Krafne / Doughnuts

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Prije nego mi veljača pobjegne, častim vas finim krafnama. Pauza na blogu je zbog boravka u Francuskoj, a i o tome očekujte post :)
Krafne volim raditi s mamom, to je jedna zajednička kuhinjska kolaboracija u kojoj uživam jednom godišnje. Mislim da ih volim i jesti upravo iz razloga što ih radimo jednom godišnje. Volim kad ih mama napravi minijaturne; ovaj put smo se odlučile za neku srednju veličinu.

• 500 g oštrog brašna
• 40 g svježeg kvasca
• 2 žlice šećera
• 1 vanilin šećer
• 2 žlice ruma
• 4 žlice ulja
• 1 jaje
• 2 žumanjka
• malo soli
• korica 1 limuna
• malo mlijeka - za kvasac
• pekmez za punjenje
• šećer u prahu - za posipanje

Pjenasto izmiksajte jaje, žumanjke, šećer i vanilin šećer, rum i ulje.

Ugrijte malo mlijeka pa u toplom (ne velom) mlijeku razmutite kvasac i ostavite 5-10 min. da se zapjeni.

Brašno pomiješajte sa solju i fino ribanom limunovom koricom. Dodajte pjenasto umućene sastojke i kvasac s mlijekom. Zamijesite glatko, mekano tijesto-po potrebi dodajte malo toplog mlijeka. Ostavite u nauljenoj posudi, pokriveno čistom krpom, na toplom mjestu. Neka se udvostruči (sat i pol).

Naraslo tijesto lagano premjesite na pobrašnjeloj površini i razvaljajte na debljinu od oko 1 cm. Okruglom modlicom vadite krafne, ostavite ih da narastaju još 30-ak min.

Otprilike pola litre ulja zagrijte u dubljoj, širokoj tavi. Je li ulje dovoljno ugrijano provjerit ćete tako da dršku kuhače uronite u njega-ako se oko nje ravnomjerno stvaraju mjehurići, možete početi s prženjem krafni.

Gornju stranu krafni lagano udubite prstom. Pržite ih tako da gornju stranu koja se dizala prvu uranjate u vruće ulje. Pržite ih najprije poklopljene, zatim ih preokrenete i pržite otklopljene. Minutu-dvije sa svake strane.

Slažite ih na papirnati ubrus koji će upiti višak ulja.

Slastičarskom špricom ih punite pekmezom-umetnite ju u stranu svake krafne i istisnete pekmez u nju. Posipajte šećerom u prahu i poslužite.

           

                                                                        Doughnuts

Croatian jelly doughnuts are called Krafne and they're made without a hole in the middle, traditionally filled with jam. They can also be filled with custard or chocolate, but that is less common. The name comes from German Krapfen, which are common in Austria and Germany. In Croatia, they are traditionally baked during February, it's the month of winter festival called maskare / poklade / fasnik - our version of carnival. However, we tend to enjoy them throughout entire year.

 Krafne remind me of my childhood, because mom's krafne have always been the best for me. With         frozen cheeks and noses, we would come home to a hot cup of tea with honey and lemon and a warm batch of fresh doughnuts. My mom still makes my favorite doughnuts and the secret is...? Simply the fact that they're mom's and they bear so many beautiful childhood memories. Also, they are almost overfilled with her home made plum jam that oozes while you eat them. 

This year we made them together. I think the part of their appeal is in the fact that we make them only once a year :)

-Makes about 20 doughnuts-

• 500 g flour
• 40 g fresh yeast
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp rum
• 1/2 tsp salt
• some milk- for the yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 vanilla flavored sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• some marmalade for filling
• powdered sugar for dusting
• about 500 ml vegetable oil for frying

1. Let all ingredients sit at room temperature before using.

2. Combine yeast with warm milk and sugar until it dissolves and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes.

3. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, lemon zest and vanilla sugar. Add egg, yolks, rum, oil and yeast combined with milk. Beat with your mixer (fitted with dough attachments) to make the dough. Traditional way to make it would be using your hands: you'd beat the dough with wooden spoon until it separates from the bowl. The dough will be on the soft and sticky side-just what you need. Cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm place for 1 - 1 and half hour.

4. Dust working surface with flour and slightly knead risen dough. Roll it out to 0,4 inch (1 cm) thick. With circle cutters (you can use glass as well) cut out doughnuts. Place them onto clean kitchen towel lightly dusted and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes. In this stage, you will want them to rise well, so that they'd have that gorgeous pale ring.

There's another equally good way to do this: When you make the dough, immediately separate it into equal round balls. Nicely shape them with your palms and let rise in warm place for 1 hour. Then fry them.

5. Heat oil in large skillet. How do we know that oil is ready? Put a handle of wooden spoon into it-if the bubbles appear evenly around it, the temperature is right.

6. Fry doughnuts: put the upper risen side into heated oil first. We do this to ensure that the bottom of doughnuts fries enough and becomes nicely round. Fry for about 2 minutes, covered with lid. When they begin getting nice golden color, immediately turn them around and fry for another 2 minutes, this time uncovered. Don't let them get dark brown color as it will make them hard. Assemble onto paper towels that will soak up oil.

7. Use pastry bag with round attachment to fill them - insert attachment into the side of each doughnut. Fill with jam. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.