CRISPY BAKED CHIACCHIERE
If you’re looking for a lighter variation of the classic CARNIVAL CHIACCHIERE because frying scares you both to cook and to eat, you’re in the right place.
This recipe for BAKED CHIACCHIERE is a great alternative to preparing one of carnival’s signature sweets in a lighter version while still achieving an equally delightful crunchy, biscuit-like texture.
I can’t deny they’re different from the original fried ones, but they’re a great compromise for those who can’t or don’t want to fry.
For a long time I searched for a recipe thinking I could bake the exact same chiacchiere dough meant for frying… nothing could be more wrong: they became dry and practically inedible.
When changing the cooking method, the dough composition must inevitably change as well to create the right friability, plus aromas to make the final result even more indulgent. After various experiments I believe I’ve found the baked chiacchiere recipe that yields the best results—not claiming to be the best you’ve ever eaten (those, unfortunately, are the fried ones) but certainly the best recipe for baked chiacchiere.
So let’s get to work and prepare the oven-baked chiacchiere recipe together.
If you want other CARNIVAL sweets also take a look at
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups 00 flour (type '00' Italian flour)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 1 packet vanillin powder
- 2 tbsp Strega liqueur (or your preferred liqueur or fresh orange juice)
- 1 mandarin zest (or orange or lemon)
Tools
- Bowl
- Pasta machine
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
PROCEDURE
Before starting, a tip: if you want very thin sheets for the chiacchiere it’s best to use a pasta sheeter (the classic manual roller), but if you don’t have one a regular wooden rolling pin will work fine.
Put the sifted flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center and add: eggs, sugar, grated zest of the chosen citrus, vanillin, oil and liqueur. Start working with a fork from the center outward until all the flour is incorporated.
At this point transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until you get a smooth, homogeneous dough. Shape into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
After resting, roll out the dough with the pasta sheeter or a rolling pin trying to obtain fairly thin sheets. Since these will be baked they can be a little thicker than fried ones. Then cut the chiacchiere with a very sharp knife or a fluted pastry wheel. As you make them, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Once arranged on the baking sheet, bake them in a preheated conventional (static) oven at 356°F for about 10 minutes. They should become golden but not burnt, so watch them during the last minutes of baking. Remove from the oven, let them cool slightly then take them off the sheet and arrange on a plate or tray for final decoration. Choose to dust them with granulated sugar, powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate to taste. Happy Carnival!
And if after reading the whole recipe you still feel like frying because let’s be honest fried ones are tastier, here are simple and intuitive directions for frying chiacchiere in a pan with oil. Heat oil in a pan, preferably narrow with high sides. To check if it has reached the right temperature, try dropping in a small piece of dough: if it floats back up, the oil is ready. At this point fry the chiacchiere a few at a time, turning them so they cook on all sides. When nicely golden, remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Finally, when they’ve cooled slightly, dust them generously with powdered sugar.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS:
SEED OIL: In this recipe I used sunflower oil in the dough, but melted butter works equally well in the same quantity.
STREGA LIQUEUR: Classic chiacchiere typically contain a splash of liqueur for flavoring. The most used is Strega, but feel free to substitute it with the liqueur you prefer or even white wine. Another option is fresh orange juice strained through a sieve.
AROMAS: In today’s recipe I decided to flavor the chiacchiere with the grated zest and a little juice of a mandarin, but if you don’t like this fruit lemon or orange will also work well. Alternatively you can use vanilla or cinnamon.
