German Luchow’s Fastnacht Krapfen (Berliners)

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 ounce compressed yeast cake
• 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 lemon, rind of, grated
• 5 egg yolks, beaten
• flour
• currant jelly or thick cooked apple
• lard or shortening (for deep frying)
• extra sugar

Directions

1. 1

   Heat milk to lukewarm. Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. Stir 2 1/2 cups flour smoothly into rest of warm milk. Mix yeast quickly into this batter. Cover lightly with folded towel and let stand 1 hour or longer.

2. 2

   After sponge has risen well, mix in melted butter, sugar, lemon peel, egg yolks, and remaining flour. Stir well.

3. 3

   Turn dough out on lightly floured board. Fold over, then roll lightly to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with 3 inch round cookie cutter. Spread half of the rounds with 1 heaping teaspoon jelly or cooked apples. Cover these with remaining rounds. Crimp edges firmly together with fingers. Leave on floured board. Cover lightly with folded towel and let rise in warm room 1/2 hour, or until light and puffy.

4. 4

   Fry a few Berliners at a time in deep hot fat (360 F) until golden brown. Remove from fat; drain on thick paper toweling. While hot, roll in sugar. Makes 1 1/2 to 2 dozen.

5. 5

   Luchow’s German Cookboook.