I don’t usually give much thought to the day before Ash Wednesday– my mind and my plans have already wandered into Lent itself. But this year I made an effort to research some traditional foods for this celebratory Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, the last day of Carnevale– no matter what you call it, it’s a day of high indulgence. Historically, not only meat but also eggs, butter, and sugar were forbidden during Lent. And while few people still observe these dietary restrictions, sweet, fat-laden treats made with soon-to-be-banned ingredients have remained traditional in many different countries, all around the world– many of them sweet, buttery, and fried. Here in Michigan, Polish paczki are a favorite. There are semlor in Sweden, fastnachts in Germany, pancakes in England, beignets in France, and in Italy there are frappe.
These little fried ribbons of dough, which are known by many names in Italy, are a traditional Carnevale treat. Not too sweet, but definitely addictive, try them with your afternoon (or morning!) coffee.
Frappe (alias cioffe, chiacchiere, or crostoli)
From christinascucina.com
Make sure to roll the dough as close to paper-thin as you can, and watch them carefully in the hot oil so they don’t burn.
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup clear liquor (grappa, white wine, vodka, etc.)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- oil for frying
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- chocolate, icing, or honey for drizzling (optional)
- In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, liquor, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until well combined.
- Slowly stir in one cup of the flour. When it is incorporated, slowly add the remaining flour. Mix or knead until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for one hour.
- After an hour, remove the dough from the fridge and divide it in half. Working with one half and keeping the other covered, roll the dough as thinly as possible on a lightly floured counter. (It will be very elastic and tend to spring back, but keep rolling it to maintain thinness. You can also use a pasta machine.)
- Cut the dough into strips with a flutes pastry wheel or pizza cutter. There is no “right” size, but 1.5×7 inches is a good average. To make a looped ribbon, make a small cut towards one end, and pull the other end. You can also make a small cut in the center, and pull one end all the way through to form a twist. Shape them any way you like, or leave them as plain strips.
- Repeat with the second half of dough.
- Meanwhile, heat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan or a deep fryer. When the oil is hot, drop in the dough shapes a few at a time, and fry until they are puffed and golden brown on both sides.
- Remove the cooked pastries with a skimmer, and cool them on a paper-towel-lined cooling rack.
- When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or if desired, drizzle with icing, honey or chocolate.
In Due Season 