Mini Curd Cheese Doughnuts

These mini curd cheese doughnuts are a personal favorite of mine when I need a quick yet impressive dessert. They aren't the classic Carnival "bombs" that proof for hours. They are light, delicate bite-sized treats that fry quickly and disappear from the plate even faster.

Thanks to a higher proportion of curd cheese, a smaller amount of flour, and properly whipped egg whites, they have an incredibly moist crumb. They are ideal with coffee when you just want a small sweet bite that tempts you to take "just one more" and then "one more" piece.

Mini Curd Cheese Doughnuts – why do I insist on Farina per Dolci flour? (A bit of chemistry)

You might be wondering: "Mari, isn't regular all-purpose flour enough?" Here, I must stand by the final doughnut, its structure, and its taste. Therefore, my answer is: "No. It's not enough. And the reason is chemistry." I've searched everywhere to find out what a flour substitution can cause and if I'm just imagining that they really are different after baking with a different flour.

Curd cheese is acidic (containing lactic acid). This acidity tends to "eat away" at the gluten in the flour. Regular all-purpose flour is simply different, and acidic curd cheese would disrupt its structure so much that the doughnuts could fall apart during frying or soak up too much oil.

However, Farina per Dolci flour has different properties. This means it has sufficient "strength reserve" to withstand the acidity of the curd cheese and keep the doughnut beautifully plump, while also being milled finely enough so the result is truly fluffy. I've tried many types of flour, and this one outperformed them all.

Tip from Mari

Recipe for Mini Curd Cheese Doughnuts

Ingredients

(for approx. 50 to 65 mini doughnuts)

• 250 g Soft curd cheese (block style) (or well-drained tub style)
• 3 Eggs, size M (separated into yolks and whites)
• 70 g Granulated sugar
• 10 g Vanilla sugar (or vanilla paste)
• Zest from 1/2 organic lemon (finely grated)
• 120 g Farina per Dolci – key for stability
• 40 g Semola Rimacinata (or fine semolina) – ensures crispiness
• 1 g Salt
• Oil for frying
• Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation

1. Liquid base mixture Separate the eggs. Place yolks in a bowl, add sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk into a pale foam. Then add the curd cheese and stir with a Danish whisk into a smooth cream.

2. Dry ingredients Stir Farina per Dolci flour and Semolina (or fine semolina) into the curd cheese base. A thick but still soft dough will form.

Tip from Mari

3. Whites (Secret to fluffiness) Whip the egg whites into a firm snow. Now set aside the mixer and take a dough scraper. Carefully fold the whites into the dough by "wrapping" them in, so you don't burst the air bubbles. This will make the doughnuts fluffy and light inside.

4. Resting Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. The Semolina needs time to absorb the moisture from the curd cheese. The dough will firm up and be much easier to work with.

5. Frying Heat oil in a deep pan to 165 to 170 °C. Using two teaspoons, form small dumplings or balls and place them into the oil. Do not fry too vigorously! If you don't have a digital thermometer, you risk the small doughnuts burning on the surface before they are cooked through. Fry until golden, approx. 2 to 4 minutes.

5. Serving Let the finished pieces drain for a moment on a paper towel and toss them in sugar while still warm. I surely don't need to add that all doughnuts taste best when freshly baked. 

Enjoy :-)

Mari