Frappe or Cioffe are traditional Carnevale Italian bow tie cookies, for lack of a better name. The fried, slightly sweetened dough turns as light as angel wings, and tastes just as heavenly, especially with a dusting of powdered sugar!
Originally published March 13, 2013.
If you were to ask ten Italians what these lovely, crispy things are called, and I bet you will get close to 10 different responses.
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This causes a problem for those of us who know of these delicious deep fried Italian bow tie cookies, but either do not know what they are called or cannot remember their name. The list of searches which lead readers to this page includes things like Italian ribbon cookies, Italian fried cookies, Italian bow tie cookies, and angel wings recipe. They truly are not cookies, but pastries, however it’s what most people are using to refer to them.
My friend Cynthia from What a Girl Eats always makes a King Cake for Mardi Gras.
What are Italian Frappe or Cioffe or Italian Bow Tie Cookies?
Depending from where one’s Italian family originates, and what that family named them, they can be called: frappe, cioffe, cenci, chiacchiere, bugie, crostoli, galani and so many other names.
My immediate family calls them “cioff” (pronounced CHOFF) which means “bows” in the dialect we speak, but is just an abbreviated form of “cioffe”. They are usually made with some sort of liquor, like marsala or rum, but I’ve made them with good old Scotch whisky, so they’re like me: SCOTTISH-ITALIAN! ðŸ˜
Speaking of Scotland, I also grew up eating Shrove Tuesday pancakes (the day before Ash Wednesday).
Frappe or cioffe are traditional Italian deep fried pastries which are usually made for Carnevale (just before lent), and at Christmas, but I grew up with my mother and aunts making them all year long. For example, they were always present at birthday celebrations.
Everyone who tastes these light and crispy bow tie cookies just can’t stop after eating only one! The dough is similar to pasta dough in texture, rolled thinly, cut, shaped and then fried. Afterwards, they are often dusted in powdered sugar or decorated with icing and sprinkles.
Italian Bow Tie Cookies Make a Lasting Impact!
A few weeks ago, I received a Facebook message from a Pauline living in Australia whose name I didn’t recognize (this may seem off-topic, but stay with me).
She asked if I was related to an old neighbor of hers from Scotland (my Aunt Virginia.) I wrote back and told her I was, and the next thing I knew, Pauline was describing how my aunt used to make these things called “choffs” which were little strips of sweetened dough, with the edges “pinked” and she’d dot them with colored icing. She was describing Italian bow tie cookies! She said that my aunt would give them to her and her mother, and they were such a treat! Who knew little fried pieces of dough could make such an impact?
Well, Pauline, here’s the recipe for frappe or cioffe, so now you can make them for your own family (and neighbors)! For those of you who are interested, the bone china cup and saucer is the Wedgwood, Cornucopia pattern.
How to Make Italian Bow Tie Cookies
(Frappe or Cioffe)
a family recipe handed down from my Nonna
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) Scotch whisky (or any similar, clear liquor)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 3/4 cups (12 oz) flour (WEIGH on a scale for best results)!
- oil for frying
- powdered (confectioner’s) sugar for dusting or icing
Using a mixer, place eggs, sugar, salt, and whisky in a large bowl and mix for two minutes or so (if making by hand, combine the ingredients, and stir well with a wooden spoon.)
Add one cup (in UK, just use a regular cup-no need to measure) of flour and mix well. Next, add the remaining flour and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms.
With hands, shape dough into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour.
Remove from fridge and cut dough in half and roll out one piece very thinly, on floured workspace.
Alternatively, if you have a pasta rolling machine, you can use it to make cioffe. I started on setting #1, and continued until I reached setting #4.
Dough will be elastic, so if you’re hand rolling, give it another roll it if it gets too thick. Use a knife or cutter (shown in photo) to cut into strips.
How to Shape Italian Bow Tie Cookies
Cut a strip: no size is right or wrong, but about 6 or 7 inches is a good size. Make a little cut towards one end.
Now place the opposite end through that slit, and pull through to make a ribbon shape. Don’t be afraid to pull and stretch as you want a thin result.
So it looks like these.
Another way to make cioffe is to make a slit in the middle of a shorter strip.Then take one end and pull it through the hole completely. Repeat, until all of dough is used. You’ve now shaped two different Italian bow tie cookies!
You can use an extra long strip of dough to start to tie a knot and make pretzel shape.
KEEP THE DOUGH COVERED IF YOU ARE NOT USING IT AS IT DRIES OUT QUICKLY. These are best made with a team of two people: one to cut and shape, and one to fry.
Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pot or deep fryer (I use a wok) until hot. Before dropping the pastry in the oil, pull and stretch each one, so that it is thinner (as they shrink after being shaped) then begin frying the pastries until puffed and light brown on each side.
Remove carefully with a strainer and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Or decorate with a simple sugar icing (powdered sugar and water or milk) and sprinkles, or honey.
Speaking of honey, this same dough is used to make cicerchiata or struffoli at Christmastime.
Get Creative with Cioffe Dough
As I noted in a photo at the beginning. My mother got creative when I went to a food blogger meeting and made these incredibly beautiful pastries. She cut thin pieces of dough, braided them and fried them in the same manner as the larger ones. I love the super-light, crispy texture.
My cousin Gianfranco suggested cutting the dough with the spaghetti roller and deep frying the thin strips. Those turned out good, too! You can essentially make any sort of shape you like, just make sure that there’s space between the cut parts so that the oil can cook them evenly.
I truly hope you enjoyed my post about cioffe, and now you know the name for those Italian bow tie cookies!
Here’s another traditional Italian treat that’s great for holidays: pizzelle!
Frappe or Cioffe: Bows and Ribbons of Fried Sweetened Dough
A very traditional Italian treat known by lots of different names in Italy. Typically made for Carnevale and Christmas.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) Scotch whisky (or any similar, clear liquor)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 3/4 cups (12 oz) flour
- oil for frying
- powdered (confectioner's) sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, place eggs, sugar, salt, and whisky in a large bowl and mix for two minutes or so (if making by hand, combine the ingredients, and stir well with a wooden spoon.)
- Add one cup (in UK, just use a regular cup-no need to measure) of flour and mix well.
- Add the remaining flour and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms.
- With hands, shape dough into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour.
- Remove from fridge and cut dough in half and roll out one piece very thinly, on floured workspace.
- Dough will be elastic, but re-roll it if it gets too thick. Using a knife or cutter to cut into strips. Use a pasta rolling machine if you have one.
- Cut a strip: no size is right or wrong, but about 6 or 7 inches is a good size. Make a little cut towards one end. Now place the opposite end through that slit, and pull through to make a ribbon shape. Repeat, until all of dough is used.
- Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pot or deep fryer (I use a wok) until hot. Before dropping the pastry in the oil, pull and stretch each one, so that it is thinner (as they shrink after being shaped) then begin frying the pastries until puffed and light brown on each side.
- Remove with strainer and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar (or decorate with icing, or honey.)
Notes
It is really difficult to say how many this makes because it depends on what size and shape and thickness you make them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 2Amount Per Serving:Calories: 104Total Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
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Hi Cristina. I just finished frying them. Unfortunately this time around they came a little to thick. I come from Calabria in my part of the Region we call them NACATOLI. every Easter and Christmas. It’s one of the many baked or fried foods that we make. We don’t use liquor We use Vanilla 4
Hi Aldo, you mean the dough was too thick? Hopefully they’re still good, but I know what you mean; the thin ones are the best!! I love all the fried Southern Italian foods!!
Finally someone else who knows them as Naca as my grandmother shorten the name. I have not heard them ever called that except from her and my mother! Thanks for responding, you made my day!!!
Christina – This brings back happy memories of my Italian auntie from Boston making these for my father every Christmas!
They are both gone now and feeling nostalgic, I pulled out her recipe to make them this year. However, her recipe calls for lard! What kind of oil do you use? And have you ever tried them in an air fryer? I’m so happy I found this by searching fried honey cookies! I never had a photo of them till now.
Hi Laura, yes they are a very popular treat with Italians and other Europeans. I used to love canola oil, until I found out most of it is GMO grown. So now I use a combination of sunflower and olive oil, or grapeseed oil. I haven’t tried them in an air fryer, but I’m skeptical of how they’d look and taste after a cooking on one. Good luck and enjoy them!
Thank you Christina for the tip on what oil you use. We did attempt to make them, definitely a labor of love. I’d give the results a B- and an A for effort! They just didn’t crisp up, they were more soft and almost chewy. The dough was rolled out thin, we fried them in a wok, let them cool on paper towels. Maybe my strips were cut too thin? Idk where we went wrong but I want to attempt this again soon. Have you had this happen?
We make something super similar to these but after frying we pile them in a tray, drizzle generously with honey and top with crushed nuts. We’ve always called them “Scartulade” in our Italian family.
Yes, and then there’s cicerchiata, too! So many names and variations!
My grandma always has this every Christmas Eve. We call them gloves.
Yes, guandi is another popular name! :)
Just the photos bring back memories of “scalilli” as my family calls them. My father came from Calabria, as did my maternal grandparents..After frying in oil and cooled a bit, we dip ours in hot honey and cover in a box with foil. Sadly, my mom and aunts are no longer with us, but we have a recipe and it is used–maybe not this Christmas!
My Italian grandmother, Nonni, made these and i loved them! She was from Gubbio Italy
I hope you make them, too, Deb! Keep the wonderful traditions alive! :)
My nonna used to make these every Christmas. Now my dad is trying to make them thanks to my sister in law. Omg the place is a mess. And the place is covered in flour. (Not great when you have an allergy to flour). Would happily pay you if you could make some
Oh poor you! Maybe you have to stay out of the kitchen until the flour has finished flying! Hope they turn out!
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Hi Christina, My Mother, was born in Italy in a little town called Longana. She makes these cookies every Christmas. She calls them Crischickis (I spelled it phonetically) My mom made huge amounts of these cookies to give away for presents. They were my favorite and she could always tell when I was in the cookies because I’d have the evidence of powered sugar on me. Maybe someday I’ll go for it and make them myself.
They’re not difficult, Maryanne. Give them a try!
Hi Christina. May I ask what type of flour you use?. Here we only get cake wheat flour and bread flour. Mine come out tasting awesome but really really puffy. I can’t seem to keep them small and petite. I till the dough 2mm thick and it’s so thin it’s difficult to handle but still they puff up to much. Chio
Carina Serretta
I use all purpose flour, but where are you that you only get cake and bread flour?
Hi Christina,
I grew up with these. Even the recipe seems accurate to my Neopolitan grandmother’s with the inclusion of the whiskey, only she used a blended rye whiskey, not scotch. They are commonly known as wandi. Even in the supermarkets here in MA they’re marketed as such. My grandmother’s test for how thin they should be is if she can blow on the down and it lifts from the pastry board, they were thin enough. She tied them into loose bows and deep fried them. Seen only at Christmas and Easter. Thanks for the recipe – I’ll use it b/c I can’t find my grandmother’s :-(
That’s wonderful, Roger! They are all made similarly in Italy and yes, the thin dough is key. Enjoy and please let me know how they turn out! :)
Hello, I noticed you flour measurements are off…in cups it says 2 3/4 cups and in brackets it says 12 oz, can you please let me know which is correct? 2 cups is already 16 oz
Thanks!
Franca, I cannot tell you how absolutely exhausted I am from answering questions exactly like yours. If you have a scale, PLEASE use it. The measurements are NOT off at all. It’s a matter of weight vs. volume. 1lb of feathers and 1lb of lead weigh the same, but they are not the same if you packaged them up in bags (volume.) I highly recommend a scale for baking as the measurements are always more precise. Enjoy the frappe. CC
On this page, it says 2 1/4 cups and it also says 2 3/4 cups of flower. So that’s a little confusing.
Good eye, Marissa!! No one’s caught that before, but the recipe card is correct (2 3/4 cups). I’ve fixed it, thank you so much for catching that and enjoy the recipe! CC
Hi love this so happy I found this recipe thank you so much it was delicious my question is can I make the Dough ahead of time and use it the next day.
Hi Maria, I’m glad you found it, too! I have never done this, but I would imagine keeping it in the fridge and then bringing it to room temp before using it the next day shouldn’t have any negative repercussions. Let me know if you try it! Stay safe! CC
My Nonna called them Fiocchi. Istill have her handwritten recipe.
That’s wonderful, Stephanie! Keep it safe!
Fiocchi is right per my Nonna from Verona, made them every year.
Hi Christina,
Just wanted to say this recipe brings so much happiness! My Nonna is from Cassino but has lived in the UK since she was 16. She now has dementia and had forgotten the recipe for these so this is going to make her so happy!
Thank you!
What should the temperature of the oil want to make these
Hi Carina
My dad was born close to Padova and after the war moved to Torino, he then came to South Africa and married my mom. I grew up with them as farfalle, and my mom also made them with whiskey. Going through her recipe book, I found them u der Lisa’s ribbon things. Which confuses the matter as Lisa is a French Mauritian lady married to a Italian man from Bari. So I think the recipe I have is from Bari, but my dad called the farfalle. I love them and so glad I found your recipe because in true Italian fashion my moms recipes hardly ever have quantities and as all the above mentioned people have since died, I have no o e to ask. I will definitely make them this Christmas. Ciao Nadia
[…] Cioffe […]
How long can these fried cookies be kept. Will they need refrigeration? Can they be frozen?
Hi Barbara, they’ll keep for a few days in an airtight container (a tin is best), and although I’ve never frozen them, I would think they would be fine for freeze for a week or so. The problem with freezing them is that because of the shape, there will be lots of air in between them and they’ll probably not do as well as cookies you can stack and freeze. No need to put them in the fridge, though. Don’t think they’d fare well in there. Good luck!
[…] Italian Bow Tie Cookies – Christina’s Kitchen […]
Hi, I made my Crystals ( that’s what I call them), I can’t seem to see your recipe on my phone. We use anise in ours.
Hi Phyllis! So many different names! I’m sorry, I do think there’s an issue with Safari at the moment. Is that what you use on your phone? Trying to fix today! CC
What can I use instead of alcohol?
Just use water, Mary. :)
Growing up we called them rosettes. My brother and I would help my grandmother every year make them for Christmas. I do not remember my grandmother adding any alcohol do them though. Would I be able to make them without the alcohol? Thank you very much for sharing. It brought back so many amazing childhood memories .
Sure, Kristen, you can use water. Did you wrap them around to look like roses? Family cooking memories are the best! Enjoy!
Do you have a cookbook with the recipe in it? Thank you!
No, Marilyn, I’m sorry I don’t (yet)! I’d love to write a cookbook one day!
Does anyone know how many days in advance can you make the “bows”? Will they be okay if I made them two days before event?
Thanks
Hi Jacky, yes, they will still be good two days later! Of course, the fresher the better, but I bet no one complains! Just be sure to keep them in a dry, sealed container, like a biscuit box.
I keep mine in a tin container. They’ll last for a week or more. Also, I dust them with powdered sugar right before serving. Delicious.
Yes, a tin is perfect for storing them.
My Nonni called them wandi, but she didn’t use any alcohol. She would make bushel baskets full of them for our family’s Italian weddings. I was allowed to sprinkle the confectioner’s sugar on them!
Do you still make them, Doreen? There are SOOOO many names for them!
I made them once, years after my Nonni passed. My Dad was the taste tester, and he said they were as close to Nonni’s as it could get…that was a great compliment! I think I’m going to make them this Christmas! Although my Dad has passed, I will make them in honor of him and Nonni!
Awww, so very sorry, Doreen! That means a lot to me that your dad gave his approval. Thank you for letting me know and I hope they bring you some comfort when you make them. Merry Christmas!
Exactly! My grandmother called them the same. They were given at every wedding i went to.
Lovely!
My Italian aunt called them wandis also
OMG!! I can’t believe I found my mom’s recipe. She made these on special occasions and everyone knew her as the “cioffe†baker. You even call them the same!! Christina, you made me so happy. I watched my mom make them but never got her recipe. Also, your recipe for crispelle at Christmas. Wow!! My dad was from Cassino and my mom from Abruzzo. I was born and live in Canada. Mille grazie per questi ricette speciali. Tanti saluti da Canada. Ciao.
Hi Rosemary..my grandparents are from Abruzzi as well. I’ve been trying to find the recipe for ginettes – a deep fried cookie shaped like a donut with icing sugar glaze. Delicious. Do you remember them and have the recipe? Ciao
Hi Rosemary, I’m so sorry I missed respondong to your comment (only saw it now because Linda asked you a question)! I’m very happy you found my recipes (or should I say, my family’s recipes) and that’s amazing that your dad is from Cassino as my parents are from the exact same area! We would always go to the Saturday market in Cassino! I have lots of family in Toronto, too! Thanks for the note and sorry again about the delay in responding! Christina
Can you recommend the types of alcohol that we could use for this recipe please?
How about white wine, if so… what would you suggest, dry?
Thank you
I wouldn’t use white wine. The purpose of the alcohol is to make it crisp, so a liquor is the best bet. However, if you do try wine, let me know how they turn out. :)
[…] ITALY:  Frappe or Cioffe: Italian Bow Tie Cookies. This little fried and sugared delicacy, I learned, are also served at Christmas. Follow the link to learn all about this little custom. […]
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