As you probably know, Germany is the European center for carnival. Before spring “Karneval”, “Fasching” or “Fasnacht” will be celebrated in many regions of Germany. In Cologne, Bonn, Koblenz or Mainz you can watch the biggest and most colorful parades, visit the most fun parties with singing and drinking from Thursday (“Schmutziger Donnerstag” in Swabia or “Weiberdonnerstag” in the Rhineland) to Wednesday, the Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch) that is the end of carnival everywhere. A traditional carnival delicatessen is a pastry called “Berliner” or “Faschingkrapfen”. This delicious German doughnut has a jelly or jam filling, will be baked in hot oil, dusted with sugar, and enjoyed warm.
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Ingredients for about 20 pieces
Baking time: 35-50 Minutes
500 g flour (wheat, Type 550)
1 cube fresh yeast or 1 sachet dried yeast
3 tbsp sugar
1/8 l lukewarm milk
1 sachet vanilla sugar
1 pinch salt
grated peel of 1/2 lemon (organic)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
100 g melted butter (cooled off)
Filling
180 g jam (apricot, raspberry, strawberry, red currant jelly)
Additionally
– flour for rolling the dough
– oil for baking (in Germany they use coconut oil but you can use vegetable oil as well)
100 powdered sugar
How you’ll make it
– Put flour into abowl, make a little hollow and if you use fresh yeast crumble it and fill it into the hollow. Mix it with 3-4 tbsp milk and some flour.
– Allow dough to rise for 15 minutes at a warm place and covered with a cloth.
– Knead the dough with remaining ingredients until you get a smooth dough; allow to rise for another 20 minutes.
– Sprinkle flour onto a baking board and roll the dough 1/2cm thick.
– Cut with cookie-cutter into 3-inch rounds.
– Place 1 tsp of jelly on one round, cover with another round and pinch edges together.
– Turn them over, smooth side up, place them on a floured tray, and allow them to rise for another 15—30 minutes.
– Meanwhile heat oil in deep skillet, heavy saucepan, or electric fryer, to 365 F (180 C). You can use a wooden cooking spoon and hold it into the oil; when you see little bubbles appearing around the spoon’s edge you know the oil is hot enough for frying.
– After the rounds have risen, fry them in covered deep oil, 3-4 at a time (not more); turn them and let them fry another 3 minutes uncovered.
– Remove them from the oil, and drain on paper towels.
– Dust them with powdered sugar and serve them warm.