Papanasi: the simple step-by-step recipe

Papanașii, a typical Romanian dessert, are known for their unique texture, either fluffy and slightly crunchy on the outside (if you prepare them according to the fried papanași recipe), or soft and delicate (when you boil them). Their taste is an irresistible combination of fresh cottage cheese, tart jams and rich, melt-in-your-mouth cream.

In this article you will find the original recipes of the Papanas as they appear in Romanian cookbooks - the same recipes that your mother or grandmother probably learned to cook. Try the fluffy papanasi, decadently covered with cream and jams, or the delicate ones, sweetened with toasted breadcrumbs, and let yourself be carried away by the flavors of childhood and the sweet memories of the kitchen at home!

Boiled papanași recipe

The recipe for traditional boiled papanasi is the one with cow's cheese, eggs, flour, semolina and fried breadcrumbs sprinkled at the end. There are many variants of boiled papanasi recipes, in which only the quantities differ. The simplest papanasi recipe with sweet cheese is the one from Sanda Marin's cookbook, which we will reproduce below.

Ingredients:

• 250 g of cottage cheese;
• 2 eggs;
• 2 tablespoons of flour;
• 2 tablespoons of semolina;
• toasted breadcrumbs;
• high.

Preparation method:

Mix the ingredients until you get a composition of the right consistency, neither too soft nor too hard. Take the mixture with a spoon and, with your hands sprinkled with flour, form small round dumplings. Flatten them gently in the palms of your hands and make a hole in the middle to make cooking easier.

Boil the papanasi in a large pot of boiling water and a pinch of salt. After they are done, remove them with a slotted spoon, drain well and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle breadcrumbs previously browned in the pan and mixed with sugar to taste on top.

A variant of fluffy papanasi is the one from the cookbook written by Nicolae and Iulia Olexiuc, from the '80s-'90s, according to which our mothers used to cook, where the egg whites are whipped separately and added at the end.

Recipe for fluffy papanasi with sweet cheese

Ingredients:

• 600g cheese
• 200 g flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
• 100 g
• 100 g griș
• 250 g sour cream

Preparation method:

The cottage cheese is passed through a sieve or well-mashed until it becomes homogeneous. Add 150 g of flour, semolina, egg yolks, and beaten egg whites, mixing well. The mixture is divided into small pieces, shaped into flattened balls, coated in flour, and boiled in salted boiling water.

The papanasi are ready when they rise to the surface, but leave a few more bubbles. Remove with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with hot butter and serve warm with cream.

Whichever recipe for boiled papanasi you choose, don't forget a few basic rules:

• the cheese must be fresh and well drained of the whey;
• don't rush, do a test first: throw a papanas to the boil and wait to see how it rises; if it is too soft, add a yolk and some flour to the mixture;
• you can add flavors to the composition, such as grated lemon peel and vanilla sugar in the cheese composition or cinnamon in the breadcrumbs.

If you want to stir the pot while cooking, don't touch the papanas as they will crumble. Better shake the pot gently so it doesn't stick to the bottom. And when the papanasi rise to the surface, leave them on a low heat, gently, for another 10-15 minutes, to cook well on the inside.

Fried papanași recipe

The variant of fried papanasi is presented very simply in Sanda Marin's cookbook, and we present it here as well.

Ingredients:

• 300 g cottage cheese
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 3 egg whites, beaten until foamy
• high

Preparation method:

The cheese is well mixed in a pot with the egg yolks, flour, and a pinch of salt, until it becomes a homogeneous paste. Finally, the beaten egg whites are carefully added, gently mixing to keep the mixture airy.

From the obtained mixture, take with a spoon and shape the doughnuts with your floured hands, so they don't stick. Fry them in hot oil until they are nicely browned. They are served hot, with a generous layer of sour cream on top. Optionally, you can add a spoonful of jam or jelly of blueberries, sour cherries, or strawberries.

In the version of the master chef Nicolae Olexiuc (or simply, Colea), the fried papanasi become fluffier and tastier by adding sodium bicarbonate and sugar.

Papanas fried with baking soda

Ingredients:

• 600 g cottage cheese
• 200 g flour
• 3 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 2 g baking soda
• high
• 100ml oil

Preparation method:

Drain the cheese well from the whey and mix with 150 g of flour, the egg yolks, the bicarbonate (or baking powder) and a pinch of salt. Whip the egg whites with the sugar and incorporate gently, with slow movements, so as not to lose the air in the composition.

Shape the round patties, dust them with flour and flatten them slightly. If you prefer to cut the papanasi shapes from the dough, reduce the amount of cheese to 400 g, add only 2 eggs and add another 100 g of flour.

Fry the papanasi with sweet cheese in hot oil until golden and crispy. After frying, put them in the oven, with the door open, for 10-15 minutes, so that they penetrate well. They are served sprinkled with sugar and cream.

Baked papanasi recipe or papanasi pudding

Speaking of baking papanasi in the oven, we find in the book of Elisabeta Ciortan, one of the forerunners of modern Romanian cuisine, together with Sanda Marin, a recipe for baked papanasi that we reproduce below.

Ingredients:

• ½ kg cottage cheese
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of semolina
• 1 large glass of sour cream
• 2 tablespoons flour
• high
• breadcrumbs, for sprinkling the pan
• grated cheese, for serving

Preparation method:

The cottage cheese is passed through a sieve or crumbled well with a fork, until it becomes fine. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each one, then the semolina, flour and a pinch of salt, until the composition becomes homogeneous.

Three-quarters of this mixture is used to form the papanas: small pieces, like dumplings, are taken with a spoon and placed in boiling water. They boil until they rise to the surface, then you let them boil for 1-2 more and remove them with the foam. Put them in a form greased with butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

You will put a layer of boiled papanași, then one from the remaining mixture, to which you have added 3 tablespoons of sour cream, and continue this way until there is a layer of papanași on top. Bake in the oven at a moderate heat until it turns a nice golden brown. Serve the warm baked papanași pudding with plenty of sour cream that we can deliver to you within 24 hours, in a bucket, and grated cheese.

Lenten papanasi recipe with potatoes (snacks)

Papanașii are one of the most beloved Romanian desserts, but you should know that in some areas of the country, they also make fasting papanași with potatoes instead of cheese. They are also called toci, and regarding the taste, of course, it is different, but no less delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg potatoes
• 4 eggs
• 100 g flour
• 3 g bicarbonate
• 50 g
• high
• oil for frying

Preparation method:

Peel the potatoes, give them a fine grater and squeeze them well of the juice they leave, to obtain a drier composition. Add the eggs, melted butter, flour, baking soda and salt, then mix until smooth.

From the obtained mixture, take a spoon and put it in the pan with hot oil, forming small pies. Fry them on both sides until golden and crispy. Continue frying in batches, without crowding the pan. As soon as they are ready, take out the papanas and place them in a bowl with a lid, where you keep them warm for 10-15 minutes.

Serve them hot, with cream or a sauce of your choice.

Papanasi recipe with polenta

If you haven't prepared papanași before, you might be wondering whether to use cheese or telemea in the composition. In the traditional papanași recipe, sweet cow cheese is used, preferably made at home (from milk curdled with lemon), very well drained of whey. However, in the Gastronomic Guide of Romania, I discovered a rustic version of papanași, with polenta and telemea, reminiscent of the flavors of old.

Ingredients:

• 250 g cornmeal
• 1 liter of milk
• 200 g cow's milk cheese
• 20 g
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 100 g sour cream
• 100ml oil
• High

Preparation method:

Start by pouring the milk into a pot, add a teaspoon of salt and put it on the fire. While the milk is heating, pour the cream into the mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Grate the telemeau, and leave the butter at room temperature to soften.

When the milk is well cooked and the composition has thickened, add the grated cheese and a spoonful of soft butter. Mix well, until everything is homogenized, and let the composition cool a little, enough to work with it.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs into a foam in one plate, and put the two tablespoons of breadcrumbs in another. With moistened hands, form patties from the polenta mixture, pass them through beaten egg and then through breadcrumbs. Heat the oil well in a pan and brown the papanasi on both sides, until they get a golden and crispy crust.

Serve warm as an appetizer with a generous dollop of sour cream on top.

Try each papanasi recipe with patience and respect the original ingredients - that's the only way you'll get the authentic doughnuts, just like at home. Avoid substitutes: semolina should not be replaced with flour or breadcrumbs, and fresh cottage cheese should not be replaced with ricotta or other more watery cheeses. Thus, you will enjoy fluffy and tasty papanasi, just like in the sweetest memories.