Krafne
Carnival Doughnuts- Yield
- About 16 doughnuts
- Active
- 1 hour
- Total
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
The story
In continental Croatia the weeks of Carnival, fašnik in the north and poklade more generally, belong to krafne: round yeast doughnuts, filled with jam and buried in powdered sugar, which also go by the seasonal name pokladnice. In 2027 the season ends on Shrove Tuesday, 9 February, the day before Ash Wednesday opens Lent. The town cookbook of Samobor lists krafli as the typical fašnik pastry, also made for weddings, and notes that they were once a luxury because frying took so much fat. Its cooks enriched the dough with four to six eggs and a shot of rakija or rum, let it rise twice, cut it with two glasses of different sizes, and sealed jam between a large and a small round before frying. A light ring around the middle, the book says, shows a batch turned out well. Recipes today usually fry the rounds plain and pipe in jam, marmalade or pekmez, a thick plum butter, afterward, and many fry the first side under a lid so the dough puffs. Mix the dough in the morning and fry in the early afternoon, since krafne are at their best the day they are made.
This recipe contains alcohol. It is meant for adults of legal drinking age.
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk, lukewarm
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar, divided
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- For frying and filling:
- About 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup apricot jam or plum butter (pekmez)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
Sold as lekvar or povidla at Eastern European delis or online; thick apricot jam is the usual alternative.
Method
- Stir the yeast, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the flour into 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk (about 100°F) and let stand for 10 minutes, until foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk the remaining flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture, the remaining milk and sugar, the egg yolks, melted butter, rum, vanilla and lemon zest. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 10 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth and pulls away from the bowl; it should be softer than bread dough.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board and roll or pat it 3/4 inch thick. Cut rounds with a floured 3-inch cutter, set them on a floured tray with space between them, and gather and reroll the scraps once. Cover with a towel and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffy.
- Meanwhile, heat 3 inches of oil in a wide, heavy pot to 340°F on a deep-fry thermometer.
- Fry 3 or 4 krafne at a time, risen side down, with a lid on the pot for 2 to 3 minutes, until deep golden; turn them and fry uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes more. A pale ring around the middle shows they rose well. Keep the oil between 330°F and 350°F.
- Drain on paper towels and cool for 5 minutes. Stir the jam smooth, spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a long, narrow tip, and fill each doughnut through the side.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve the same day.
Note: Krafne are best eaten within hours of frying. Never leave hot oil unattended, lift the lid away from you, and keep a second lid or baking sheet nearby to smother any flare-up.