Crispy South Tyrolean Fritters

The crispy South Tyrolean fritters are a typical dessert of the Trentino-South Tyrol region in Italy, particularly appreciated during the Carnival period. Here is the recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 250 ml of milk
• 20 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 50 g of sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 50 g of melted butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• Grated lemon zest (to taste)
• Seed oil for frying
• Icing sugar for garnishing

Preparation

1. Start by dissolving the brewer’s yeast in warm milk.
2. In a bowl, pour the flour and make a well in the middle. Add in the center the eggs, the sugar, the melted butter, the milk with the dissolved yeast, a pinch of salt, and if desired, the grated lemon zest.
3. Knead vigorously until you get a smooth and elastic dough. If the dough is too sticky, you can add a little flour, but be careful not to overdo it so as not to harden the fritters.
4. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in volume.
5. Once leavened, take the dough and with the help of two spoons create portions to fry.
6. Heat plenty of seed oil in a deep pan, and when it is hot (but not smoking), fry the dough portions until they become golden and crispy.
7. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
8. Serve them hot, sprinkling with icing sugar.

Curiosity

A beloved variant of these fritters includes the addition of diced apples to the dough, which gives a pleasant contrast of texture and flavor. In this case, the fritters are called “South Tyrolean apple fritters” or “Apfelkrapfen”.

Remember that these fritters are perfect to enjoy in company and are ideal to warm up the cold winter days. Happy preparation and above all, bon appétit!