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.
What are Italian Frappe or Cioffe?
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! 😍
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.
Cioffe 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.
These delicate braids are not typical of the traditional Italian shapes. My mother just made them with leftover dough.
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 1/4 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 roller, 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 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!
Frappe or Cioffe: Bows and Ribbons of Fried Sweetened Dough
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.
- 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 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:
18Serving Size:
2Amount Per Serving:Calories: 104 Total Fat: 1.5g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 0mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 2g
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We called them elephant’s ears (aka crostoli) because my grandmother didn’t make them into bows but into triangles as well as some irregular shapes. We only got them at christmas time when the roasting pan full of them would come out!
Aren’t those family traditions wonderful?! Have you made them, Shelley?
Could you use lemonchello in this recipe i make my own and looking to add to my cooking as well as drinking lots
Sure! Limoncello would add a nice lemony touch! Check out my creamy limoncello recipe if you like to make it. :)
Shelly, I am half Italian and half Lithuanian. It is my Lithuanian side that makes them. Why I am replying to you is because you are the only one besides my family that call them pig ears. My Lithuanian FB friends never heard of them called that before. Don’t remember what they call them in Lit. But it’s not pig ears. You are right they make a big toaster pan just full. Haven’t made them for about 4 yrs.
Hi Christina, I’m from Scotland and my Italian mother used to make these every Christmas, we called them nastri in our house, meaning ribbons. They are wonderful, I don’t make them very often as I could eat them all! Your pictures are lovely and I especially like the one your mum made.
Hi Anna, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I know what you mean about them being addictive; they are just so good! Happy to hear from a fellow Italian Scot! :) Hope you find some other recipes you’ll enjoy here! :) CC
[…] 10. CIOFFE (Bows) […]
My great aunt from Calabria used the basic recipe for making honey balls, twists, and biscotti. She called them nacotola. Saying the c like a g. Her recipe used two cups of sugar for 5 to 6 cups of flour. She told me that there was a central oven in town and they were assigned days to use it. They had no ovens at home so most sweets were fried.
Hi Saundra, SO sorry for the delay in responding. It sometimes happens, especially when I’m traveling. Love to hear the traditions from Italy. My mum’s village had the same thing with the laundry facilities! They’d all do laundry on the same day at the local fountain and outdoor sinks! :)
In my neighborhood in San Pedro, California, these cookies were made by the Croatian women and had a name that was difficult to pronounce, so we called them “wind”. I took a batch to work once for a potluck and one woman said they were just like the cookies her Hungarian grandmother made, and another woman remembered she had these in her neighborhood growing up in the mid west. Maybe thin dough that is fried is a universal idea.
I think you are correct, Victoria. And I’d hazard a bet that there are countless versions around the world that are a variation on this theme. Whatever it is, they must be so popular because they’re so darn good! ;) Thanks for your comment (and you’re not too far from me)!
My mother made these every Christmas and Easter as well. We called them “crostoli.” They didn’t last very long with a family of seven. So good! My sister and I have her original recipe. Must make these one day for my grandchildren…
Oh I’m sure your grandchildren would devour them! Love that you grew up with them, too, Sylvana! :) THanks for your comment!
Thank you, Christina for the wonderful memories of
my Grandma, & making Italian bow ties at Christmas.
Doni
Thank you, Doni, for your lovely comment, too! :)
I grew up eating these every Christmas. My grandmothers used to make then but they were Lithuanian, not Italian. They are delicious!!
Aren’t they wonderful?! I think most European countries have their own version. Other people have told me the same thing. :)
Beautiful. My mom used to make them but very rarely. (I don’t think she liked to fry either.) After she passed away, I picked up some at a local, well regarded, Italian bakery. They were stale. I was devastated. I may make them one day.
I’m sorry for the delay in responding, but I’ve been traveling “Down Under”! :)
Unfortunately, these aren’t the best if not eaten within a day or two, so who knows how old that bakery’s pastries were? Oh dear, that is really disappointing, though. I do hope you give them a try. I’m sure they’ll bring back memories of your mom. ❤️CC
This is great Christina! My grandmother and my Mom made these all the time but no recipe can be found! We call them Cristoli and they covered them with honey! Sooooo addictive!!!! Thank you for posting this recipe! I can share with my sisters! Now that all the bakers in the family are gone we can’t call them to ask how they made things and we miss them and the wonderful food they made! I printed this recipe but I also love the step by step pictures! I was young and didn’t pay attention to how they were made…..just when we could eat them! Both sides of my family came from Calabria. It may be why we know them as Cristoli . Grazie, Joanne
You are so welcome, Joanne! Very happy to help and that you found the recipe. Yes, many names for these beauties, but all the same great treat! Let me know how you and your sisters like them. I bet they will bring back memories! Enjoy! CC
Your frappe look positively perfect. They bring back memories of my mom, who baked them too. I’ve made them a few times but it’s so hard to resist eating the whole batch! They go down too easily.
Oh, I didn’t know anyone baked them! But yes, it is so hard to have them and not eat them all! Haha! Thanks Linda!
I love all the different names for these and must try them soon. I am working to rig a way to deep fry outdoors, so I don’t stink up the house. My latest scheme is to get a magnetic induction hotplate and hope that gets the oil hot enough!
David:
Why don’t you try a turkey fryer with controlled heat?
It would probably be safer than a pot of oil on a hotplate.
Charlie
I’ve done that with fish, David. Definitely a good idea.
Charlie, as for the turkey fryer, from what I’ve seen, that’s much too big and too deep to use for something like cioffe. As long as there are no children or pets around, a small pot on the hotplate should be totally fine.
Whatever you call them, they look absolutely delicious! Love how they’re airy. In Corsica they make something like this – and the name escapes me…
I’m also pretty “choffed” or chuffed that you have a lovely photo with the same teacups we have! Too funny. And LOVE that you added Scotch Whisky to the recipe, making it a real Italian recipe with a Scottish twist!
Oh dear, I’ve missed your comment, Jill! Thanks so much, I bet you love those tea cups and the Scotch addition! Haha! Isn’t it crazy how much we have in common?! Baci!
Those bring back memories, my Aunts used to make those! They look delicious, light and airy. So beautiful ❤️
Awww, I bet! Thanks, Suzanne! Hope you are doing well!
Hi Christina, I’m from Australia and the name we use around my area is “storch” which could be derived from stracci. We firm them like your second method and everyone tried to have the thinnest, lightest possible storch. I have really connected with this post….it’s as if you have taken the photos in my kitchen.
Hi Marcellina, thank you so much! That’s such a compliment! I’ve never heard that name before, but I’m sure there are hundreds of others, especially in local dialects. Which part of Italy is your family from? I’m coming to Australia soon, and hear lots of good things about the food, so I’m really looking forward to it! Thanks again! Christina :)
[…] An Italian treat for Carnevale are these beautifully light and crisp bows of dough which go by many different names, but two of which are Frappe or Cioffe. […]
Hello,
Can you tell me the type of oil that would yield the best results? Also the temperature? Thank you!
Hi Barbara, I used to use canola oil, but with all the bad news about it, I switched to sunflower and grapeseed. Unfortunately, I’ve never used a thermometer to check the oil temperature! It’s so easy not to use one: heat the oil over medium heat for a few minutes, then just test with a tiny bit of dough. If it does nothing or barely starts to fry, turn up the heat and check again in a minute or two. If you drop it in and it fries quickly and turns brown right away (this rarely occurs), then it’s too hot and you need to turn it down. I hope this helps!
This is really ironic! I’ve been searching for the recipe for Frappe for decades not being able to retrieve it from my families records. They passed it down verbally and no one still alive could remember it or who made it for the Holidays. I’m also half Italian and half Scots. I consider this a find of great pleasure. At age 70 it will be wonderful to make and enjoy these with our younger generations and pass on the recipe to continue the ‘Old’ tradition!
Welcome to my site, Mitch! I’m so happy you for it and the recipe for frappe! That’s one of the things I’m trying to do is to save authentic and traditional recipes from going “extinct”! Especially the Scottish and Italian ones! Hope you’ll find some others you’ll enjoy, too! :) Merry Christmas!
Hi…my girlfriends aunt used to make these weeks in advance with honey glaze and store them in big old fashioned pickle tins…we stopped by her home everyday after school and polished off our fair share!
Awww, how cool is that! You have the recipe, now! You can make them and have a taste of your childhood. :)
Hey! I’m Manisha. Any substitute to wiskey or liquor?
In India, we, ladies can’t use alcohol or something like this.
So please suggest me any good substitute for it.
Sure Manisha! Water! The alcohol makes them crispy, so they just won’t be as crisp :) Enjoy and let me know how they turn out!
[…] Cioffe ~ Light and crispy fried ribbons of slightly sweetened pastry. […]
[…] that is probably the name for many other types of similar creations, as there are many names for frappe, for […]
they look so yummy, but can i use seven up instead of whisky. ? for the fluff
Hi Liya, since I’ve never used a soda in these, I don’t know what the result would be. You can try the 7up or just use water. Let me know how they turn out! :)
[…] like Cioffe or Frappe, which I posted earlier this year, these doughnuts are called by many different names, depending on […]
[…] may remember the cioffe I made earlier this year: deep fried bows of lightly sweetened […]
.Hi Christiana!
I just signed up for your blog.
These looks like something my cousin’s wife had at her wedding shower. I’m hoping they are!!
I fell in love with them and I think ate most of them ( I was a teenager). I have been looking for a recipe ever since.
I would like to make these but with a non-alcoholic substitute. Do you have any suggestions?
Isn’t it crazy how we remember certain things we ate? I bet these are what you ate at the shower as they are extremely addictive! You can use milk or even water in place of the alcohol, but the alcohol makes them more crispy (also, the alcohol is cooked out, if that’s your concern). Good luck, Charlie! Let me know how they turn out! CC
Hi Christina.
About how many does this recipe make? I’m making them for christmas gifts and trying to figure out if I need to double or triple recipe.
Hi Cassi, wow, that’s a difficult question because it all depends on how thin or thick you roll the dough, how big you cut the ribbons. I can tell you that it makes quite a lot, but as far as a number, I can’t give you an exact amount. Good luck.
I just made these, using Brown Sugar instead of White, Lambs Navy Rum instead of Whisky,. OMG are they good. Even plain/un-sugared. Thanks for sharing this….
I’m intrigued with the use of brown sugar, Larry! Was it soft brown sugar? So glad you liked them! Thank you for letting me know ;)
So excited to read your story about these pastries! My grandmother always made them along with two other pastries from her mom’s recipes from Croatia. Her mother had moved from Dubrovnik to Biloxi, Mississippi where many other Croatians had immigrated in the early 1900s. We called these bow ties and she covered and rolled them in powdered sugar. These were my absolute favorites! My sister has the recipe now, I make her lady finger cookies and my mom still makes her pusharatas, a type of fruit & nut filled doughnut. I’m so happy to read some of these names for the bow ties. She also tied them in a double bow as well as a square knot and some like the first bow shape you show. And always with the pinked edge! Thank you for sharing the recipe and story!
Please do not post. Could you send to Heather? Heather, I was wondering if you would share your grandmothers lady finger recipe with me?
Thank you,
[…] There’s actually no strategy to eat these with out getting powdered sugar throughout your face. Recipe right here. […]
Look great just like MOM made a
Oh Cristina – I have been looking for these for ages! The ones I had were in Des Moines Ia. in a Italian part of town and they were large and flat and had the yummiest icing over them – I am so going to make these, love those little shapes, so pretty!
Yes Reni, you can make a powdered sugar icing instead of just dusting them. My aunt always did them this way. Enjoy!
Hi Christina, I just made these but they came out a little crispy but still delicious. Is it because of the whiskey? Also can I freeze them
Hi Lina! Yes, the whisky makes them more crisp. If you like them less crispy, just use water. I know some people make them soft and more chewy, but my family prefers them crisp. Yes, you can freeze them (dust them with sugar after defrosting them). Merry Christmas!
Thank You Christina, exactly what I thought. Merry Xmas to you and your family also
Lina
15 PAGE PRINTOUT FOR SIMPLE RECIPE IS WASTEFUL.
Hi George, I totally agree. If you would have messaged me beforehand, I could have updated with a simple printable recipe (I have over 250 recipes and don’t have all of them updated yet.) If you go to my home page and click on ORANGE BOODLE, you’ll see what I’m talking about near the bottom of the post. Meanwhile, you may want to read this post: https://christinascucina.com/2015/01/a-post-about-commenting-from-a-bloggers-perspective.html I’ll update the recipe now.
Hi George – just highlite what you want to print – saves on paper :-)
:)
Hi Christina!
I’d like to make these for a party, but how far in advance can I make them and what is the best way to store them so that they stay fresh and crispy?
Hi Linda, I’d probably only make them a day in advance for the best/crispiest presentation, but they’re still good for a day or two after that. If you have a tin you can store them in, that’d be best; if not, just covered in wrap, then dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Good luck!
[…] region of Italy, may be known as many other names in other regions, which I discussed in my post on Frappe (or Chiacchiere, or Cioffe or…). My family’s version of Zuppa Inglese is made more […]
..Love reading ur posts..can the whiskey be deleted from the dough recipie making the Italian ‘honey balls’ and ‘fried bows’?
Thanks so much, Peggy! Yes, you can omit the whisky-don’t replace it with any other liquid, just make the recipe as if you’d added it. The end result might not be quite so crispy, but will still taste great! Let me know how it goes! CC
Hi Christina, it’s me again! I have just read this post which reminds me of the delicious food my mum used to prepare, and this was another one of my favourites. She used to make these fiocchi ( or chiacchere) just before Christmas and had to hide them from my brother and me as we would eat the whole lot in one afternoon! Would it make a difference if one used a pasta machine to roll out the dough or is the dough too sticky? I remember that it took her quite a while to make them, and as I got older I was allowed to help by pinching the middle of the bow together, hence the name fioccho. I really enjoy reading your blog, as having been married to a Scotsman and having an Italian mother, I can relate to much of what you write. Ingrid (South Africa).
Hi Ingrid! That’s too funny about your mother having to hide them! No, the dough is not too sticky, so you could absolutely use a pasta machine. That’s so great that you have the Scottish-Italian connections, too! Please visit often! Thanks so much, Christina :)
I worked with a woman from Italy who brought in something that looks similar to this, but instead of powdered sugar she had a honey glaze. They were piled high on a plate, the honey glaze over everything, and I couldn’t stop eating them. Can this be made with a honey glaze, or is it a different cookie I am thinking of?
Hi Janelle, this would be the same as the honey covered ones, I’m sure. My family also makes small bits of pastry and covers them with honey. Addictive, right? :) Let me know if you try them! CC
These look out of this world delicious!! I LOVE the combo of Scottish/Italian!! beautiful pictures
mary x
Awww, thank you, Mary! I also love the Scottish/Italian combo! Ha ha! :) CC
These were soooo yummy. Thank you for sharing them at the FBLA meeting and giving us some helpful advice on monetizing. Actually, I’d like to discuss the topic with you a little further, could you e-mail me?
In my Italian family they were called scatalad (scah-tah-lahd)! Love these so much! Yours were scrumptious!
Yet ANOTHER name, but I’m sure they all taste delicious! Thanks, Dorothy!
My Aunt used to make these but I can’t remember the name or what she called them, Whatever it was or is they are delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe. It’s such a small world isn’t it. someone commented on food52 on my recipe for Pasti Ciotti, she recognized my name and it turns out she lived in my hometown and knows my family. I was amazed!!
It definitely is a small world! Things like this happen all the time, yet I am just amazed every single time! Maybe you’ll remember what your aunt used to call them after a while…there are SO many different names for them! CC
These are beautiful! Perfect to pair with a fresh coffee.
Thank you for stopping by, Natalie! (Love your profile pic, btw!) CC
new dish to me..looks fabulous
new follower to your blog.
Thanks, Gayathri! I’ll check yours out too! Welcome! :)
this recipe is amazing! Looks delicious!
Best regards!
Thank you, Lavi! I appreciate your comment! :) CC