The less informed do not know that the Carnival it has already started. According to the Roman rite it begins immediately after the Befana and lasts until February 13th, the day of Shrove Tuesday, so called because it is the last day on which you can eat meat, before starting the Lenten diet.
The following day, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of Lent. The term 'Carnival' itself, half Latin, means farewell to meat.
Castagnole or chatter for Carnival?
There are mainly two desserts that compete for first place among desserts carnival preferred by Italians. But what are the differences between the two? Certainly the shape and consistency, but the ingredients are substantially the same, except for the choice of flavorings and liqueurs used. Let's see in detail.
The Castagnole
There are numerous Italian regions that claim paternity of damselfish, such as Abruzzo, Lazio, Piedmont, Romagna and many others.
These fragrant pancakes on the outside and soft on the inside make the whole of Italy salivate. The classic recipe uses anise, but there are several versions, all excellent. Today we will offer you ours, simple and quick.
Mix 1/2 kg of 00 flour, 100 g of melted butter, 4 eggs, 100 g of sugar, a pinch of salt, zest of 1/2 lemon, a spoonful of aniseed liqueur and a sachet of baking powder. After obtaining a compact and shiny dough, form strips approximately 2 cm thick and then cut them into small pieces a couple of cm wide. Heat the sunflower seed oil until it becomes boiling, add the pasta cubes a little at a time and, when they are golden, take them out, let them drip onto absorbent paper and, while still warm, toss them in the sugar.
The chatter
Always antagonistic to damselfish, the Chatter they have very ancient origins, but there are many versions both in Italy and in various European countries.
Le Chatter, called by various other regional names, such as sprelle, crostoli, frappe, lies or cenci, are a typical dessert of the Carnival. They derive from the recipe of frictilia, sweets fried in animal fat, which in ancient Rome were prepared during the period of the Roman calendar coinciding with the Carnival of the Catholic church.
The recipe we are proposing today has been handed down from generation to generation, but it requires a little longer processing than that of the damselfish, because they require leavening for a couple of hours.
The mixture of Chatter it is made with 375 g of 00 flour, the grated peel of 1/2 orange, 3 eggs, a pinch of salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 75 g of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of anise which can be replaced with other liqueurs such as brandy , sambuca, grappa or anything else you like.
Once you have obtained a compact dough, leave to rest for 2 hours, then form thin, rectangular strips, shape into bows and fry in sunflower seed oil until golden.
Let them drip onto absorbent paper and sprinkle with icing sugar.
