By
Diego Cortés
Chin chin is a Nigerian fried dough sweet: the snack made by the kilo for Christmas, for weddings and for keeping something to nibble on at home. They are little squares of dough with butter, sugar and nutmeg fried until golden, crisp on the outside and tender in the middle, halfway between a thick biscuit and a dry doughnut.
It is eaten at any hour and keeps for weeks in an airtight tin, which makes it handy for lunchboxes, birthday tables or giving away in small bags. In Nigeria the texture is a matter of argument: some like the dough softer, with more butter and egg, others prefer it thin and firm, which crackles more and lasts longer.
If you like fried dough, try the picarones and the yuca fritters with piloncillo. And to know where this sweet comes from and how it differs from puff-puff, read Chin Chin: what the Nigerian snack is.
Prep
25 min
Cook
25 min
Servings
12
Calories
320 kcal
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, salt and milk powder in a large bowl so everything is evenly distributed.
Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips, lifting the mixture as you go, until it looks like coarse sand with pea-sized lumps.
Whisk the egg with the cold milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and pour it over the dry mix in two goes.
Knead in the bowl for 2 or 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides; if it still feels sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and rest it for 15 minutes at room temperature: the gluten relaxes and the pieces will not shrink in the oil.
Divide the dough into four portions and roll each one out on a floured surface to 3-4 mm thick, thin but with no holes.
Cut 2-3 cm squares with a knife or a cookie cutter and lay the pieces out on a floured tray without stacking them.
Heat the oil to 170-175 °C and test with a dough offcut: it should sink and start bubbling right away, without browning in two seconds.
Fry in batches of 10 to 12 pieces for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring with a slotted spoon so they colour evenly; do not crowd the pan or the oil temperature drops and the chin chin turns greasy.
Drain on a rack or kitchen paper, cool completely for about 10 minutes and dust with icing sugar just before serving or storing in an airtight tin.
This recipe has a medium difficulty level, which means it's accessible for cooks of all levels.
The preparation time is 25 minutes and the cooking time is 25 minutes.
This recipe is designed for 12 servings.
Yes, many ingredients can be substituted with similar alternatives. We recommend checking the recipe variations.
Store the preparation in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Some preparations can be frozen for up to 3 months.
