One of my favourite carnival eats is a wafer thin sweet pastry called 'Chiacchiere'. It's eaten all over Italy during Carnevale but is also a speciality of Venice where they sometimes are called 'Galani'.

Chiacchiere means 'chatter' and they are called this possibly due to the crunchy sound they make when you eat them! Some people also call them 'angel wings' as they put a twist in them as they are made, creating the appearance of two wings.

I made these last year when I held a Gondola party for my son and his friends. We decorated masks, turned the coffee table into a goldola and ate pizza, chiacchiere and Italian hot chocolate!

As you can imagine there's been a request for another party! Venice Carnival is in mid-February so keep an eye out for a post all about hosting your own Gondola playdate.

I use a recipe from the Italian cooking website Giallo Zafferano. They are quite classic in their recipes and you can't go far wrong. I've included their video below. I substitute the grappa for a bit of water if I'm giving them to children. I also use olive oil instead of peanut oil.

When I cook these in February I will share a video of my efforts although clearly they won't be as professional! The good thing about these cakes is they bubble and change shape when they cook so they don't have to be perfect!

Buon appetito!

Photo & video credit: Giallo Zafferano.