough until it’s firm: for this step, you can also use a stand mixer if you’re lucky enough to have one; otherwise, you can buy one on Amazon (LINK).

  3. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it’s thin; if you have one, you can also use a pasta machine (LINK) to speed things up!

  4. Use a serrated wheel to cut the dough into many rectangles, and make a cut inside each rectangle.

  5. Fry in very hot oil or lard.

  6. When they’re golden brown, let them drain on a paper towel.

  7. Sprinkle with more sugar and let it cool.

Chiacchiere, bugie, cenci, frappe, crostoli—or whatever you call them in your area—have a very long history, which I’ll share with you here.

I found it on an interesting Facebook page (LINK), from which I’m also borrowing the image that very clearly illustrates how widespread the name is in Italy!

Mappa nome chiacchiere italia"Chiacchiere trace their origins to frictilia, fried pastries that women used to make in honor of the deities who protected fertility, specifically during Carnival. These pastries come in numerous recipe variations and perhaps even more so in their names, which frequently vary from province to province, reflecting the vast linguistic and dialectal diversity found in Italy, as well as its history."

Cute, isn’t it? Did you know that? Let me know in the comments what you call these treats!

This time, the recipe is from my dad: I spent an afternoon with him learning the art of making chiacchiere :).

The ingredients are for six people, and it takes about an hour to make them!

Many people also use powdered sugar or chocolate—it all depends on your imagination and personal taste!

Happy Carnival!