These are so addicting you can't stop eating them.
The crispy fried puffs of dough are delicate and quite fragile with this delicious snowy sugar on top.
Grandma and mom spent hours rolling, cutting, and frying these to give away to family and friends around the holidays.
My Aunt Mary (grandma's daughter) also helped her own sister-in-law who actually sold these in Schenectady, N.Y., so we had an authentic recipe.
We called them wands in Utica, New York, or bow ties, Guanti, farfellette, and sometimes cenci (rags)
These fried cookies are really easy to make and a must-try if you remember them in your family as a child growing up.
They happen to be my favorite little fried flaky cookies full of powdery sugar on top and very addicting.
Honestly, there is nothing to it.
These bow ties are at the top of my list for Italian holiday cookies, like my other fried favorites including Struffoli (fried honey-covered balls), Italian Fried Panzerotti (fried stuffed pizza dough), and fried dough (zeppole).
Scroll down and check out the easy photos, and instructions.
Farellette Italian Nicknames
There are so many American Italian names I've heard these fried cookies referred to.
In Jersey, wandi (gloves) in Rhode Island, and my relatives in San Francisco called them bugia (liar’s knot).
Some in other areas on the globe in America called them angel wings.
It always amazed me how many nicknames Italians had for food here in America.
My search for Farfatelle history revealed an old, Catholic tradition called St. Joseph's Table and St. Joseph's Day was in March, not in December.
I was surprised that here in America, how many made these for the Christmas holiday instead.
Crunchy Delicious Fried Bites
Bow ties shatter with each bite, a light as airy perfect for an after-dinner treat anytime cookie treat.
I have seen them doused with honey or cinnamon sugar, but that wasn't our traditional fried bow tie for our Regions recipe.
Honestly, they're made differently by all Regions in Italian, I even added orange and lemon which is a version, from Veneto, delicious but very different!
Tips:
- Do not over-flour the dough
- Roll thin for best results
- Tie the dough in knot form for angel wings or fold them into bow ties, (I have done these both ways)
- Keep a damp towel over the dough so it won't dry out
- You can substitute any kind of flavored brandy for wine
- Cool completely before adding the powdered sugar
- Seal in an airtight container for storing
- recipe makes 40 can be cut in half
Ingredients You Will Need for Italian Fried Bow Ties
- eggs
- butter or oil
- baking powder
- vanilla
- white wine or brandy
- flour
- oil for frying
- powdered sugar
Tools you will need for Farfellette Cookies
- Sharp knife or pastry cutter
- rolling pin
- cutting board
- frying pan
- paper towels
- tray
Pin for later Italian Fried Bow Ties
Here are more of our favorite cookie recipes:
Cucidati Fig Sicilian Cookies
24 One-Stop Cookie Shop
Fried Bow Tie Cookies
25 Holiday Cookies
Italian fried bows, ribbons (FARFELLETTE)
Yield: 40 with recipe cut in half
prep time: 35 Mcook time: 4 Mtotal time: 39 M
These are fried Italian cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are light and airy and addicting. You can't stop at one. Perfect around the holiday table as they look like a blanket of snow over the top. Grandma, mom, and all my Italian Aunts made these every year around Christmas time.
ingredients:
- 12 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter or oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup white wine or brandy
- 6 cups flour
instructions:
How to cook Italian fried bows, ribbons (FARFELLETTE)
- Beat all wet ingredients, eggs, butter, wine, and vanilla in a bowl until creamy.
- Add flour, baking powder until dough is the right consistency to roll out.
- Roll out on floured board, as thin as possible., try not to over flour the board as they will get dry and tougher, (just lightly floured).
- Cut into a strip using a pastry cutter and tie in bows or twist like a ribbon, (a cutter with fluted edges works well and looks prettier)
- Fry in around 3 inches of oil or deep fryer on medium heat, until golden brown, drain on a dish lined with paper towels.
- These should be light and golden not dark and they also float to the top, they take around 1 or 2 minutes on each side.
- Cool sprinkle with powdered sugar
Calories
45
45
Fat (grams)
19
19
Sat. Fat (grams)
9
9
Carbs (grams)
18
18
Net carbs
10
10
Pin for later Italian Fried Bow Ties
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2020.
