Tropfkrapfen (Drop Donuts)
Submitted by Bec
Traditional German drop donuts (Tropfkrapfen) made with a buttermilk batter, fried golden and dusted in powdered sugar. Crispy outside, tender and cakey within. Simple old-world charm.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minTropfkrapfen are the German grandmother’s answer to donut holes. No rolling, no cutting, no fancy equipment needed.
Just spoon a simple buttermilk batter enriched with egg yolks, butter, and a whisper of nutmeg into hot oil, and in minutes you get golden, puffed-up drop donuts with shatteringly crisp shells and soft, cakey centers.
A generous shower of powdered sugar while they are still warm is all the finishing they need.
These have been a staple of German home kitchens for generations, and once you taste why, you will understand the staying power.
Kitchen Tips
- Keep the oil at a steady temperature by frying just a few at a time. Overcrowding drops the heat and makes them greasy instead of crisp.
- Turn the donuts frequently so they brown evenly on all sides. They puff up round, so they tend to roll on their own.
- Drain them on paper towels and dust with powdered sugar immediately while the surface is still slightly sticky so the sugar clings.
- If you do not have buttermilk, stir a tablespoon of white vinegar into regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes as a substitute.
Ingredients
Directions
Cream the butter and sugar.
Stir in egg yolks and whole egg; blend.
In a separate bowl, sift all dry ingredients except the confectioners’ sugar; add to creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk.
Stir to mix all ingredients.
Cook by dropping spoonfulls of dough into 375 degree F deep vat.
Fry a few at a time, to keep vat temperature constant. Turn to brown on all sides.
Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
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