Verwuerelter are Luxembourg’s iconic knot-shaped carnival donuts. You’ll find them in every bakery throughout Fuesent – but it’s even better to make them yourself!
Makes 45 – Prep 1h – Resting 2h – A little effort
500g flour
42g fresh yeast
120g sugar
125ml milk, lukewarm
80g butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1⁄4 tsp salt
40ml rum
2kg fat for deep-frying
To serve:
icing sugar
cinnamon
damson jam (Quetschekraut)
For the ‘starter’, put the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crumble the yeast into a jar and mix with the lukewarm milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar until diluted. Pour the yeasty milk into the well, making sure that the liquid doesn’t spill too far out of the well.
Stir the milk mix inside the well with a bit of flour from the sides so that you get a loose dough. Sprinkle with a bit of flour from the sides of the well.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes, add the remaining sugar, butter, eggs and salt to the ‘starter’ and mix with the kneading attachment of an electric hand or stand mixer. Once the dough starts to come together, add the rum and work into a smooth dough, using your hands if needed.
Cover the bowl with the tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, take the dough out of the bowl and put on a floured surface. Knock the dough back by briefly kneading it, then roll out to 1 cm thick.
Cut the dough into long strips of approximately 10 x 2 cm. Tie each strip into a loose knot and place onto a baking tray. Cover the knots with a dry tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
While the knots are rising, heat the oil to 180°C in a deep-fat fryer (without the basket) or in a deep saucepan.
Fry the knots in batches so the fryer does not get overcrowded and there is enough room for all the knots to float on the surface. Fry for 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes on one side until well browned, then turn them over to brown the other side.
Remove the baked knots with a slotted spoon and put onto kitchen paper to drain some of the oil.
Just before serving, mix the icing sugar with some cinnamon and sprinkle over the Verwuerelter. Serve with damson jam on the side.
TIP: These Verwuerelter freeze incredibly well. Just freeze them on the day of making without the icing sugar and reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds.
Recipe by Anne’s Kitchen.
