Celebrating with Italian Frappe

It is already Carnevale here in Italy, that festive time of the year that is also known as Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Carnevale in Italy means a lot of things—masks, parades, costumes, burattini—and of course, a traditional food to go with along the occasion. Carnevale is a holiday celebrated with Frappe, also know as Cenci. I just happen to have a mother-in-law who is famous for her Frappe.

First, a few words about Nonna. My mother-in-law is 79 and a fabulous cook, gardener and pretty much everything you would expect of a real Italian grandmother. She rides her bicycle, rain or shine, a few miles each day from the countryside to a small town to buy her newspaper, bread and groceries. She is a retired teacher turned artist and spends most of her days creating oil paintings of the surrounding farms. World War II was literally fought in her backyard when she was a child, with German and British soldiers occupying her house at different times, her family forced to live in the cellar, as the sides fought for control of the river that bordered her family's farm.

Her cooking is comforting and very, very special to our family. In fact, when my daughter was in third grade, the teacher asked each student to write down their favorite thing on paper. As her classmates listed things like Star Wars, gymnastics and Wii, my daughter wrote about Nonna's braised guinea fowl over polenta and frappe for dessert! The dough is a simple mix of flour, softened butter, eggs, a pinch of salt, a spoon of sugar and a bit of Grappa. This is real Italian food, meaning a short list of simple ingredients that is effortlessly transformed into a memorable food by someone who loves you, like Nonna. 

The dough rests for thirty minutes before being rolled, shaped, fried and topped with powdered sugar. The dough is moist, yet firm and is rolled out thin, as thin as you can while still being able to work with it easily.

TRADITION FRAPPE MADE WITH EINKORN

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240g) Jovial All-Purpose Einkorn Flour
• ¼ tsp. (3g) salt
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. (20g) sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. (20g) butter, softened
• 1½ tsp. (9g) of Grappa or Brandy
• 1 tbsp. (14g) of sparkling water, if needed
• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add eggs, butter and Grappa and combine all the ingredients with a fork until incorporated. Knead on a clean work surface until you have a smooth dough that is firm, but not overly wet.
3. Let rest in a covered bowl for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out all of the dough as thin as you can, then cut in large rectangles with two slits in the center. Pull each corner through the slit.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Fry two strips of dough at a time, flipping as soon as the dough expands, but be careful not to brown. The cooking time will vary with the thickness of the dough.
6. Let cool on paper towel, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

VEGAN FRAPPE WITH EINKORN

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240g) Jovial All-Purpose Einkorn Flour
• ¼ tsp. (3g) salt
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. (20g) sugar
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. (20g) vegetable spread or coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. (9g) of Grappa or Brandy
• 5 tbsp. (70g) sparkling water
• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add vegetable spread or coconut oil, grappa and water. Combine all beat the ingredients together with a fork until incorporated. Knead on a clean work surface until you have a smooth dough that is firm, but not overly wet.
3. Let rise in a covered bowl for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out all of the dough as thin as you can, then cut in large rectangles with two slits in the center. Pull each corner through the slits.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Fry two strips of dough at a time, flipping as soon as the dough expands, but be careful not to brown. The cooking time will vary with the thickness of the dough.
6. Let cool on paper towels, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.