This phrase is indicative of Carnivale – “Fat Tuesday, a day when every prank is allowed,” a final day of celebration before the start of the Lenten season. My family hails from a pastoral area of Friuli and Carnevale means something delicious in our home – Crostoli.
Friuli, a region of Northeastern Italy is famous for its wine, cheese, San Daniele prosciutto and a language that is unrecognizable as an iteration of Italian. Picture this: my summer vacations consisted of playing at our aunt’s house in the country, chasing the rabbits, collecting eggs from the chicken coop and helping to wash clothes in the stream in front of the house. In the middle of all this, my five foot tall mother wanders out into the fields wielding a scythe to expertly cut grass to feed the rabbits.
Crostoli is made from items found in most kitchens. They are easy and inexpensive to make, and result in a crisp and not overly sweet bite of heaven. They are, in fact, known in other parts of Italy as “Angel Wings.” It is a fun family project, as the dough is fragile and timing critical in the recipe.
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For years, my favorite molds have been those which are commonly used to make tasty Hungarian Spice Cookies, and German walnut shaped cookies with scrumptious caramel and nut fillings. I love to use our pine cone shape molds, in which I have also made delightful shortbread cookies.
I love the traditional manner of making the pastry shells with the iron, and I love the deep cavities that can hold larger quantities and more types of fillings.