This is the most popular Carnival sweet in Italy. Called by different names depending on the region of the country – sometimes chiacchiere, sometimes frappe, sometimes cenci, bugie, or cròstoli – these flakey delights are devoured throughout the peninsula during the holiday. Served with a sprinkling of icing sugar, they are always crunchy and delicate and melt in your mouth. Here is the recipe for chiacchiere by master pastry chef Sal De Riso, to be served with cioccolaccio, a deliciously spiced chocolate cream, and dried fruit.

Ingredients

For the chiacchiere

For the chocolate

Procedure

For the chiacchiere

In a large container, mix the sugar with the cinnamon, the pulp of the vanilla pod,and the salt. Add the soft butter and mix alternately with the eggs, white wine, and grated citrus peel. Make a smooth, well-mixed batter, and finally add the sifted flour. Knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic.

Let the dough rest in the fridge covered with cling film for about an hour. With the help of a fresh pasta machine, roll out the dough to a thickness of about one mm. Cut and pierce the chiacchiere as desired and fry them in high oleic sunflower oil, turning several times. Drain well and leave to cool on absorbent paper and, once cold, serve dusted with icing sugar.

For the chocolate

In a large saucepan, stir the sugar with the cocoa, cornstarch,and salt. Mix the powdered ingredients with the water slowly using a whisk. Add the condensed milk and cook over moderate heat as if it were a custard. Allow the Cioccolaccio to boil for about two minutes and immediately remove it from the pan by tipping it into a steel container. Add the dark chocolate to the still-hot cream and refine with the help of a minipimer. When it has a temperature of about 40°C insert the butter and emulsify well. Fill single-portion glass cups and decorate with pine nuts and cubes of candied citron.