AUTHENTIC  ITALIAN  RECIPES

 FROM

 RISTORANTE  d'ANNAMARIA

Chiacchiere are a very light and crispy deep-fried cookie that are typically served at carnevale time.  Traditionally, they are served with sanguinaccio (chocolate sauce) for dipping although they are delicious by themselves.

Ingredients

flour                                 11 ounces

salt                                   pinch

butter                               1 ounce + 1 teaspoon

sugar                                6 ounces  

eggs                                  2

dry white wine                  3 ounces

grated peel of 1 lemon

vegetable oil                      enough for frying

confectioner's sugar          enough to dust all of the cookies

How To Do It

Put all the ingredients in a mixer or large mixing bowl adding the wine a little at a time so that you end up with a smooth and homogeneous dough.

If the dough seems too dry add still more wine a little at a time.

wrap the dough in waxed paper and let it rest in the refridgerator for a half-hour.

After a half-hour turn the dough out onto a flat floured work surface and roll with a floured rolling pin to a paper-thin thickness (1/16 or 1/32 of an inch).

Cut into ribbons, with a sharp knife, 4 or 5 inches in length by about a half inch wide.

Put about an inch of vegetable oil in a large frying pan and heat to very hot but not smoking.

Pick up with great delicacy and fry a few of the dough ribbons at a time until they are a light golden brown.

Atfter you have fried all of the dough, stack your chiacchiere on a plate forming a pyramid. ( this will prevent them from getting soft)

Dust them generously with confectioner's sugar.

They will keep a just fried flavor for a couple of days when stored in a paper bag.

Serve as is or with sanguinaccio.