Frappe or cioffe, chiacchiere, bugie (I could go on) are traditional Carnevale Italian bow tie cookies, for lack of a better name. The fried, slightly sweetened dough is transformed into light as angel wings pastries, which taste 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?
These light and crispy cookies are made from a lightly sweetened dough (similar to pasta dough) that is rolled thinly then deep-fried until they are a light, golden color. I see some that are much darker when fried, but my family doesn’t make them this way (I think they’re overcooked when they’re this color, or the oil isn’t fresh).
Depending from which part of Italy one’s family originates, and what that family named them, they can be called:
- bugie
- canestrelle
- cenci
- chiacchiere
- cioffe
- crostoli
- frappe
- galani
- guandi
- storce
- and so many other names.
In English, these are often called bow ties, angel wings, or Italian fried cookies.
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.
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.
Try serving these with a glass of homemade chocolate liqueur. Laura from My Guardian Chef has an authentic Italian recipe for you!
How to Make Italian Bow Tie Cookies
(Frappe or Cioffe)
a family recipe handed down from my Nonna makes about 2 dozen
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
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
To Fry
- olive oil, to fry (or avocado oil)
To decorate
- 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: 40Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
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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!