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.
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!
Notes
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