These were introduced during carnival time (February) in the 17th century supposedly by a chef sporting the last name Craph; however similar types of pastries have be known for a long time in Europe during religious festivals. They date all the way back to Roman Bacchanal Festival in "pagan" times (hey, this Friday is Autumn and we're doing a Pagan theme to celebrate, so I guess there is a tie-in here). These are a fried jelly doughnut.
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| They don't have to be just for winter celebrations, here are some for Halloween! |
I was really sick this past Friday with a cruddy virus picked up at the beginning of the semester, so I'm late getting my theme recipe up. First of all my serious thanks to guest blogger Music Hound!! Secondly, the reason for putting this in as the theme recipe is that it is solidly Viennese and classically 19th century, late empirical food. Austrians are known as much for their pastries and coffee, as for their music and concert halls.
FASCHINGSKRAPFEN
1 cake yeast or active dry yeast packet
Pinch sugar (for the proofing)
1/4 lukewarm water (also for the proofing)
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup light (that is single, not heavy) cream
1 tbsp. dark rum
1 tbsp. fresh orange juice (bottle can be used)
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
3 cup apricot jam
1 cup vegetable oil, shortening, or lard (or combo) (lard is traditional)
Powdered confectioner's sugar
(One buttered or oiled mixing bowl)
1. For proofing the yeast, dissolve in warm water with the pinch of sugar. Set aside in a warm place, to bubble up and double in volume.
2. Meanwhile, sift the flour with salt (it is traditional to sift twice). Make a well in the middle of the flour pour in the additional sugar, egg yolks, cream, orange juice, vanilla and the proofed yeast. Mix well with hands (traditional), large heavy wooden spoon or dough paddle, or, as most do the days, mix in electric mixer. The needs to be somewhat firm , but still giving.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a large, lightly oiled or buttered bowl. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour and cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm (not hot) place for 1 hour, until the dough is doubled. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a floured board. Roll into a circle about 1/4 inch thick, take a large round cookie cutter, cut the dough into as many rounds as possible. Set these aside, gather up the rest of the dough, roll and cut again. Keep going until all the dough is used up.
4. Drop dollop of jam into the middle of one circle, and top with another, press the edges together well and the cut again with a slightly smaller cookie cutter to seal, as they are made, place on a clean cookie sheet, dusted well with flour, 1 inch apart. Keep going until all the dough rounds have been made into doughnuts. Let doughnuts rise 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat the fat for frying.
5. Fry 2 to 4 doughnut together at a time, depending the size of your pan; you do not want them to touch. Cook for around 2 minutes over medium heat, until golden. Turn a cook another 2 minutes, also until golden. Add more fat as needed, just heat it well before proceeding with frying. Drain doughnuts on paper towels (aka Kitchen Paper).
6. Dust each with powdered sugar through a small sieve and serve.
VARIATIONS:
Although most Austrians would shutter at altering the above recipe, and would insist that if you alter it in any way, it is not a true Fashingskrapfen, these types of fried jelly doughnuts are found all over the former Austro-Hungarian empire and throughout Germanic areas. Here are a few ideas.
Dust with flavored powdered sugar, mix with cocoa powder or cinnamon, or place lemon peel and/or vanilla pod in sugar for a month to flavor it.
Use a different kind of jam, seedless raspberry is very good.
Add some water or liquor like rum or flavored brandy to the powdered sugar and ice them, then use tubes of icing and fruits to decorate in shapes, like eyeballs for Halloween, etc. Or leave plainly iced.
When hot, dust with regular sugar and allow to cool, serve as it as a sugar doughnut, or drizzle with chocolate or fruit syrup.
This is the easiest: place mold or doiley over the doughnut and dust with the powdered sugar to leave a specific shape on top of the doughnut. Also, great for Halloween.
Someone LOVES their Faschingskrapfen!!
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| Really!!?? Doughnut Earrings!! |
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