Crispy and bubbly, crostoli are one of those sweets that once you start, you can’t stop eating them. Moreover, they are part of traditional sweets, present in many Italian regions, but often known by different names, in fact, among many names, they are also called bugie, chiacchiere, frappe or cenci. Different regions, different names, and often different ingredients, the ingredients of the sweets listed are practically the same. The thing that differentiates them, perhaps, is the alcoholic component: for example, there are those who use grappa, as in my case, white wine, Marsala, or limoncello, or even the added aroma, from grated lemon or orange peel to vanilla, choose what you prefer.
For a good result of crostoli, that is, to make them crumbly, crispy, and bubbly, it is important to work the dough well and roll it out very thin. Also, the temperature of the frying oil is crucial, between 338 and 347 degrees Fahrenheit, no more, no less.
If you follow my crostoli recipe, the result is guaranteed!
If you like Carnival sweets, also try these recipes of mine:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 80 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour 0 Nr. 2 (Molino Merano)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 eggs (medium, at room temperature)
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 1/4 cup grappa
- 2 1/2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 quart peanut oil
- to taste powdered sugar
Steps
To prepare the crostoli dough, place the flour on the work surface, add the sugar and salt, and make a well in the center.
In the center, place the eggs and the seeds from the vanilla pod, then start working the eggs with a fork. Add the grappa, continue working with the fork, and finally pour in the melted butter. Knead everything with your hands until you get a homogeneous dough. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, cut a quarter and wrap the remaining dough with plastic wrap, as it dries easily.
Start rolling out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick, then fold it over itself a couple of times until you get a square, roll it out again until you get a large, very thin square (about 1/32 inch thick). Of course, if you have a pasta machine, you can also use it to roll out the dough.
With a pastry wheel, trim the edges, then cut the dough into rectangles about 4 x 1 1/2 inches and make a slit lengthwise in the center of each, leaving about 3/4 inch intact on the edges. Take the first rectangle, pull it slightly and gently with your hands, so the central cut opens slightly, and thread one end through the slit, creating a sort of elongated knot. As you twist the sheets, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Proceed in the same way until the dough is finished.
Heat the oil in a high-sided pan until it reaches 338 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fry the sheets, a few at a time, for 30-40 seconds per side, until golden. Remove the crostoli from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper, without overlapping them, to absorb the excess oil.
When the crostoli have cooled, dust them with plenty of powdered sugar and enjoy.
Crostoli keep for up to a week stored in paper bags or a glass container, in a cool, dry place.
Tip
The crostoli dough tends to dry out quickly. To avoid this, you can prepare the sheets with half the dough and fry them, then move on to preparing and frying the second half.
