Books & Spoons MAYDAY, MAY DAY, MUNKKI DAY

1/5/2015

Happy May Day!!
Can't believe it is May already, it felt like just yesterday when I was having that waffle-brownie mess in my kitchen over New Year!
Well, there's no mess now, but just a whole lot of sugar. One of the traditions in Finland, where I'm originally from, is to make these 'munkki' over the May Day celebration. Ah, I still remember watching from the distance with fascination as my mom made these when I was a kid. There was just something about the deep fried pastry that pulled me. Maybe it was just that mom told us to stay away - hot oil and five kids don't mix - but I loved these as a kid, and they still make me smile. So here is the recipe for the MUNKKI, a perfect mix of doughnut and sweet yeast roll deep fried and rolled in sugar.
Hope you have a great May Day, and have some bubbly with the munkki
~ Cheers!

MUNKKI

50g / 1.7 oz     yeast
5 dl / 17 oz      milk
2                     eggs
2 tsp               salt
1 tbsp             cardamom
~ 1 kg / 2,2 lb flour
1,5 dl / 5 oz     liquid or very soft butter

1 liter / 4 cups canola oil
sugar for coating

1 Mix the yeast with lukewarm milk.
2 Add the eggs, sugar, spices, and some of the flour.
3 Mix the dough until smooth.
4 Add gradually the rest of the flour to the dough until the dough comes off the edges of the bowl.
5 Add the soft butter.

6 Let the dough rise under a cloth in a draft-free place until doubled.
7 Form the dough into small balls.
8 Set buns on a baking tray with baking paper. Raise under a towel for about 30 min.

9 Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed steel saucepan.
The oil is hot enough (170 - 180 C / 340 F degrees), if a piece of white bread becomes golden brown 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to overheat the oil.
10 Fry a few at a time.
11 Turn halfway through cooking.
12 Set the pastries on a paper towel to crease drip
13 Roll the pastries in the sugar while still warm.

The amount of oil used for cooking depends on the size of the pot / boiler.

* Have a cover/lid close to the stove in the event that the oil gets too hot or water gets into the hot oil

You can make a hole with your finger into the dough ball before frying, stretch the hole a little bigger. This will make the pastry to cook more evenly and faster