Chiacchiere - Italian Fried Cookies

Chiacchiere are fried Italian bow tie cookies sold during holidays in Italy and France (Orelliette) at Christmas and Carnival. The dough is made with flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and white wine. They are cut into flat strips and deep-fried. These thin crunchy sheets of fried dough are served dusted with icing sugar. Once you eat one, you cannot stop.

Jump to:

• Origins and meaning of the names
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Shaping the chiacchiere
• Frying them
• Variations
• Baked Chiacchiere
• Using a pasta maker
• Top tips
• More Carnival desserts
• 📋Ciacchiere Italian fried cookies

This recipe has its origins back during the Roman Empire. They were sold during festivities called Saturnali, very similar to our Carnival.

They were easy to make and produced in large quantities to last for the entire period of the festivities.

Other fried desserts you can find during Carnival (or not) are Struffoli, Italian donuts Graffe or Zeppole di Carnevale, and Sicilian Cannoli with ricotta fillings.

Origins and meaning of the names

They are widespread around Mediterranean countries and apart from some small variations, the base recipe is pretty much the same.

In France, they call it Oreillettes, which means ears, while Chiacchiere in Italian means chatting/gossiping, or Bugie, meaning lies.

There is an interesting similarity in the translation, and I wonder if there is a connection. Maybe they were served during ladies' tea, and we love to talk.

Other Italian names are Frappe, Crostoli, Cenci, Stracci, and many more, depending on the Italian Region.

Ingredients

• 4 cups - 500 g flour
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup - 120 ml white wine
• 1 pinch salt
• freshwater

Instructions

Making the dough

1. Separate two egg yolks.
2. Mix all the ingredients.
3. Add water gradually
4. until it reaches the right consistency.
5. Wrap in cling film and let it rest for 1.5 hrs.

Shaping the chiacchiere

Here I use a pasta machine to make thin sheets of dough. You can make them with a rolling pin.

1. Cut the dough into pieces and roll the dough through a pasta machine
2. Roll them a couple of times until you hear a bubble bursting; this means that the dough is compact and ready
3. Create six long sheets like lasagne sheets.
4. Cut them into small rectangular forms
5. Create a cut in the center as shown.
6. Twist them inside the center opening to give them a twisted shape.
7. Repeat with all of them.
8. Ensure they are well-floured, so they do not stick to the table.

Frying them

1. Fry the Chiacchiere
2. Turn them to cook evenly.
3. Place them in between paper towels to absorb the oil.
4. Place the Chiacchiere on a serving dish, dusting each layer with icing sugar.

Variations

You can find different varieties of the same chiacchiere recipe: fried, baked, thin, large, with lemon or orange zest.

I like to make them using the original recipe from a famous old Italian cooking book, where they are flavored with white wine. (Il Talismano della Felicita’ by Ada Boni - 1928).

Baked Chiacchiere

If you want a lighter version of the fried Chiacchiere, you can bake them instead.

Using a pasta maker

To shape the Chiacchiere, I use a pasta roller machine and keep it at the first larger level of thickness.

I pass the dough through the rollers until I hear a bubble bursting, which is a sign that the dough has reached the right level of elasticity.

However, if you like thinner and crunchier chiacchiere, decrease the thickness of the rolls and pass the dough through one more time in the end.

Top tips

• You can flavor the dough with other liquors like Cognac, Rum or/and lemon zest, orange zest, or orange water blossom.
• It is essential to let the dough rest to achieve better consistency, so do not skip this step
• Pass the dough through the pasta rollers several times until you hear a bubble burst.  It means that the dough has reached the right consistency and trapped air inside, which is the bubble bursting.
• You can make them as thin as you want. I used the larger setting, but if you prefer, you can use the thinner one.
• If you are making thin Chiacchiere bake them for a shorter time

More Carnival desserts

Carnival desserts are mostly fried since Carnival signals the start of the fasting Quaresma; any traditional food is decadent to indulge in and enjoy.

Another Carnival fried dessert is the Struffoli o Pignolata, but many know them as a traditional Neapolitan Christmas dessert. 

Others are Zeppole di Carnevale, Castagnole, Bomboloni, Graffe, I will try to add more to this blog.

If you are making Ciacchiere Italian fried cookies, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.