Malassadas- Traditional Carnival Pastries

Heat the milk lukewarm, put the flour in the mixing bowl, make a well in the middle. Pour lukewarm milk into it, add a little sugar to the milk, spread the rest around it. Add the yeast to the milk and mix with some of the flour. Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs together and set aside. Grate the zest of the organic lemon. Let the butter soften a little (room temperature).

Now knead the risen yeast porridge with the flour, add the eggs, lemon peel, butter and aguardente (schnapps;)), knead everything well until the dough is smooth, supple and no longer sticks to the bowl and hands. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour until it has twice its volume.

Fold the dough from the edge into the middle, cover from all sides, again and again and leave to rise again for 1-1.5 hours, until it again increases in volume.

Put the oil in a large saucepan and let it heat up slowly until it is ready to be fried. Approx. 160 ° C, or do the test with the handle of a wooden spoon. As soon as it throws bubbles around the stem, the oil is ready. Line the tray with paper kitchen towels to allow the pastries to drain. Prepare a bowl with sugar and, if necessary, cinnamon (to taste) to sprinkle with the pastries afterwards.

As soon as the dough and the oil are ready, you should briefly wet your hands with lukewarm water and take a piece of dough about the size of an egg and shape it with both hands by placing your thumbs in the middle of the piece and turning the Let the dough pull apart. The pastry should be thin in the middle and a little wider on the sides. Then put in the oil to fry. As soon as it is golden brown on one side, turn it and when it is ready on both sides, take it out and let it drain. Finally, sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture on all sides.

I only made half of the ingredients of the recipe, which resulted in 13 pieces of pastry with a diameter of approx. Because it always tastes fresh! You can of course also freeze it and then take it out if necessary.

Bon appetit !!! Bom Apetite !!!