My Family Snacks on This Beloved Fried Dough All Day on Christmas
Chin chin, a beloved and versatile Nigerian snack, is welcome anytime — on road trips, at birthday parties, and during the holidays. It’s an essential part of a Nigerian Christmas. Made at home, or bought from your favorite maker, we snack on it all day long, serve some up to guests, and give it as gifts when we can. The delightful spiced, fried dough, made with flour, butter, sugar, and as many (or as few) spices as your heart desires, is part cookie, part cracker, and part cake.
My love for chin chin is steeped in the nostalgia of my childhood. It was one of the first recipes l learned to make due to the uncomplicated ingredient list and the fact that I could adapt the flavors. I love my chin chin with citrus zest, especially a combination of orange and lemon zest.
Chin chin is often served on its own. Pair it with a hot drink like ginger tea, brewed coffee, and hot chocolate, and even wine or Champagne. When I make this, I often serve them in a bowl (kind of like cookies); no utensils are required as you grab pieces or a handful.
Why You’ll Love It
A crunchy snack that’s easy to eat. This traditional snack is fried, meaning every bite is truly delicious.
You can get creative with flavors. Use your favorite warming spices for a sweet version — or go savory. Try mixing in pumpkin spice or apple pie spice, citrus zest, extracts like vanilla or almond, or a touch of cayenne or black pepper, black sesame seeds, garam masala, or nigella seeds.
Key Ingredients in Chin Chin
All-purpose flour: Plain all-purpose flour works well here, though you can substitute half the amount with wheat flour. You may need to adjust the liquid, tablespoon by tablespoon, to achieve the desired texture.
Cold butter: Makes for the flakiest chin chin.
Anise seeds: Whole anise seeds are like treasures sprinkled throughout the chin chin, delivering delightful bursts of light licorice flavor.
How to Make Chin Chin
Make the spiced, seasoned milk. Whisk the milk, ground anise, and salt together in a small bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, anise seeds, and baking powder together in a large bowl, add the grated butter, and whisk until evenly distributed. Stir in the milk, and then knead well to form a cohesive dough.
Roll and cut the dough. Roll the dough into thin sheets and cut into small shapes.
Fry. Heat neutral oil in a wok or large Dutch oven and fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm or cold.
Helpful Swaps
Don’t be tempted to fry until dark. Chin chin will darken as it cools. Over-frying will lead to “burnt-tasting” snacks which you don’t want.
Give chin chin a twist. Swap the spices for your favorites. You could even try a chocolate-covered version, dipping the cooled fried chin chin in melted chocolate, and if you like, sprinkling on some (toasted) seeds or nuts.
Shape it up. You have free reign with how you slice, dice, and cut up your chin chin dough — squares, strips, and circles are all fair game. Just be sure to keep them similarly sized so they cook evenly.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Chin chin can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, refrigerated for up to 4 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Chin Chin Recipe
Part cookie, part cracker, and part cake.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Serves 15
Ingredients
3/4 cup cold whole milk
1 teaspoon ground anise
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon whole anise seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, grated on the large holes of a box grater
About 5 cups neutral oil, such as vegetable, for deep frying
Instructions
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Whisk 3/4 cup cold whole milk, 1 teaspoon ground anise, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a small bowl.
Whisk 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon whole anise seeds, and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder together in a large bowl. Whisk in 1 stick grated cold, unsalted butter until evenly distributed.
Make a 4-inch-wide well in the mixture. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the well. Gradually stir the milk mixture in with a flexible spatula until combined and the majority of the mix forms a cohesive dough ball. Knead the dough with your hands against the sides of the bowl until it forms a firm but not sticky ball. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide into 4 portions (about 8 1/2 ounces each). Shape each portion into a ball.
Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, roll into a rough 6x12-inch rectangle that’s about 1/8-inch thick, with a shorter side closer to you. Sprinkle the surface with more flour as needed, both on top and underneath to stop the dough from sticking. (Alternatively, roll through a pasta roller, starting on the thickest and gradually moving to the thinner settings, until 1/8-inch thick.)
With a lightly-floured sharp knife or pizza wheel (flour during cutting as needed), cut each sheet into 1/2-inch-wide diamonds: Cut parallel lines lengthwise in the dough that are 1/2-inch apart. Cut parallel lines at a slight angle crosswise, spacing them 1-inch apart.
Transfer the dough pieces to a lightly floured shallow and wide bowl, dust lightly with more flour, and gently toss to prevent sticking. Transfer back to the work surface or a baking sheet, keeping it in a pile. Repeat with remaining dough balls, keeping each pile separate.
Heat enough neutral oil in a wok or medium Dutch oven to go about 2 inches up the sides over medium-high heat to 330°F. Meanwhile, line a large strainer with paper towels.
Working with one pile of dough pieces at a time, transfer the pieces to a spider or slotted spoon and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry, turning the pieces occasionally as they cook, until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. The dough pieces will darken as they cool, so don’t be tempted to fry them darker.
Using the slotted spoon or spider, transfer the chin chin to the strainer to drain off any excess oil, then transfer to a bowl. Repeat frying with remaining 3 piles of dough. Serve warm, or let cool completely.
Recipe Notes
For larger, thinner chin chin: Roll out each portion of dough about 1/16-inch thick. Cut into 1-inch-wide diamonds: Cut parallel lines lengthwise in the dough that are 1 inch apart. Cut parallel lines at a slight angle crosswise, spacing them 2 inches apart. Fry as directed.
Substitutions:
Substitute 1 teaspoon ground anise for 1/2 teaspoon anise extract.
Substitute 1 tablespoon whole anise seeds with 1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds.
Substitute 1 teaspoon ground anise with 1 teaspoon of your favorite spices like ground cinnamon, ground ginger, or mixed spices such as apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
Make ahead: Make the dough through Step 3. Shape into a flat, round disk, cut into 4 pieces, then wrap the cut-up round tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Let come to room temperature before proceeding with Step 5.
Storage: Store cooled chin chin in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated for up to 4 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Further Reading
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The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
