Papanași Prăjiți
Papanași Prăjiți·(pah-pah-NASH pruh-ZHEET)
Dulciuri: Weekend Mornings & Nostalgic Sweets
It looks like a magnificent, towering restaurant set-piece, but underneath the crown of sour cream and cascading sour cherry preserves, the papanași is pure, unadulterated peasant genius. Born in the Carpathian mountains to use up the daily milking, this isn't a delicate pastry—it's a dense, deeply comforting marvel engineered from dry farmer's cheese and rich egg yolks. The magic lies in doing less: skip the yeast, ditch the egg whites, and barely mix the dough. Fried gently, the crisp, golden crust gives way to an impossibly light, cheese-scented cloud. It’s the canonical taste of the Romanian homeland, dialed in for an American kitchen, and fast enough to pull off on a Tuesday night.
Before you start
Prep the cheese.
Ensure your farmer's cheese is thoroughly drained of any excess whey.
Warm the eggs.
Pull the eggs from the fridge 30 minutes prior to let the yolks come to room temperature.
Ingredients
- farmer's cheese1 lb
- egg yolks2 large
- granulated sugar3 tbsp
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- lemon1 med
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- baking powder1 tsp
- all-purpose flour1 3/4 cup
- neutral oil1 qt
- sour cream or crème fraîche1 cup
- sour cherry or blueberry preserves1 cup
Method
- 01
Mix the wet base vigorously.
In a large bowl, mash the farmer's cheese, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt with a fork until combined. Small lumps of cheese are expected and welcome.
- 02
Incorporate the dry ingredients.
Sprinkle the baking powder over the flour, then add the dry mixture to the cheese bowl.
- 03
Fold gently and absolutely do not knead.
Use a spatula to fold the mixture just until a shaggy dough forms. Overworking it develops gluten, which restricts leavening and creates heavy, dense doughnuts.
- 04
Rest the dough.
Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate, making the slightly sticky dough easier to handle without adding excess flour.
- 05
Shape the doughnuts and caps.
With oiled or lightly floured hands, divide the dough into 6 equal large balls and 6 ping-pong sized small balls.
- 06
Punch the center holes.
Flatten the large balls slightly and use a floured finger to punch a generous hole directly through the center of each. This thermodynamic trick ensures the interior cooks before the exterior burns.
- 07
Fry gently in batches.
Heat 1 1/2 inches of neutral oil in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat to 325°F. Fry the large bases for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Fry the smaller caps for slightly less time.
- 08
Drain and assemble the tower.
Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil. Plate each hot base with a generous dollop of sour cream over the hole, followed by a spoonful of jam. Place the small dough cap on top, and finish with more cream and jam cascading down the sides.
Notes
The Cheese Rule.
The foundation of fluffiness is dry cheese. If you must substitute whole-milk ricotta for farmer's cheese, drain it in a cheesecloth over a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 to 8 hours.
The Yolk Trick.
Resist the urge to use whole eggs. Egg whites contain proteins that toughen the crumb when fried; relying solely on the rich fats of the yolks provides the necessary binding.
Weeknight Strategy.
The dough can be mixed up to 24 hours in advance and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. Cold dough is actually easier to shape and requires less dusting flour, making a Tuesday night fry incredibly fast.
From Cook Romanian in America.