Berliners Berliner Pfankuchen
“In southern Germany and Austria, Berliners are often called Faschingskrapfen. The word Krapfen goes all the way back to the Middle Ages, when it meant a little ‘hook’ or ‘claw.’ Early festival fritters were twisted or hooked in shape, and the name stuck even as the pastry evolved into the round, jam-filled treat we know today. So if the word makes English speakers smile, rest assured — it has nothing to do with ‘crap’ and everything to do with centuries of German carnival baking.”
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- 1 gallon sauce pan
- candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 C. milk
- 1/3 C. butter
- 1 pkg. dry yeast
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ C. lukewarm water
- 4 C. all-purpose flour
- ½ C. sugar
- 2 eggs well beaten
- Jelly or custard for filling
Instructions
- 1 .Scald milk .
- 2 . Soften yeast in water and set aside.
- Put sugar, butter, and salt into a large bowl.
- Pour scalded milk, while still hot, over ingredients in the bowl. When it's lukewarm, add 1 C. flour and beat till smooth. Stir softened yeast, mix well.
- 5 . Measure out 2 ½ -3 C. flour.
- 6 . Add about half the flour to the mixture and beat till smooth.
- 7 . Add the beaten eggs, then enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead.
- 8 . Make the dough into a ball and put in a warmed, greased bowl—brush the top with oil or melted butter. Cover and let stand in warm place till doubled in bulk.
- 9 . Punch down the dough and turn out onto floured breadboard and let it “rest” for 10 minutes.
- For Berliners (Jelly Doughnuts): Cut with cookie-cutter into 3-inch rounds. Place a teaspoonful spoonful of jelly on one round, cover with another round and pinch edges together. Turn them over, smooth side up, cover and allow them to rise about 15—30 minutes. Heat oil in deep skillet, heavy saucepan, or electric fryer, to 365 o . After the rounds have risen, fry them in the deep oil, a few at a time to avoid crowding, turning with tongs when brown on the bottoms; remove and drain on paper towels.
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