Jam donuts is the German recipe, it has many names, depending on the region in Germany. Krapfen, Kreppel, Berliner and Pfankuchen are common names.
Ingredients
- 500g / (4 1/2 cups) plain all-purpose flour (Type 450)
- 1 packet dried yeast
- 30g (3 tablespoons) sugar
- 100g (1/2 cup) butter
- 1 level teaspoon salt
- 3 drops vanilla essence
- 125ml (1/2 cup) milk
- 2 medium eggs
- icing sugar to cover the Kreppel
- 300g strawberry, raspberry or plum jam
- frying oil
Method:
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add the dried yeast and mix well
- Melt the butter in warm milk, but don’t cook the milk
- Add the milk-butter mixture, sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla essence to the flour
- Stir with a mixer at low level until ingredients are combined, then mix at high level for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in volume (about 30 to 60 minutes)
- Remove the dough from the bowl, sprinkle with flour, knead it briefly form 16 balls of about the same size
- Put the balls onto a floured tea towel, cover with another towel and let the balls rise for 15 to 30 minutes, they must visibly increase in size
- Meanwhile heat the frying oil to 180°C / 350°F
- Put the balls in the hot oil (they shouldn’t touch each other) and fry from both sides until they are golden brown
- Remove the cooked kreppel with a spoon and drain on paper towels
- Mix the jam until smooth, fill into a piping bag or decorating pen with a long tip, pipe the jam into the Kreppel
Preparing Kreppel is not difficult, but it needs patience to let the dough rise twice. So don’t hurry.