Fritule — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Bite-sized fried dough puffs flavored with rum-soaked raisins, lemon zest, and sometimes rakija, dusted generously with powdered sugar. The most loved Croatian street dessert during Christmas and Carnival.

Ingredients

300g all-purpose flour
2 eggs
200ml warm milk
25g fresh yeast or 7g dry yeast
50g sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
50g raisins, soaked in rum or rakija
1 tbsp rum or rakija
Pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1 Dissolve yeast in warm milk with a pinch of sugar. Let it activate for 10 minutes until frothy.
2 Mix flour, sugar, eggs, lemon and orange zest, salt, and the yeast mixture into a thick, sticky batter.
3 Fold in rum-soaked raisins and the tablespoon of rum. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
4 Heat oil to 170C. Using two spoons, drop small balls of batter into the hot oil.
5 Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over.
6 Drain on paper towels and dust generously with powdered sugar while still warm. Serve immediately.

Did You Know?

During Croatian Christmas markets, the scent of frying fritule is considered the unofficial smell of the holiday season — vendors compete for the longest queues.