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).
Servings 6 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
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.