Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday: Nutella Mini Krapfen

After the 7 fat days, Mardi Gras marks the end of the Carnival Season. To keep to the rules of tradition, according to which on Mardi Gras should be consumed all the good foods during Lent could not be eaten, I prepared a typical Carnival sweet of my region (Trentino Alto Adige). Tasty, soft and sweet filled with jam, cream or chocolate, originally from Austria, usually fried, but also prepared in the oven for a light version. I'm talking about Krapfen or just Bombolone. I prepared Nutella filled krapfen but you can use any jam or cream you prefer.

INGREDIENTS:

(for about 20 mini krapfen)

400 g flour

80 g butter

50 g sugar

1 egg

120 ml milk

30 g fresh yeast

a pinch of salt

lemon zest

½ tablespoon Rum

Nutella cream (chocolat cream or any jam you like)

seed oil as needed

icing sugar as needed

PREPARATION:

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Place the flour and add in: the egg, sugar, butter, a pinch of salt, lemon zest, and ½ teaspoon of Rum and finally the yeast dissolved in milk.

Mix all ingredients until a compact dough. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Knead the dough again and with a rolling pin roll out a thin sheet of 1 cm. Cut circular disks about 6 cm in diameter from the sheet of dough using a round cutter or a glass.

Trace the outline of each disk with a thin coating of water and put a small amount of Nutella in the center of each disk. Place the reserved disk on top and lightly push around the edges to make them adhere. Continue until all the dough is finished. Sprinkle with a little flour, cover with a cloth and let rise for 1 hour and a half in a warm place.

Fry the krapfen in hot oil using a pan with high sides. Fry them a few at a time, turn them so they colour nicely on both sides. Remove from oil and let them dry on paper towels before sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Lukewarm krapfen are delicious!

Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!