Recipe for making papanasi

When I have a little time and want something consistent and familiar, I make cheese doughnuts. I like that I don't spend much time in the kitchen, and I usually have the ingredients in the fridge. I don't even have to look for the recipe; I know the quantities by heart after so many times. The important thing is to use fresh cottage cheese and not to rush the shaping. The doughnuts come out fluffy and stay that way without hardening after they cool down.

Quick Info

Total time: about 45-60 minutes, depending on speed and how many batches you fry.
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes (for mixing and shaping).
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes (for frying, depending on the pan).
Servings: 6-8 (depending on how large you make them).
Difficulty: medium.
Recipe type: dessert, suitable for ordinary days or when you have guests.

Ingredients

500 grams cottage cheese
4 eggs
300 grams flour
100 grams granulated sugar
4 packets vanilla sugar
1 packet baking powder
sour cream (for serving)
berry jam (for serving)
oil (for frying, enough to cover half of the doughnuts in the pan)

Preparation steps

1. Put the cottage cheese in a large bowl. If it's too grainy, it's good to mix it with a fork or quickly pass it through a sieve, but it's not mandatory.

2. Add the whole eggs over the cheese. Then add the granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, and baking powder. Mix with a wooden spoon or by hand until you get a homogeneous mixture.

3. Gradually pour in the flour. Incorporate it gently; do not beat the mixture too hard so that it doesn't become dense. You should end up with a sticky but moldable dough.

4. Heat the oil in a deeper pan over medium heat.

5. Meanwhile, sprinkle a little flour on the work surface. Break off pieces of dough, about the size of a small tennis ball. From each piece, shape a thicker disc and a small ball to place on top, traditionally.

6. Make a hole in the middle of the disc with your finger, so you get the classic doughnut shape.

7. When the oil is well heated, place the doughnuts in to fry, without crowding them. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until they turn golden. Remove them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

8. Proceed the same way with all the pieces of dough.

9. For serving, place each large doughnut on a plate, add the small ball on top, and put sour cream and jam to taste.

Why I make this recipe often

I like that it doesn't require complicated techniques. The ingredients are simple, the doughnuts come out fluffy, and they don't remain hard after cooling. They are quick to make and can be adapted if I have drier or wetter cheese. They are good warm, but also at room temperature.

Tips and variations

Tips

1. Choose fresh cottage cheese, not too watery, but not dry either.
2. Don't use too little oil; otherwise, the doughnuts won't fry evenly.
3. Shape them with wet hands or dusted with flour so they don't stick.
4. Try not to knead the dough too much to keep it fluffy.

Substitutions

If you don't have vanilla sugar, you can use vanilla essence. Baking powder cannot be omitted; otherwise, the doughnuts will be too dense. Wheat flour is the safest; I don't recommend other types for this recipe.

Variations

You can use any jam you like, not just berry jam. Sometimes I replace the sour cream with full-fat yogurt if that's what I have in the fridge.

Serving ideas

They are good with cold sour cream and jam added just before serving. You can make them smaller for kids or larger portions if you want them to be more spectacular at the table.

Frequently asked questions

1. What do I do if the dough is too soft?
Add a little flour gradually until you can shape it. Watery cheese requires a little more flour, but don't overdo it so it doesn't harden.

2. What kind of cottage cheese should I use?
The plain kind, unsalted, from the store or market. It should be fresh and not have excess whey.

3. Can they be fried in sunflower oil?
Yes, this is the most suitable. I don't recommend oils with strong flavors.

4. How do I know when they are done?
The doughnuts are done when they are golden on both sides and feel firm to the touch in the middle.

5. Can I bake the doughnuts in the oven?
This recipe is for fried doughnuts. For baked ones, a different mixture is needed.

Nutritional values

Approximately, for a medium doughnut (without sour cream and jam), it has around 200-250 kcal, with 8-10 grams of protein, 35 grams of carbohydrates, and 5-8 grams of fat, depending on how much oil they absorb while frying. With sour cream and jam, the caloric intake increases significantly. These figures are approximate and depend on the size of the doughnuts and the amount of oil absorbed.

Storage and reheating

Fried doughnuts are best on the day you make them. They can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 24 hours, but their texture will not be as fluffy. To reheat them, you can put them in the microwave or oven for 1-2 minutes, but I don’t recommend keeping them for more than a day. It's best to make and serve them fresh.

 Ingredients: Recipe for preparing papanasi: 500 g cottage cheese, 4 eggs, 300 g flour, 100 g granulated sugar, 4 packets of vanilla sugar, 1 packet of baking powder, sour cream, berry jam, oil.

 Tags:  cheese doughnuts