Recipe for making Suceava-style cheese doughnuts
Suceava-Style Papanasi Recipe - Quick and Tasty Dessert
If you are looking for a simple yet impressive dessert, Suceava-style papanasi are the perfect choice. These fluffy cheese donuts are fried to perfection and served with sour cream and jam, turning each serving into a true delicacy. In this recipe, I will guide you step by step to achieve perfect papanasi, with a slightly crispy exterior and soft interior.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Number of servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 500 g cottage cheese (ideally well-drained)
- 2 large eggs
- 150 g sugar
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 200 g flour (plus extra for shaping)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Oil for frying
- Sour cream (for serving)
- Jam (sour cherry, raspberry, or blueberry, to taste)
Preparation:
1. Preparing the ingredients: Ensure the cottage cheese is well-drained to avoid adding moisture to the dough. You can use fresh cottage cheese or, for a more intense flavor, ricotta cheese.
2. Mixing the composition: In a large bowl, add the cottage cheese and mash it with a fork. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt. Mix well until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
3. Including the dry ingredients: In another bowl, sift the flour together with the baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the cheese composition, gently mixing until the dough starts to form. Avoid over-mixing to keep the papanasi fluffy.
4. Shaping the papanasi: Dust a work surface with flour. Knead the dough and divide it into equal portions. Form balls, then gently press in the center to create a dent. This detail will help during frying, ensuring they cook evenly.
5. Frying: Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Check if the oil is hot enough by throwing in a small piece of dough. If it sizzles, it’s time to fry the papanasi. Fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Use a spatula to carefully turn them.
6. Draining: After frying, remove the papanasi onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
7. Serving: Serve the papanasi warm, with creamy sour cream and fruit jam. You can try various combinations, such as sour cream with sour cherry jam for a sweet-sour taste or raspberry for a fresh note.
Practical tips:
- For an even more intense flavor, you can add grated lemon or orange zest to the dough.
- If you prefer a healthier version, you can bake the papanasi in the oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, but the texture will be different.
Variations:
- Add chocolate or chopped nuts to the cheese mixture for an extra flavor boost.
- Experiment with different types of jam, from peaches to strawberries, to find the perfect combination for you.
Suceava-style papanasi are more than just a simple dessert; they are a culinary experience that combines tradition with flavor. Try this simple recipe and enjoy a sweet moment with your loved ones!
We make a hole in the cheese, crack an egg, and put it over the cheese. We mix a little and then add vanilla sugar, regular sugar, semolina, salt, flour, and mix. We chop the Turkish delight finely and add it to the mixture along with raisins soaked in brandy and a teaspoon of lemon zest. On the work surface, we sprinkle a little flour and then add the entire mixture to form a thick roll. We cut pieces about 4 cm wide and then make a small hole with our finger. We fry them in a pan, in a bath of oil, on both sides. We served it with black blueberry jam or sour cream. Enjoy your meal! The Papanasi recipe from Suceava was proposed by Cosmina_Liana on the recipe forum.
Ingredients: Recipe for making papanasi: 600g cottage cheese, 50g sugar, 3 sachets of vanilla sugar, 1 egg, 1 handful of raisins soaked in brandy (50g), 100g flavored rahat (4 pieces), 4 tablespoons of flour (not heaped), 4 tablespoons of semolina, 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
