Carnival Chiacchiere: fried, baked and filled

To prepare carnival chiacchiere: fried, baked, and filled, first make the dough. In a bowl, pour the flour 1, baking powder 2, and sugar 3.

Add a pinch of salt 4, 3 eggs along with the yolk 5, and the grappa 6.

Start kneading with a spoon 7 and then work for a few minutes by hand 8. Pour the softened butter into a bowl, add the seeds from the vanilla pod 7, and mash it with a fork.

Once you have obtained a cream 10, add it to the dough 11 and work it again with your hands in the bowl 12.

When the mixture begins to take shape, transfer it to a work surface 13 and knead it for about ten minutes until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough 14. It should be firm yet pliable. If it's too hard, add 5-10g of water. Wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature 15.

To prepare baked chiacchiere, after the dough has rested, take a portion 16 and keep the rest well covered. Lightly dust with some flour 17 and flatten it first with your hands 18.

Then pass it several times through a pasta machine, gradually reducing the thickness 19 and folding the dough before inserting it again. You should obtain strips 1/16 inch thick 20. Let the sheets dry slightly for a few minutes, then use a fluted pastry wheel to cut rectangles approximately 2x4 inches 21.

Make diagonal slits in the center 22, then blanch the chiacchiere in boiling water 23 until they float. Drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 24.

Try to give them some shape with your hands, without flattening them completely 25, and bake in a preheated fan oven at 390°F for 5 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other. When they are nicely golden, remove them from the oven 26, let them cool slightly, and dust with powdered sugar 27.

To prepare fried chiacchiere, take part of the dough and roll it out as before to a thickness of 1/16 inch 28. Let the sheet dry slightly and then use the fluted pastry wheel to cut rectangles measuring 2x4 inches 29, making cuts in the center lengthwise 30.

Fry a few chiacchiere at a time in plenty of hot vegetable oil 31. The ideal temperature is between 300-320°F; we recommend using a thermometer to measure it for perfect frying. When they are nicely golden, drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels 32. Let cool and serve dusted with powdered sugar 33.

Finally, we will show you how to prepare filled and fried chiacchiere. You will need to roll the dough several times through the machine, gradually reducing the thickness until you obtain a sheet 1/16 inch thick 34. From this, simply cut 4x4 inch squares and fill them by placing a teaspoon of jam in the center 36.

Moisten the edges of the dough 27 and fold the filled chiacchiere 38 into triangles. Press the edges well, squeezing out all the air 39. Prepare all the others in the same way.

Fry a few pieces at a time, immersing them in hot oil preheated to 340°F 40. When they are nicely golden, after about a couple of minutes, drain them on a paper towel 41 to remove excess oil. Let them cool slightly and serve 42.