🇷🇴 Romanian Cuisine

Papanași

Romanian Cheese Doughnuts

Prep Time 30 min
Servings 4
Difficulty Medium
Calories 446 kcal

Fluffy fried doughnuts made from sweet cheese dough, stacked with sour cream and smothered in wild berry jam.

Ingredients

  • 500g fresh cow cheese (urdă) or ricotta, drained
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 200g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Pinch salt
  • Oil for frying
  • 200g sour cream
  • 200g wild berry or sour cherry jam

Instructions

  1. 1 Mix drained cheese with eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and salt until smooth.
  2. 2 Fold in flour and baking powder gently — do not overmix. Dough should be soft but shapeable.
  3. 3 With floured hands, form doughnuts with a hole in the center (like a small bagel) and small balls for topping.
  4. 4 Fry in oil at 170°C (340°F) for 3-4 min per side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
  5. 5 Stack: place a doughnut on the plate, add a generous dollop of sour cream, top with a small ball.
  6. 6 Drizzle generously with berry jam and extra sour cream. Serve immediately.

Did You Know?

Papanași are always served in a stack — the large doughnut on the bottom, sour cream in the middle, and the small ball as a "hat" on top.

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/romanian/papanasi/