Crispy, bubbly and super addicting Chiacchiere ia a typical food during Mardi Gras or Carnival season in Italy. Both kids & adults adore them!
Depending on the region they differ in shape, name and even slightly in the ingredients.
Chiacchiere, pronounced as [kjakˈkjɛːre], is their typical name in Lombardia, crostoli in Veneto, frappe in Central Italy and bugie in Liguria & Piemonte.
But sweet and super delicate dough strips with lemon aroma are deep fried in oil and then topped with confectioners sugar is all they are. With few simple ingredients you have a pretty outstanding result that whole family with LOVE.
Tips & Tricks
There are a few tricks that will make the whole preparation even easier and your chiacchiere simply irresistible.
- Butter should be soft or almost melted.
- Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. If you let it rest overnight in the fridge, remove from the fridge a few hours earlier for the dough to be at room temperature.
- Rolling the dough: use pasta machine if you have one (it's certainly worth getting one if you don't). Makes life so much easier, especially for pasta rolling and pastries like this.
- Folding and running the dough again through pasta roller (or hand rolling) a couple of times is KEY for those magic airy bubbles that you see. Again, pasta machines makes the whole process really easy-peasy.
- Vegetable oil should be between 350F-360F when you start frying. If the oil is not hot enough chiacchiere will absorb too much oil and will become greasy. If the oil is extra hot (burning/smoking) it'll give and unpleasant burned oil flavor the the pastry.
Here are a few tricks for you to use if you don't have a kitchen thermometer.
- Heat oil on slow medium heat and stir occasionally to let it heat evenly.
- When you think oil might be hot enough try dipping a small piece of dough first. If it comes up floating and bubble quickly (1-3 seconds) oil is ready, if it sinks for a longer time let it heat for a bit longer.
And last, but probably the most important trick that I've learned from my mother in law is..
Keep covering the dough with hot oil while it's in the pan. Using a laddle or a large spoon simply scoop some oil from the pan and pour it over the dough. This is the secret to perfect, even color and zero oil inside pastries!
This trick applies to most things fried including chiacchiere, fritelle, graffe (potato doughnuts) etc.
Look at these gorgeous, delicate and crispy bubbles!!
More Carnival Treats
- Graffe - super soft and fluffy potato donuts from Naples.
- Fritelle also called Ciambelle - classic Italian doughnuts, very similar to Graffe but without potatoes.
- Apple Fritters - delicious cinnamon flavored fritters that quick and easy to make.
Full Recipe
Chiacchiere (Crostoli) - Italian Dough Fritters
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour , 400 grams or 14 oz
- 2 eggs
- 2 oz butter softened (60 grams)
- ¼ cup sugar , 55 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2-3 tablespoon rum brandy or other strong liquor
- 1 lemon zest only
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
- 1-2 tablespoon warm water or milk if needed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder. Add sugar and softened/melted butter.
- Give it a quick stir. Add lightly beaten eggs and lemon zest grated with a microplane zester.
- Mix everything with a fork. Lastly, add a few table spoons of rum or other high proof liquor. It makes the fritters more crispy.
- Knead the dough with your hands until smooth but still pretty firm. Add a tablespoon of water or warm milk if the dough feels too firm and crumbly.
- Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
- You can let it rest overnight in the fridge, just make sure to remove it from the fridge an hours before starting working with the dough.
- Once the dough is “rested”, cut off a piece approx ½ inch wide and sprinkle it with flour.
- If using pasta machine, set the roller setting on 0 and pass the dough through. Fold it in half, and pass again on the next setting.
- If using a hand roller, roll the dough light, fold in half and roll again a little bit thinner.
- Repeat the folding process preferable 2 times on each setting. This helps created an amazing “airy” and bubbly texture of the dough when it’s deep fried.
- The best thickness setting on pasta machine for ready to cut chiacchiere is on 5-6 ( 1.2 - 1.5 millimeters).
- Using a pastry crimper wheel cut the dough into 1x4 inch strips strips or 2x4 strip scored in the center.
- In a deep pan or fryer preheat vegetable oil suitable for frying. The best temperature to start frying the dough is about 350F. You can measure it with a kitchen thermometer.
- But if you don’t have one try frying a small piece of the dough, if it comes up floating and bubbly in less than 3 seconds the oil is ready.
- Once oil is heated turn the temperature on medium low to prevent oil from overheating.
- Fry chiacchiere for a few minutes on each side and once they’re lightly brown discard on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Place fried chiacchiere or crostoli on a serving plate and generously dust with confectioners sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you know the word chiacchiere in Italian means chit-chat or small talk.
Because, well, you can eat A LOT of these when chatting with your friends, lol.
So Buon Appetito & Happy Chatting! 😀
Rose says
Although this dough was a somewhat difficult to come together…once it did by adding a tablespoon of water at a time…it was perfect to work with and they turned out excellent!!! So don’t get discouraged…it works.
Shirley Cammisa says
Good Morning. I was just wondering if the tablespoon measure is American or Australian. Australian measurement is 20ml Thank You Shirley
DeDe Scanlon says
My Mother always made these at Christmas. My favorite holiday treat. She called them bowknots as they were tied in bowknots before frying. She preferred to drizzle them with honey. She did not use a mixer as it was all done by hand, to include rolling the dough until it was paper thin. Her recipe was from The Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Lo Pinto & Milo Miloradovich. It is a wonderful little cookbook.
DeDe Scanlon says
My Mother always made these at Christmas. My favorite holiday treat. She called them bowknots as they were tied in bowknots before frying. She preferred to drizzle them with honey. She did not use a mixer as it was all done by hand, to include rolling the dough until it was paper thin. Her recipe was from The Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Lo Pinto & Milo Miloradovich. It is a wonderful little cookbook.
Sara says
I love your recipe but this year I have to make them agead of time. Am I able to freeze them?
Svitlana says
Fried chiacchiere don't freeze well, plus they take a LOT of space in the freezer. What you can do is prepare the dough and fry them 5-7 days in advance and store at room temperature in an air-tight container. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Merry Christmas!
Pat says
I’m Ukrainian ,we call them harustiki. Yummm!
Italian Recipe Book says
YES! Because they're so crunchy. Harnogo dnya
Jessica says
@Italian Recipe Book,
Jessica says
@Italian Recipe Book, do you use any salt or is it salted butter?
Italian Recipe Book says
Hi Jessica, there's no salt necessary but you can add a pinch if you like.
Use unsalted butter.
Carm says
Flour was too much 2 1/2 cup would be better.
Anonymous says
How do you stop the oil from bubbling over when you are frying?
Italian Recipe Book says
Make sure the oil is hot enough but not burning. Ideal temperature is 340-350F (170-175C).
Next, fry only a few pieces of dough at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature drastically. This is what makes oil bubble or foam.
Anonymous says
These turned out exactly as pictured!
Italian Recipe Book says
Thank you for letting me know, enjoy! <3
Carmela says
My mother and I have just made these following your recipe, and tips, *exactly* - having been enticed by your photos. We're forever searching for a bubbley crostoli recipe. They came out floury with no bubbles at all. Nothing like your photos. Back to the search *sigh*. Carmela
Kay bouma says
I just learned a secret that might help..when folding rhe dough..brush eggwhite lightly on dugh and fold ovver..do this once or twice...going thru pasta ma hine 3 or 4 times also key.. this recipe also looks like it would be Easy to half.. possibly adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar..good luck
SARAH JO says
@Kay bouma,
WHY ADD VINEGAR....JUST WONDERING⁉️
Carolyn Longo says
What can you use in place of liquor
Italian Recipe Book says
Hi Carolyn, any strong alcohol will work. Brandy, limoncello, rum, even vodka if nothing else.