(pronounced like “fas not keek gells”)
Sara’s decision to make fastnacht kuecheles was the result of a recipe contest Harvest House Publishers offered on www.amishreader.com. Rhonda Bergsten sent in the winning recipe and added this note:
This German recipe has been in our family for years. It was always made during the Lenten season. When I was a little girl, I watched my German grandma make this recipe every year on Shrove Tuesday (or what some might call Mardi Gras Tuesday), the day before the beginning of Lent. I was always amazed when I watched these little “cakes” fry in the hot oil. The sugar coating and the nutmeg in the batter made these a special family treat each spring. They became a fast favorite in my very own family years later.
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
¼ cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons butter (¼ cup)
⅜ cup sugar (6 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, scalded and cooled
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
4–5 cups flour
Oil for frying (such as vegetable oil)
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set mixture aside to begin to rise.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and ⅜ cup sugar. Then add the salt, milk, nutmeg, and egg.
Now, add the yeast and water mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Continue to add 4–5 cups flour—enough to make a soft dough.
Cover the bowl and let dough rise until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour). When doubled, take the dough out and place on a floured board. Roll out the dough until it is ½ inch thick. Cut into round shapes. Gently pull the dough so the center of each circle is much thinner than the outer edges.
Place each round on a floured surface and cover with a cloth. Let rise for 30 more minutes while you get the oil ready to fry.
Heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep frying pan. Fry a few of the rounds at a time in the hot oil, turning each when golden brown. Then remove and allow to drain on brown paper bags (that is what grandma always used to do). Dip each one in granulated sugar when ready to eat.