Schenkeli
A traditional Swiss dessert during carnival time – Schenkeli, a deep-fried treat! With a crisp, brown crust, a soft and cake-like middle, and a hint of orange, they taste like orange cake – just deep-fried.
If you are wondering what Schenkeli means, it literally means ‘Little Thighs.’ The Swiss have some interesting names for their baked goods. For example, have you heard of Totebeinli – ‘Dead Legs’? Creepy name delicious taste. I’m excited to share that recipe with you all soon!
Some other traditional Swiss recipes are Sunday Bread – Zopf, Homemade Granola – Müesli.
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How to fry them
Use an oil with a high smoke point. I usually use vegetable oil for frying. It’s essential that the oil gets heated up to the exact right temperature. The perfect frying temperature for these Schenkeli is 180°C (350°F).
If the oil gets too hot, the dough will brown too fast and start to burn on the surface before it cooks through, leaving the Schenkelli raw on the inside.
Does the oil get too cold, the crust forms slowly, allowing the dough to soak up a lot more fat, and the Schenkeli becomes greasy.
If you don’t have a food thermometer, you can put the edge of a wooden spoon into the oil, and if the oil instantly starts to create little bubbles around the spoon, the oil is ready!
E Guete (Bon appétit)!! Don’t forget to share some pictures with me and tell me how you liked these Schenkeli. It would make my day if you tag @mirjamskitchenyodel on Instagram, share on Facebook or pin on Pinterest.
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Schenkeli
Ingredients
Dough
- 100 g Sugar
- 50 g Milk
- 50 g Butter melted
- 1 Orange zest
- 2 g Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 400 g All-purpose flour
- 7 g Baking powder
Instructions
Dough
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan or in the microwave.
- Add the melted butter, sugar, milk, and orange zest to the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Then with a spoon, give it a quick stir.
- Next, add salt and eggs.
- Combine the flour and baking powder and add them to the wet ingredients.
- Mix them all into a dough. Don't mix for too long!
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for one hour.
Form
- Cut the chilled dough into 3-4 sections and roll each section into ½ inch (2cm) thick strings. Push out any air pockets. If the dough breaks and is crumbly, add a little milk to it to make it smooth and easy to roll out.
- Cut each string into 3½-4 inch (8-9cm) long pieces and place them on parchment paper.
Fry
- Pour the vegetable oil into a large pan and heat it to 180°C or 350°F. If you don’t have a food thermometer, you can put a wooden spoon in the oil, and if the oil instantly starts to create small bubbles around the spoon, the oil is ready!
- Carefully place 5-6 Schenkeli at a time (depending on the size of your pot) into the oil. Fry them for about two minutes or until golden brown; flip them now and then. They will sink to the bottom of the pan at first but float after a few seconds.
- With a skimmer carefully take the Schenkeli out of the oil and onto a papertowel.
