Zoë Boccabella

My Italian grandmother made these all the time so I thought it fitting to serve them on one of her Florentine, painted wooden serving trays on the terrazzo table that sat on my grandparents’ patio for decades.

These crispy ribbons of pastry dusted with sugar are a sweet popular for centuries throughout Italy and across Europe and Asia. In Italy, they are traditionally eaten at the time of Carnevale, when cities, towns and villages celebrate their historical connections. The ‘chitter-chatter’ pop up under the guise of different names in different regions – chiacchiere, crostole, bugie, cenci, sfogliatelle, nodi, ali d’angelo, frappe, cioffe, galani, sfrappole…

Beware, for chiacchiere or ‘rumours’ can be addictive. They are best if light and flaky but still crunchy with some substance.

Ingredients:

• 450g plain flour {plus extra for kneading}
• 3 free range eggs
• 50g butter
• 100g caster sugar {raw, unbleached if available}
• 50ml Marsala {grappa or brandy may be substituted}
• 1tsp vanilla bean extract
• oil for frying
• extra caster sugar or icing sugar to sprinkle

Method:

• Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs, butter, sugar, Marsala and vanilla, mixing thoroughly to create a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth {dusting extra flour across surface to prevent sticking as needed}.
• Use a rolling pin or a pasta machine to roll the dough to lasagna sheet thinness.
• Cut into strips roughly 4-5 cm wide, or to your liking {an alternative is using a fluted, pastry/ pasta wheel cutter to give a crinkled edge}.
• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry several strips at a time until they are golden.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
• Sprinkle with caster sugar while still hot, or allow to cool completely then cover with sifted icing sugar.

Serves a good gathering chatting over coffee or sweet fortified wine.