Dark Chocolate Chiacchere are perfect Carnival sweets to celebrate the craziest time of the year and made even more delicious by chocolate.
They are a variant of the traditional recipe that no one should miss!
The chiacchere always take different names depending on the region where they are prepared: Frappe in Rome, Bugie in Piedmont, Crostoli or Galani in Veneto, in Tuscany they are Cenci.
The chocolate chiacchere are the most consumed and particularly appreciated Carnival dessert by both adults and children; they are delicate and crispy fried sheets, decorated with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.
A very simple dessert both in preparation and taste.
Whoever tastes my chiacchere always ends up asking me the secret of such a crunchy and fragrant fry, and then I remember my mom, intent on rolling out the dough, suggesting the right thickness, the perfect one to make them crunchy and full of bubbles.
Today, Chiacchiere can be prepared in various ways, for example, stuffed or topped with other ingredients on the surface.
Dark chocolate Chiacchiere, for example, are a delicious variant of the classic recipe but with a little extra touch that will really win everyone over.
For a lighter version, they can be baked in the oven.
To achieve a great result, my advice is to start mixing the ingredients on the floured worktop with your hands and continue kneading.
Then we will roll out the dough with the pasta machine or with the rolling pin.
We use a wheel cutter to shape our Carnival chiacchere: this way we will obtain small rectangles with jagged edges.
Finally, after curling each one, they will be fried in plenty of seed oil. They cook very quickly, drain them, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and they are ready to be enjoyed.
For a lighter version, we can place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper on the bottom and bake them at 392 °F for about 10 minutes.
Puffy and full of bubbles, believe me! Chiacchere is a simple and economical dessert to satisfy my husband and guests, taking them by the throat.
Let’s see the recipe together.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6/8
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 325.68 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 42.20 (g) of which sugars 18.10 (g)
- Proteins 5.95 (g)
- Fat 14.36 (g) of which saturated 5.66 (g)of which unsaturated 7.86 (g)
- Fibers 1.61 (g)
- Sodium 123.54 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Chocolate Chiacchere
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 2 tbsps butter
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 2.5 tbsps grappa (or white wine)
- to taste lemon (zested)
- salt (pinch)
- 1 tsp baking powder (or baking soda)
- 3.5 oz 55% dark chocolate
- to taste colored sprinkles (as desired)
- to taste powdered sugar
- 0.5 oz colored sprinkles
- to taste peanut oil (for frying)
Tools
- Frying Pan
- Work Surface
- Pasta Machines
- Rolling Pin
- Wheel Cutter
- Paper Towels
- Kitchen Scale
- Slotted Spoon
Steps for Chocolate Chiacchere
Create a well in the work surface with flour and baking powder.
At this point, place the eggs, pinch of salt, lemon zest, melted butter, and liquor in the center. Start by beating the ingredients with a fork and gradually incorporate the flour from the edges towards the center.
Continue to knead the dough well until it becomes smooth and homogeneous (it is recommended to work it by hand and energetically).
Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap.
At this point, the process is the same as when you roll out the dough: by hand or with the pasta machine, you will need to reach a thickness of about 0.12 inches and rectangular sheets.
Using a serrated wheel cutter, cut strips about 2 inches wide and 3-4 inches long. In the middle of each piece, make a vertical cut with a sharp knife without reaching the edges.
With the given quantities, you will obtain about 25-28 pieces.
Put the oil in a deep pan, and once it reaches the right temperature, start frying.
As soon as they turn golden on the surface, transfer them onto kitchen paper towels and pat them to remove excess oil.
Wait for the chiacchere to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, melt the extra dark chocolate in a bain-marie, transfer it to a piping bag with a very thin tip, and decorate the Chiacchere as desired.
Decorate with sprinkles as desired.
When the chocolate has solidified, dust them with powdered sugar and serve.
Enjoy your meal.
Advice
Want to give it a more delicate touch? While rolling out the dough, fold it at least multiple times on itself, this way the Chiacchere will turn out more fragrant and will create bubbles during cooking.
At Carnival, every joke matters but fried sweets should absolutely not be missing! Prepare the dark chocolate Chiacchere early in the morning so you can enjoy them throughout the day in all their crispiness.
Use only fresh ingredients and, if you like, you can replace the grappa liquor with rum or dry white wine.
This helps create bubbles during cooking and gives the Chiacchere a unique look and crispiness.
Notes and Storage
The oil is ready at a temperature of 338°F, to know when the oil is ready, test with a piece of dough.
If it floats forming micro bubbles around without turning brown, you can proceed with frying. If the piece of dough remains at the bottom, it means the oil is still cold, wait a little longer.
Deliciously fresh and even the following day.
To best preserve the chiacchere, seal them in plastic food bags, being careful not to crush them, as they are fragile, this way they keep for 5/6 days.
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