Chiacchiere Carnival Recipe from the Marche Region, is a heartfelt recipe, my grandmother’s recipe, a typical carnival recipe, also taken from Grandma Lina’s diary. I always made them with her when I was little, I remember helping her and loving it! And every year I make them again because they are really too good. In many parts of Italy, they are called limoncini or arancini, but in Tolentino, my town, they are called chiacchiere! And now, photos and recipe (a bit laborious, but I assure you it’s really worth it!) And now, everyone, fry up!
Other carnival recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 30
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients for Chiacchiere Carnival Recipe from the Marche Region
- 4 eggs (large size)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 packets vanillin
- 7 tbsps butter
- 1 glass milk
- 1 packet dry yeast
- 1 vial lemon flavoring
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 oranges (grated zest)
- 2 lemons (grated zest)
- as needed seed oil
Useful Tools
- 2 Bowls
- Kitchen Scale
- Grater
- Spoon
- Frying Pan
- Skimmer
- Absorbent Paper
- Knife
Preparation of Chiacchiere Carnival Recipe from the Marche Region
In a bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, yeast, and vanillin.
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them for a few minutes, adding the lemon flavoring vial and milk, then combine the liquid mixture with the solid one (i.e., the dry ingredients prepared at the beginning).
Roughly chop the butter and add it to the rest of the ingredients, now you can start kneading with the help of a spoon and then your hands, work in the bowl until you get a fairly compact dough, then transfer the dough to the floured work surface.
Work the dough until you see that the butter melts and integrates with the rest of the ingredients (it will take about 10 minutes), at this point, you will have obtained a very soft, elastic, and non-sticky dough, form a ball and place it in a bowl, cover with cling film and let it rise for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, roll out the dough with the help of flour and a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.
While the rolled dough rests a bit, grate the orange and lemon peels and put them in a bowl with the 1 cup of sugar (so the sugar absorbs the flavor) and mix well.
Spread the mixture of peels and sugar over the rolled dough, distributing it evenly.
Carefully start rolling from one side, when you reach the end, slightly moisten the edge with milk and continue rolling until the roll is completely closed (this is to prevent it from opening during cooking).
Compress the roll with your hands to facilitate closing and with a sharp knife cut many spirals about 1/2 inch thick. Once you’ve cut them all, let them rest for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, heat the oil for frying, once hot, start frying the chiacchiere starting with the first ones you cut (and ending with the last ones), turn them occasionally during cooking until you get a nice golden color as in the photo. Once cooked, then drain them on absorbent paper.
Once drained, let them cool, and once cooled, you can place them wherever you want as they will no longer stick, and after a long and laborious process, bring to the table, serve, and enjoy Grandma Lina’s CHIACCHIERE! Bon appétit with the Chiacchiere Carnival Recipe from the Marche Region!
I hope that this recipe from my grandmother’s cookbook, even if a bit long and laborious, you liked it!
TIPS
To avoid annoying sugar lumps sticking to the chiacchiere, while frying, use two spoons or the skimmer to remove the sugar that gradually comes to the surface, so you will also avoid changing the oil very often.
