One of my favorite times of the year has come: Carnival! It is a special moment for my family… Mia and I always dedicate some time to cooking and having fun. We love smells, tastes and colors that are linked to this funny festivity that is especially kids. We take an afternoon for ourselves and we use our time to prepare and taste the delicious chiacchiere.

A super tasty sweet, and it’s also very funny to make and then taste. Each region in Italy calls them differently frappe, cenci, sfrappole, bugie and I could go on and on. But something that I am sure about is that they are kids’ favorite sweet.

When Mia and I start cooking, in the kitchen there is an invasion of smells and colors that I really like to rediscover every year, because they mean festivity to me: fresh dough, eggs and the white icing sugar that we sprinkle in the end.

Something that never comes to anyone’s mind when you think about chiacchiere is lemon’s peel, that truly gives that creative touch and that also gives your house a very fresh smell.

It’s not so complicated to make them, even if you need to have some experience to cook them very well. But once they are ready, it’s a real satisfaction…especially for your palate!

But without a mask, what Carnival is it?

Let’s leave chiacchiere still hot in the kitchen and here we can start our preparations for the costume. We love making it at home. We like to personalize it, make it unique, cutting some animalier print fabrics…black tights, black t shirt and it’s done. Cut a tail and a circlet with ears and draw a fake nose. And if you don’t want to freeze, put on the eco fur in the picture. Warm, soft, it is that final touch that makes everything easy.

Why don’t you try?

I can’t wait to find out what sweets you’ll make and with what masks you’ll come up with Pinelle! In the meantime… Happy Carnival!