Eggless chiacchiere are a very light and crispy version of the traditional Carnival chiacchiere. Made with grappa, water, and oil, they are also butter-free, ideal for those who are lactose intolerant.

Carnival chiacchiere are crispy and flaky strips of fried dough. In each region of Italy, they have different names, cenci in Tuscany, crostoli in Veneto, and still chiacchiere, bugie, fiocchetti, and many other names. The basic dough of these delights includes flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and an alcoholic component, which varies by area, such as grappa, wine, sambuca, vinsanto. They are dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with alchermes or covered with honey or dark chocolate.

Discover other chiacchiere recipes:

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Very Cheap
Rest time: 2 Hours
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Cooking methods: Frying
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grappa
1/2 cup water
1 quart peanut oil
to taste powdered sugar

Tools

1 Pastry wheel
1 Work surface

Preparation

On the work surface, place the flour in a mound and pour the oil, grappa, and sugar in the center.
Start mixing with a fork, pulling the flour towards the center. Once it thickens a bit, add the water.
Knead until a dough is formed and work well to make it smooth.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a piece of dough taken from the ball, to a thickness of about 1/16 inch.
They should be very thin; you can use a pasta machine to roll them out.
Heat the oil to 340°F. Cut strips of dough with the pastry wheel. Make a central cut in each strip and fry.
Drain on absorbent paper and dust with powdered sugar.