Papanasi: Sweet Cheese Donuts with Blueberry & Cream

Papanasi: Sweet Cheese Donuts with Blueberry & Cream

Papanasi (pronounced papanash) are Romanian fried donuts made with a fluffy and fragrant sweet cheese dough and served with soured cream (smântâna) and blueberry preserves (dulceață de afine).

Course Dessert

Cuisine Eastern European, Romanian

Keyword cheese, donut, sweet cheese

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings papanasi

Calories 694kcal

Equipment

non-stick skillet
wire rack optional
instant read food thermometer optional

Ingredients

donut

500 grams Twarog cheese or see substitutions
300 grams flour
2 eggs
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
0.25 teaspoon salt
zest of one lemon

topping

1.5 cups crème fraîche or see substitutions
1.5 cups blueberry syrup or see substitutions

extras

2 cups sunflower oil or other neutral oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl whisk up the eggs until mixed then mix in all of the other donut ingredients with a spoon or fork just until the liquids are absorbed and you have a shaggy mixture.
Use your hands to fully mix the dough, ensuring its very homogenous and smooth. If it's sticking then rinse your hands and start again with slightly damp hands.
Divide up the dough into 6 even pieces. See recipe post for details on doing this precisely.
Divide again, splitting each piece up into a small piece (approximately a quarter of the weight) and a larger piece. Shape the small piece into a ball, and the larger piece into a donut shape.
Set the shaped pieces aside in one layer (for example on parchment paper) until ready to use.
Heat the oil in your non-stick skillet until it reaches 105 - 110 C / 220-230 F.
Gently place the papanasi into the hot oil and fry on each side for approximately 3 minutes or until golden.
Remove papanasi from oil and set on wire rack to drain until ready to eat.
Top each donut piece with soured cream first and then blueberry preserves. Put the smaller circle piece on top, and top it the same way.

Nutrition