These Sicilian Bow Tie Cookies, also known as Frappe or Cioffe Pastries are light and fluffy and made with only 3 eggs yolks. These cookies are a staple at any traditional Italian gathering and are a family favorite on the Sicilian side of the family of course!
Like Italian cookies? Try my recipe for Italian Orange Cookies, my Nonna's S Cookie Recipe or Italian Peach Cookies.
Jump to:
This recipe for Sicilian bow tie cookies are perfect for special occasions like bridal showers, baby showers or holiday gatherings. They go well with other cookies like easy amaretti cookies, simple nutella cookies, and Italian butter cookies.
Why You'll Love these Italian Bow Tie Cookies
- Aesthetic Appeal: Bow tie cookies are visually appealing, resembling little bows. The intricate design adds a touch of elegance and makes them a charming addition to any dessert table or as a gift.
- Perfect for Special Occasions: Bow tie cookies have a whimsical and celebratory quality, making them ideal for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, or festive gatherings.
- Fun to Make and Share: The process of making bow tie cookies can be a fun and engaging activity. The uniqueness make these cookies great for sharing, whether as a homemade gift or for a social event.
- Perfect Bite-Size Indulgence: Bow tie cookies offer a perfect bite-size indulgence. Their small, dainty size makes them just right for enjoying a sweet treat without overwhelming the palate.
Ingredients You Will Need to Make Traditional Italian Bow Tie Cookies or Cioffe
These bow tie cookies are made with the traditional ingredients including: eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, whiskey, flour and a bit of sour cream.
Sour cream while not a traditional ingredient, adds a little bit of moisture to the cookies and adds body to the flavor.
Vanilla extract adds a touch of flavor to the cookie.
Whiskey adds flavor to the cookie and gives it a taste of boldness.
Confectioner's sugar is used to bring a little bit of sweetness to the cookies without making them overly sweet.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to Make Bow Tie Cookies
A pasta machine can be helpful but no necessary with these cookies.
Start by beating egg yolks in a large bowl. Add the sour cream, sugar, vanilla and whiskey and continue mixing until smooth.
Stir in flour until the dough is formed enough to roll out. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead.
Cut strips about 1 and ½ inches wide with a knife or pastry cutter.
Here are three different styles, although there are many more!
Fry in a wide pot or deep fryer at 350℉, flipping with a fork after 30 seconds.
Let fried pastry sit on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Let the bow-ties cool down uncovered. They can stay uncovered for about a day. When you are ready to serve them, layer them on a serving tray and dust with icing sugar one layer at a time.
Storage: Store your cookies in an air tight container prior to dusting them for not longer than 4 weeks. You can also freeze these for a maximum of two months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
When you are ready to serve them, remove them from the container and dust them with confectioner's sugar. Place them in a serving plate for serving to your guests.
Top Tips
Rolling out the dough might get a little messy, but that's ok. First of all clean and Clear your surface. Sprinkle some flour down and roll out your dough using a rolling pin moving back and forth until you have the size you can work with.
If you don't have a deep fryer, no worries, use a large shallow pot filled up with about 3 inches high with oil.
Decorating Variations
If you want to add a unique touch, try one of these variations or substitutions:
- Cognac - Use cognac and a splash of orange juice for a citrus flavor
- Chocolate - dip the edges in chocolate for an indulgent fudge flavor.
- Honey - drizzle honey over your cookies instead of confectioner's sugar.
If you can think of another way to make these unique, go for it! Let me know how they turned out in the comments!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Yes. Make sure that they have cooled down completely and place them in an air tight container. Store in the freezer for not longer than a month. When you are ready to serve, thaw out in the fridge overnight and dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving.
Amaretti, Biscotti, Pizzelle and Savoiardi are just a few popular Italian cookies.
No, you can use a pot that is at least 5 inches high and 10 inches wide.
Other Desserts You'll Love
Recipe Details
Bow Tie Cookies (Cioffe)
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caEquipment
- deep fryer optional
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cups sour cream
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar (optional)
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 oz whiskey
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable oil (more or less)
- ½ cups icing sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl beat the egg yolks for about 3 minutes. Add the sour cream, sugar, vanilla and whiskey and continue mixing until smooth. Stir in flour until the dough is formed enough to roll out. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead.
- You may need more flour so that the dough doesn't stick to the surface. Roll out the dough so that it is very thin, like pasta dough. You may want to divide the dough into two at this point, your choice if it's too much to roll out at one time. Start cutting strips about 1 and ½ inches wide with a knife or pastry cutter. Using a pastry cutter makes them look a little bit fancy, but it's not needed.
- While you are preparing the bow-tie cookies, heat up the fryer to about 350℉
- Cut Strips of about 3 to 4 inches long as the dough will stretch when cooking. Cut a slit in the middle so that you can pull one side through the slit to make the bow-tie. Or you can also pinch the middle, your choice. A third option is to slit close to the bottom and then slide the other end through a little to make a ribbon.
- Once oil is heated, place in fryer, they will expand when you fry them. Fry for about 30 seconds on each side, then remove and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. If you don't have a deep fryer, no worries, use a large shallow pot filled up with about 2 inches high with oil. The pastries should be light in color if they start to darken, remove immediately.
- Let the bow-ties cool down uncovered. They can stay uncovered for about a day. When you are ready to serve them, layer then on a serving tray and dust with icing sugar one layer at a time.
Notes
Top Tips
Rolling out the dough might get a little messy, but that's ok. First of all clean and Clear your surface. Sprinkle some flour down and roll out your dough using a rolling pin moving back and forth until you have the size you can work with. If you don't have a deep fryer, no worries, use a large shallow pot filled up with about 3 inches high with oil.Nutrition
PIN HERE
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Comments
No Comments