Croatian recipes: Krofna – Krafna

by croatiaweek
January 10, 2024
in Food & Wine

Krafna or Krofna

Krafna, or krofna, are especially popular during the winter carnival season in Croatia which is set to start.

The airy filled doughnuts are not just a carnival sweet though, although batches and batches will be made during January and February across Croatia, they are also enjoyed all year round. The most popular are filled with jam, chocolate or vanilla custard. You can even go a step further and coat them all in chocolate.

Here is a simple recipe (with video instructions below) to try. You can play around with the fillings and use your favourite.

Ingredients

Flour – 600 g
Yeast – 50 g
Sugar – 2 tablespoons
Butter – 150 g
Milk – 100 ml
Egg – 1
Egg yolk – 3
Lemon – 1/2 grated skin
Apricot jam / Nutella / Vanilla
Oil

Instructions

1. First, crush the butter into the flour with your hands. Add sugar, grate the lemon skin in, add one egg and 3 egg yolks, yeast mixture (which is a mix of a tablespoon of flour, yeast, 100 ml of warm milk and sugar – leave the mixture for 20 minutes to rise).

2. Using a mixer, stir and add milk at the same time. Add salt then more milk and keep mixing.

3. Sprinkle flour on a bench or board and then roll mixture to a thickness of 1 cm.

4. With a mould cut into circles (you can use a bowl).

5. On half of them, cut circles and put a tablespoon of jam /Nutella / or vanilla pudding on them. With the other halves that have nothing on, place on top like a sandwich.

6. With a smaller bowl or cup, cut again so that the mixture joins and the jam can not escape.

7. Sprinkle flour on top of the donuts, place a tea towel on top and leave for around 45 minutes so they can rise further.

8. In a pot with hot oil deep fry the donuts, making sure that the top side is first in the pot. Turn once golden brown and fry bottom side. Cover whilst cooking.

9. Once done sprinkle with icing sugar.

Some tips: make sure that no ingredients, or the space you are working in, is cold. That will prevent the donuts from rising.