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Papanași
Fried cheese doughnuts
Romanian fried cheese doughnuts with soured cream and jam
Papanași are the dessert Romanians order after almost any restaurant meal, from the old town of Bucharest to the mountain chalets of Sinaia and Bran. A soft dough of fresh cheese, egg and semolina is shaped into a ring with a little ball on top, fried until puffed and golden, then crowned with cold smântână and sour cherry or blueberry jam. Warm, tangy and very rich, one is a full dessert. Chef's tip: use dry, crumbly cheese and drain it if it's wet; a common mistake is a sloppy dough that soaks up oil and falls apart, so add flour only until it just stops sticking.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz dry curd cheese or ricottawell drained
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ⅜ oz fine semolina
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 5 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for shaping
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil
To serve
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Press 14 oz dry curd cheese or ricotta through a sieve into a bowl, or mash it with a fork, so there are no lumps.
5 minStep 2: Beat in 2 eggs, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 pinch salt, then stir in 1 ⅜ oz fine semolina and ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda.
3 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz plain flour a little at a time, mixing with a spoon, until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough that holds its shape. Rest for 10 minutes so the semolina swells.
10 minStep 4: With floured hands, divide into 4 large and 4 small pieces. Shape the large ones into thick discs 2 cm deep and push a hole through the middle to make rings; roll the small ones into balls.
7 minStep 5: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep pan to 325°F (a cube of bread should turn golden in about 40 seconds). Too-hot oil browns them before the inside cooks.
8 minStep 6: Fry two rings and two balls at a time, turning, until deep golden brown and puffed, 5–6 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.
12 minStep 7: Serve warm: set a ball on each ring, spoon over 1 cup smântână or thick soured cream and top with 7 oz sour cherry or blueberry jam.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does papanași take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
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