Chiacchiere and sanguinaccio dolce,
originally uploaded by danielshaurette.

Chiacchiere and sanguinaccio dolce is an Italian dessert that is served at Carnevale. Chiacchiere is a pastry and sanguinaccio dolce is a chocolate sauce or pudding that you dip it into. (Reminds me of churros y chocolate which is a spanish/mexican treat -- also the title of my old high school spanish textbook.)

Sanguinaccio used to be made with pig's blood, but due to modern regulations it is rarely prepared this way.

However, devious little freak that I am, I found a recipe online for the tradional recipe and I made it myself. Well, I used beef blood as that is all I could acquire (from my local chinese market -- see other photos to follow for other oddities.)

The photo is from my first attempt. I know it sounds gross but it was VERY good! Think about it, folks used to eat this all the time (at carnival festivals) when you had to use up all of the rich and leftover foods before lent.

I didn't make the chiacchiere, however. Instead I used store bought "French Twists" that you can find in many bakeries. Next time I'll make the chiacchiere proper.