Moldovan papanași fried in a pan

Name: Moldovan papanași fried in a pan
Ingredients: 500 g cottage cheese (drained of whey); 3 eggs; 200 g flour; 100 g sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 packet baking powder (11 g); 1 small orange (zest only); 1 teaspoon rum extract; 4 tablespoons oil; 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Dessert - Moldovan papanași fried in a pan by Miruna L. - Recipia

Moldovan papanași (fried cottage cheese dumplings) are pieces of dough fried in oil and dusted with sugar. They are usually served warm, as a dessert, and they also travel well to a picnic if you take them in a container with a lid. I use the driest cottage cheese I can find, because that keeps the dough soft but still easy to shape. Prep: 20 minutes. Cooking: 24 minutes. Rest: 10 minutes. Total time: 54 minutes. Servings: 4. About 565 kcal and 24 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

500 g cottage cheese (drained of whey)
3 eggs
200 g flour
100 g sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet baking powder (11 g)
1 small orange (zest only)
1 teaspoon rum extract
4 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preparation

1. In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 teaspoon of salt, then add 100 g of sugar and whisk until it dissolves. 2. Add the cottage cheese and mix well. Sift the flour with the baking powder over the mixture, then add the rum extract and the grated orange zest. 3. Mix until smooth and you get a soft dough that is easy to shape. Cover it and leave it for 10 minutes. 4. With wet hands, take pieces of dough a little bigger than a walnut, shape them into rounds and then flatten them. 5. Put 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the first papanași and leave them for 4 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Turn them with a spatula and leave them for 4 more minutes on the other side. 6. Fry the rest of the dough in the same oil, in the same pan, in two batches, 4 minutes on each side. 7. Transfer the papanași to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. 8. Dust them with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

Papanași keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, covered, and are reheated in a pan over low heat. If they brown quickly on the outside and stay raw in the middle, lower the heat and leave them longer on each side. Rum extract can be replaced with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract if you don't want alcohol. Papanași contain gluten, dairy and eggs. They are best eaten warm, with sour cream and sour cherry jam, and those who don't have jam can add honey.