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Sicilian Krapfen are donuts or doughnuts, simply called Graffe or Krapfen in Sicilian dialect, are part of Sicilian pastries-baked goods, although they have German origins.
This dessert, very common in Italy, differs from area to area, both in the name and, in some cases, also in the ingredients for the dough and the filling.
They’re also called “bomboloni” (i.e. donuts ) in the central and southern regions of Italy, and krapfen in the north of Italy. The classic filling is the custard in Palermo, although today it is easy to find them filled with Nutella or ricotta cheese cream!
Sicilian Donuts, just like the German Krapfen are made from a simple deep-fried dough, filled packed with custard, and finished off with a dusting of powdered sugar!
What you need to make Italian doughnuts
When making bomboloni, the crucial ingredients are:
- Fresh milk and lard– these doughnuts are from a region known for its wonderful dairy products, so the fresher the milk and lard you use, the more it will taste like the original recipe. You can substitute the lard with high quality butter.
- Organic oranges – for the zest, it is always a good idea to use organic oranges or lemons that are not treated with pesticides or other chemicals.
- Manitoba flour – this is actually a flour that is high in gluten which works best for this recipe, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour.
- Farm fresh eggs – to ensure the best, freshest taste.
- Fresh vegetable oil – best to use a clean oil, like sunflower oil
What equipment does making doughnuts require?
The easiest way to make the krapfen dough is with a stand mixer like a kitchenAid, to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and to save your arms from having to knead the dough. It is important to use a thermometer to check the temperature which should be between 165/175°C!
How to make pastry cream filling and other filling options
All over Italy, the main filling you will find in bomboloni is pastry cream or custard (crema pasticciera in Italian), which can be vanilla or lemon cream or chocolate flavored. To make pastry cream, you just need egg yolks, sugar, flour, milk and a dash of either vanilla or lemon rind zest. The ingredients get slowly mixed together and then heated until just boiling and then the cream is left to cool before using it to fill your krapfen doughnuts. Other fillings you can find in Italy are all kinds of jams and jellies and nutella.
Are krapfen and jelly donuts the same thing?
As you probably know, the typical American doughnut has a hole in the middle, but the European doughnut is an exception to this rule and instead of a hole they are filled with jelly or custard.
In Sicily Krapfen, also called bomboloni or Graffe in Naples, are Italian doughnuts with origins that go back hundreds of years. There are many different hypotheses about who invented krapfen, but the most popular seems to be either a baker in Berlin, which would explain the German name “Berliner” for these doughnuts, or a pastry chef from Vienna named Krapf, after which the krapfen are said to be named. Either way, these scrumptious jelly or cream filled bomboloni are a sugary treat you can make at home following this step-by-step recipe.
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Sicilian Krapfen
Ingredients
For the brioche dough:
For the custard:
Instructions
For the custard:
In a saucepan add the milk, lemon zest and vanilla
Turn on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally
Pour the egg yolks, sugar and rice starch into another saucepan
With the help of a soft whisk, mix until you obtain a smooth and creamy consistency
Add the boiling milk with the egg yolks into the saucepan 3 times, filtering it with a strainer
Mix continuously with a whisk
Put it back on the heat and stir continuously until it thickens
To cool it quickly, take the bowl previously added to the freezer and pour in the cream
Mix very quickly with a whisk, until the cream reaches 50°C, below the cooking point. It is necessary to have a smooth and very shiny cream
The custard is ready!
You can use it or store it in the fridge by covering it with cling film.
For the brioche dough:
Add the flour, sugar, honey, yeast, baking powder, orange zest, egg and milk to the bowl of the food processor.
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Mix at level 2 for about 8 minutes.
Add the soft butter or lard and salt and mix for other 6 minutes at level 3
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The dough is ready when it detaches easily from the sides of the bowl and is slightly sticky
Make 2-3 folds (turning the dough on itself) and place it in a bowl. Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
After the dough has doubled in volume, you can start making balls of 60g each
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Let them rest for another 20 minutes in a warm place.
Press lightly on the center of each dough and leave to rise for another hour in a warm place
Heat the vegetable or sunflower oil in a pot and bring the oil temperature to 165/170 degrees
Insert the "discs" into the oil and cook them for 4 minutes each side
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Turn them gently and cook them evenly on the other side
Drain well with a spatula to remove excess oil
Place them on a plate with absorbent paper and let them cool slightly
Lightly coat them in sugar
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Using a piping bag filled with custard cream, fill the krapfen in the center, making a hole until you reach the surface
If you want you can also sprinkle some powdered sugar!
Your Sicilian Krapfen are ready! Enjoy! Buon Appetito! :)
Note
Sicilian donuts are definitely best enjoyed freshly made the day of. The custard, sugar, the freshness of the fried dough… it’s just best to eat them as soon as possible.
Should you have any left over Krapfen, you can store them in a sealed container to keep them somewhat moist. Otherwise, they will dry out and go stale.
Make sure to eat the Krapfen the next day!
