Description
Papanasi are a beloved Romanian dessert featuring golden, soft cheese donuts made from Twarog or ricotta. They are served warm with velvety crème fraîche and a drizzle of tangy blueberry syrup. This traditional Romanian sweet cheese offers a combination of rustic comfort and indulgent flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 g Twarog cheese (or ricotta or cottage cheese)
- 300 g flour
- 2 eggs
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1.5 cups crème fraîche (or sour cream or yogurt)
- 1.5 cups blueberry syrup (or blueberry jam thinned with water)
- 2 cups sunflower oil or neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the flour and baking powder, stirring until a soft, pliable dough forms that is easy to handle but not sticky.
- Divide the dough into portions and shape each into a round donut with a small hole in the center. These are your Romanian cheese donuts.
- Heat sunflower oil in a deep pan to 175°C (350°F). For authentic papanasi, ensure the oil is at the correct temperature.
- Fry the sweet cheese dumplings in batches until golden brown on both sides, usually about 2–3 minutes per side.
- Remove the fried cheese pastries and drain them on paper towels to remove any excess oil.
- To serve, top each warm donut with a generous spoonful of crème fraîche and drizzle them with blueberry syrup. This is how to make papanasi with their classic toppings.
- Serve the traditional Romanian dessert immediately while still warm and slightly crisp on the outside.
Notes
- Papanasi are best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the oven at 160°C (325°F) for 5–7 minutes.
- Use ricotta or well-drained cottage cheese as substitutions if Twarog cheese is unavailable. This is a common variation for homemade papanasi.
- For a lighter twist on these sweet Romanian fried dough, you can bake them in a doughnut pan at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes instead of frying.
- Experiment with different syrups like raspberry, cherry, or strawberry for varied flavors on your Romanian donut with cheese filling.
- Ensure the cheese is not too wet; if it is, drain it through cheesecloth before mixing to maintain the dough’s consistency. This helps prevent greasy papanasi cheese fritters.
- To avoid greasy results, make sure the oil is hot enough before frying and avoid overcrowding the pan.
- You can prepare the papanasi dough a few hours in advance and refrigerate it until you are ready to fry the sweet cheese donuts.
- Sunflower oil is recommended for its neutral flavor, but other neutral oils like canola or vegetable oil also work well for frying.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: Romanian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut with toppings
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 70mg