Brixen / Plose

The crazy season of the year is there. Dressed up people are around. But the most beautiful thing of carnival for me are the tasty donuts “Krapfen”. Either classic with jam, with vanilla or with chocolate filling, I simply cannot resist. While I am taking a delicious bite from my donut, something comes to my mind. How did it get its name? Why is it called “Krapfen”? Actually, a quite strange word. The Viennese sugar baker Caecilie Krapf threw in a rage a piece of dough in boiling fat. What started frying then, soon became a delicacy named after her. This is how “Krapfen” were created in the 18^th century… well, now I know where the name comes from. And now I would like to tell you how to prepare this wonderful sweet yourself.

Carnival “Krapfen” Recipe: for about 20 pieces

Dough:

• 30 g yeast
• 60 g sugar
• 130 ml milk, lukewarm
• 500 g flour
• 100 g butter, melted
• 3 yolks
• 1 egg
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 1 ts lemon peel, grated
• 1 ts rum
• 1 pinch salt

All ingredients should have room temperature!

Moreover:

• Frying oil
• For the filling: apricot jam, vanilla cream
• Icing sugar to cover
• Baking temperature: 160 °C
• Baking time: about 6 minutes

Preparation dough:

Mix the crumbled yeast and sugar with the lukewarm milk and let rest for about 15 minutes, covered at max. 35 °.

Add flour, butter, yolks, egg, vanilla sugar, lemon peel, rum and salt and knead a dough. Cover the dough with transparent paper and let rest for another 15 minutes.

Knead the dough again, then cut into 20 about 50 g heavy pieces and form balls.

Cover a tray with a towel, spread with flour and place the krapfen on it. Spread the surface of the krapfen with flour, cover with a towel and let rest to double its size.

Finish:

Put the krapfen with their top down into the hot fat, they must swim in it. Cover the pan with a lid and fry them gold brown.

Turn the krapfen and fry on the other side, this time uncovered.

Take out the krapfen and let them rest on kitchen paper, fill a filling bag with apricot jam (or vanilla cream, chocolate cream, raspberry jam), decorate with icing sugar and serve.