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Papanași: Romanian Fried Donuts
These delightful donuts are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and irresistibly delicious—a true taste of Romanian tradition.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 10 pieces
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
Romanian
Ingredients
Donuts
- 500 g cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- 30 g powdered sugar
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For assembling:
- sour cream
- blueberry jam (or sour cherry, blackberry or mixed berry jam)
- vanilla-flavored powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the donuts mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Then, using your hands (covered in flour), shape 10 large balls (about the size of a chicken egg) and 10 small balls (about the size of a quail egg). The dough will be soft, and that’s how it should be. Resist the temptation to add more flour, as this will make the papanași dense and not fluffy.
- Make a hole in the center of each large ball with the handle of a wooden spoon. Then, carefully transfer the papanași into hot oil.
- Fry the papanași on medium heat for about 3 minutes on one side and another 2 minutes on the other side. The small balls will cook faster.
- Transfer the papanași to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Assemble them and serve with sour cream and jam while they’re still hot.
- Optional: sprinkle with vanilla powdered sugar and enjoy these delicious, warm papanași!
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