Strauben (Tyrolean fritters)

Name: Strauben (Tyrolean fritters)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: Eggs medium 2; Type 00 flour 2 ¼ cups; Whole milk ¼ cup; Blond beer 0.8 cup; Grappa 2 tsp; Fine salt 1 pinch; Sugar 5 tbsp; Peanut seed oil 4 ¼ cups; Powdered sugar to taste; Currant jam to taste

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Makes: 5 pezzi
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Strauben are delicious traditional German and Austrian desserts, each family cherishes their own recipe. You can taste them in Trentino and South Tyrol during fairs, village festivals, or major holidays like Christmas or Carnival. They are beloved fried sweets: large spiral fritters, served with a dusting of powdered sugar and red currant or berry jam. The preparation of strauben is a ritual, involving simple yet skillful gestures, specific tools, and special ingredients. The batter used can vary from village to village or even within the same families: some use only grappa, some add beer to the dough (or both, as we did), for instance. Some omit milk, and others make the shapes more irregular instead of a tight and dynamic spiral. In any case, the batter obtained, quite fluid almost like that of crepes, is gradually poured into a typical funnel that allows the batter to be evenly and controlledly poured into the hot oil. Whether you enjoy them as a dessert after a hearty meal or as a street snack while exploring the picturesque towns and villages of the region, strauben are a delicacy that will make you fall in love with traditional cuisine. Discover other typical regional desserts here:

Kaiserschmarren
Apple Strudel
South Tyrolean Crispy Fritters

INGREDIENTS

Eggs 2 - medium

Type 00 flour 2 ¼ cups (270 g)

Whole milk ¼ cup (60 g)

Blond beer 0.8 cup (200 g)

Grappa 2 tsp (10 g)

Fine salt 1 pinch

Sugar 5 tbsp (70 g)

for frying: Peanut seed oil 4 ¼ cups (1 l)

for sprinkling: Powdered sugar to taste; Currant jam to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Strauben (Tyrolean fritters)

To prepare the strauben, start by adding the flour, sugar 1, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Then add the milk 2 and the grappa 3.

Mix with a whisk, then also add the beer 4. After mixing, lastly, add the slightly beaten eggs 5. Continue mixing to get a smooth batter without lumps 6. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge.

Heat the oil for frying to 356°F using a thermometer. Use a high-sided pot about 9.5 inches in diameter, then fill the specific funnel for strauben with the batter 8 (alternatively, you can use a regular funnel and control the opening with your finger). Let the batter flow to form a spiral starting from the outside 9.

Then form concentric circles 10, it doesn't matter if they are not regular. The spiral will have a diameter of about 8.66 inches. Let it fry in the hot oil for about 2-3 minutes, turn the fritter 11, and complete the frying 12. Continue this way until you finish the batter.