AI-generated image
Mutzenmandeln
Quark fritters in sugar
Rhineland carnival quark fritters shaped like almonds and rolled in sugar
In Cologne and the rest of the Rhineland, bakeries pile their counters with Mutzenmandeln from Weiberfastnacht to Shrove Tuesday, and families fry them at home for carnival parties. A quick, soft dough of quark, egg, sugar and flour is rolled out, cut with a small almond-shaped cutter and fried until puffed and golden, then tossed in sugar while still warm. The common mistake is oil that is too hot, which leaves them raw and doughy in the middle. Chef's tip: a few drops of bitter almond extract or a little lemon zest gives them the classic bakery flavour.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)
- 10 oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugarfor rolling
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Beat the 9 oz quark (or thick strained yogurt), 2 eggs, 2 ½ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest and ¼ tsp almond extract until smooth.
5 minStep 2: Add the 10 oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt and knead briefly into a soft dough that no longer sticks to your hands; add a spoon more flour if needed.
5 minStep 3: Roll out about 1 cm thick on a floured worktop and cut out almond shapes with a small cutter or a knife, about 4 cm long.
5 minStep 4: Heat the 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 325°F. Fry 6–8 at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning, until puffed and deep golden. Break one open: the centre should be fluffy and dry, not doughy.
20 minStep 5: Drain briefly on kitchen paper, then roll in the 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar while still warm. Best eaten the same day.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mutzenmandeln take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.