Deep Fried Cookie Recipe: Possibly Austrian or Hungarian
Hi All,
I had a near disaster yesterday: tried to make a cookie my Hungarian grandmother made a long time ago. She pronounced it DEE DEE GROMPHIN During whatever war was raging and who won, she recounted going daily by horse and wagon (late 1800's) across a border to be schooled in German, by law. That's why I think she could have been Austrian or Hungarian: Spoke German all her life, but Hungarian when she didn't want the children (my mother, et al) to know what was being said. Lots of eggs or egg yolks: can't remember. I GOOGLED and found this (dreadful) recipe:
4 C flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 3 eggs, dash salt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp water. Roll the dough out, cut into 2 x 4 rectangular strips, put a hole iin the center, turn inside out. Drop in deep friyer and fry until they float or are golden brown. Came from Cooks.com. Believe it or not, the recipe did not give directions for mixing/kneading. I kneaded a lot: maybe too much? But this didn't seem like a pie crust recipe. Maybe egg yolks instead of whole eggs? The full cup sugar seems like a lot, and maybe contributed to a dough that fell to pices when I tried to shape it. The taste wnd texture were barely adequate: nothing like I remember Grandma's.
Anyone here have a good recipe for such a cookie? I realize that just about every nationality has some version of a deep fried cookie. I am looking for a tender, eggy cookie, the dough of which can be nandled without breaking when formed in free form shape.
Gunnersbury
That's a Norwegian (I think) fried cookie. It's been a long time, but I remember them as being similar to what you are describing. Lots of recipes on the 'net, but I can't advise as to which might be better than another.
Happy hunting!
Paul
Thank you, Paul. My wife, who passed away, was Norwegian, and I remember some fine desserts and cookies from those North Dakota days.
The German calls it elephant ear, I have a simple version that I shared with my friend, he tried it and put it in his Sunday Bunch in the dessert table.
You buy one packet of egg roll wrap (skin) in the Chinese Store, cut the skin in half, start with half the skin, cut/spilt in the middle, do not cut it through the top and the bottom, you will have an opening in the middle of the skin, flap one of the side (top or bottom) over the opening to shape it then deep fry the skins in hot oil for a few minutes until golden but not too brown, drain the cooked egg roll skin on the paper to absolve the oil. When it cool, sprinkle with honey and powder sugar. This is a better and easier dessert cookies to make. Most the comments from his customers think it is the best Elephant ears they had.
That is a shortcut I never would have come up with. If I don't find the recipe, I will try this. I guess the oil should be about 350 deg F
Gunnersbury
Yes, 350 F and he put the cooked elephant ears in a clean paper bag over night. The problem is you can't stop eat it.
siuflower
My mother used to make these at xmas time . She used to hide them so they would make it through the holidays. They are called crostoli in north east Italy.
ingredients
3 eggs
3 tbsp sugar
30g melted butter
milk
rum
grated lemon
pinch of salt
00 flour(as much as needed for a non sticky dough)or all purpose flour
method
flour pieces and run through a pasta machine until paper thin. Cut into random strips with a slit in the centre. Deep fry a few at a time as they cook in seconds each side. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with granulated sugar while warm
Yes, This sounds like a recipe I can do. I even have the pasta roller attachment for my KitchenAid. The flour amount: I am not that experienced to simply estimate by the feel. How may cups should I start with? I guess the dough will be very stiff. Need to refrigerate before rolling?
Thank you,
Gunnersbury
I usualy do about 1 1/2 cups of milk and rum, in total(squeeze a little lemon juice as well). Start with three cups of flour. The dough should be fairly soft and use flour so it doesn't stick when rolling it. The secret I have found is the thinner the better. I just made shortbread cookies with my cookie press., First batch spread too much..not enough flour..the second batch I corrected the flour and chilled the dough and they were perfect. One thing I have learned is spread sheets and numbers are only a guidline and you are the master. Merry xmas, and above all enjoy the challenge.
albert
Thank you so much. And I wish you a merry Christmas.
Yes, use a pasta roller. let me know how it works out
Albert
cover dough and put in fridge unil you ready to fry.
I live in Switzerland and they are in the bakeries and markets from December to March. They are usually eaten during Carnival. These cookies varies a little from country to country, but exist in Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and Switzerland. Probably other countries as well. There was just a post here from someone from Poland that had one almost like mine which are Italian. There are many different names for this cookie and ”Fritelle de Carnevale” is one of them eaten all over Italy during lent. The story and recipe are on my blog shown below.
I'm about to make them today for our Christmas Eve Biscotti Tray. They are delicious but dangerous as it is impossible to stop eating them.
http://turosdolci.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/a-cookie-that-speaks-to-you-chiacchiere/
You recalled a lovely memory for me. Zia Sylvia used to make these every Christmas. I remember her laying out clean sheets on every surface (the same sheets she used when making pasta all'ouvo), and then a couple of pans for frying on the stove. I was in charge of the powdered sugar. I just shook it all over the cookies with a strainer. Sweet memory. Grazie mille e buone feste.
I also lay them out all over the counter and table. I toss them lightly in a bag filled with confectionary sugar, this really coveres them.
Buoune feste anche a lei
Great blog, and such a nice story about these cookies. Do you think this dough recipe will go through a pasta machine roller? Would be quite a bit easier if so.
I believe that one test of a great food is just how many variants thee are, all over the world. This deep fried cookie certainly qualifies.
Thank you! And Merry Christmas!
Gunnersbury
I just made them this afternoon and I always use a pasta machine. However, I usually roll them out on about 2 and 4 and them hand roll them. They should be very thin. Very easy to make, just takes a little time and once you have made them you will be able to judge how thin to make them. This dough is not dry, you will have to add just a little flour as you are working it. They last a long time if you store them in a paper bag.
Merry Christmas and I hope you add them to your desserts.
My Hungarian/Czech mother would use a recipe much like PELOSOFAMILY's, but substitute almost all of the butter for sour cream. She used about 2/3 sour cream and 1/3 butter (no scientific measurements like most of the old-time cooks). She rolled these out by hand and I remember getting to turn them inside-out for her through the center hole and dropping them in the hot oil. She'd skim them out when fried and put them into a brown paper bag with powdered sugar to coat them. They never lasted very long before being eaten. She'd also make fried plum/prune dumplings in the hot oil (she usually used a prune in the middle of the dumpling) and roll these in powdered sugar as well. And I wonder why I struggle to keep the weight off...
The sour cream sounds really interesting. I'll have to try it next time as I just made a batch for Christmas already. I think most European counties probably have some version of this cookie.
In Italy these dumplings as you mention are called zeppole. I have a recipe for them and will post them soon on my blog. My grandmother also made these not just at Christmas but during the year. They are made with different fruits in our case apples and raisins. But I have seen them made in Italy with plums also. I would like to try them with plums or prunes, I think they would be wonderful in zeppole. These come from Naples and were and still are a street food.
Yes, those are just how my Mom's looked--for a nanosecond before we devoured them! Those fried dumplings were also one of my favorites--interesting how so many recipes are so similar with minor adjustments for regions and availability of foods. We are all kin when it comes to good food and good baking, I believe. Merry Christmas to you and happy baking!
Hi Gunnersbury,
I know it's been quiet a while you posted this. Have you found the one?
If not, I might can help.
yeah you can use that but if you are not able you can use cumin substitutes in your recipe!