Baked Chiacchiere: Light Recipe with Pistachio and Almonds
If you’re looking for the recipe of baked carnival chiacchiere that don’t just feel like simple cookies, you’re in the right place! Also known as frappe, bugie, or cenci, these delights are the symbol of the celebration. Although tradition dictates that they should be strictly fried, sometimes health or diet require us to look for a more light alternative.
After several unconvincing experiments, I finally found the right formula for homemade chiacchiere that are crispy and delicious. The secret of this version? A dough enriched with Bronte pistachio flour and Sicilian almonds, giving it a unique aroma and an unexpected fragrance.
Why choose Baked Chiacchiere?
This version with very little butter is designed for those who don’t want to give up taste while watching their figure. I’m not going to tell you they’re identical to the original fried ones, but their biscuity and crumbly texture will surprise you.
To make them irresistible even for the little ones, I followed my niece’s advice: a drizzle of dark chocolate glaze and a sprinkle of pistachio crumbs. The result? They disappeared in an instant!
Other recipes suitable for celebrating Carnival more parsimoniously that may interest you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: Approx. 35
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival, All Seasons
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1 1/2 cups type 1 flour
- 2/3 cup pistachio flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp Strega liqueur (I use zibibbo)
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed powdered sugar
- as needed pistachio flour
- 2 oz dark chocolate
Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine the 3 flours, brown sugar, vanillin, and baking soda (fig. 1).
Make a well and add the egg and egg white with a pinch of salt (fig. 2).
Then incorporate the soft butter cut into pieces and mix with a hand whisk or a wooden spoon (fig. 3).
Finally, flavor with the liqueur and mix again (fig. 4).
As soon as the dough becomes more consistent, proceed to work it by hand (fig. 5).
Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead until you get a smooth and uniform dough (fig. 6).
Wrap the dough with cling film and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour. After this time, roll out half of the dough with a rolling pin on a floured board (fig. 7).
Continue to thin the dough* using the pasta machine, until it becomes smooth and stretched. To achieve this, you will need to insert it multiple times and fold it over itself dusted with flour. Then shape your chiacchiere by creating rectangles with a fluted wheel (fig. 8).
Create one or two cuts in the center depending on the size. I made some larger ones 4 1/3 x 2 inches with 2 cuts in the center, and some 4 x 1 1/4 inches with only one cut (fig. 9).
As you make them, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (fig. 10).
Bake in the oven at 355°F for about 10 minutes, until the chiacchiere are slightly golden! Remove from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack (fig. 11).
You can enjoy them, once cooled, even simply with a dusting of powdered sugar.
And maybe some more pistachio flour on the surface.
They will be ready to enjoy even like this!
If you want to make them even more indulgent, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and garnish as desired, adding more pistachio flour on top.
Let the chocolate glaze dry completely before storing them in a box or airtight container. I suggest at least 2 hours. And voilà… baked pistachio and chocolate chiacchiere are ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy from La Cucina di FeFè!
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣* You can choose a thickness of 2 or even 3 if you want them more substantial. In this case, since the chiacchiere are baked, there isn’t a big difference.
