Carnival celebrations and fried food belong together like Jack and Jill. Don’t you think so? If you’ve had too much to drink while partying, a deep-fried snack like this one here can save your life… or at least create the foundation for more drinking action, if necessary. Just kidding! You don’t have to drink any alcohol if you want to enjoy these delicious Mutzenmandeln. You can eat them completely sober all year round if you want!
This year’s carnival (aka. Fasching or Fasnet as it is called at home) is a little bit different than usual thanks to COVID. The usual celebrations and parades have all been canceled this year. For the non-celebrating Berliners and Hamburgers, for example, no great loss, because nothing would have happened here anyway. In the Rhine-Main area, Bavaria, and at home, at Lake Constance, it’s a whole different story. I guess some will be quite depressed due to canceled parties. No dressing up as slutty nurse or slutty lumberjacks, no dancing to German “Schlager” or “Volksmusik”, no singing of tacky songs… nothing. Well, at least not with large crowds. You can do all of that at home alone or with one other person… that’s it right now.
To avoid depression with this whole situation and the lousy weather, I got some delicious deep-fried calories for you. Donuts, quark balls, funnel cakes, cream puffs or these Mutzenmandeln here – these deep-fried sweet treats can all lift your mood (and increase your weight). The easiest way to improve your mood is making mutzenmandeln. They are super easy to prepare and done in no time. No need for a yeast dough or choux pastry – most deep-fried treats are normally made with these kinds of doughs. Mutzenmandeln are made with a simple shortcrust pastry that is shaped into teardrops or something that looks like big almonds. Easy as that.
5 practical tips for frying (German) Mutzenmandeln
Keep the oil temperature constant
The ideal oil temperature is around 170–175°C (340–350°F). If the oil is too hot, the Mutzenmandeln will darken on the outside and remain raw inside. If the oil is too cold, they will absorb too much oil. A kitchen thermometer is a good idea here.
Don’t fry too many at once
Add the Mutzenmandeln to the oil in small batches. Too many at once will cause the temperature to drop suddenly, resulting in uneven browning.
Cut the dough pieces into even pieces
Make sure the pieces are roughly the same size. This ensures they cook evenly and prevents them from becoming hard (when smaller) or too pale (when larger).
Move them while frying
Occasionally turn or gently move the Mutzenmandeln with a slotted spoon so they brown evenly all over and don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Drain the Mutzenmandeln properly
After frying, drain the Mutzenmandeln on kitchen paper towels or a wire rack. Only then roll them in sugar – this way it adheres well without melting. And the small treats are less fatty.
By the way, you can eat Mutzenmandeln all year round – they are not only good for carnival. In case you don’t want to make them now, you can save the recipe and to it some other time.
For more deep-fried sweet treats you can check out these recipes below. I’m sure there is more you might like…
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(about 60 pieces)
For the dough:
12.3 oz. (350g) stronger all-purpose flour*
1 tsp. baking powder
2.1 oz. (60g) sugar (fine)*
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp. zest of organic orange
3.5 oz. (100g) butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. dark rum*
To finish:
4 tbsp. sugar (fine)*
1 tsp. ground cinnamon*
fat/oil for frying
(etwa 60 Stück)
Für den Teig:
350g Mehl (Type 550)*
1 TL Backpulver
60g Zucker (fein)*
1 Prise Salz
1 TL Abrieb von Bio-Orange
100g weiche Butter
2 Eier (L)
2 EL dunkler Rum*
Zum Rollen:
4 EL Zucker (fein)*
1 TL Zimt*
Fett/Öl zum Ausbacken
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the orange zest, butter, eggs, and rum and mix everything with a fork, then knead with your hands until you get a smooth dough. Shape into a ball, flatten it, and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. Shape the chilled dough into a log and cut off thin slices. Shape into small balls (bit smaller than a walnut) – make sure they are very smooth – and then shape into drops. Set aside. Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside as well.
3. Add fat/oil to a small pot – it should be enough so the dough pieces can take a swim. Heat up to a temperature of about 175°C (345°F) – check with a kitchen thermometer* so the fat/oil doesn’t get too hot. Add the dough pieces in small batches and deep-fry until golden brown all around. Remove the Mutzenmandeln from the fat/oil with a slotted spoon*, drain briefly on a piece of kitchen paper, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mix while still hot. Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces – check the temperature of the fat/oil from time to time. Serve the Mutzenmandeln as soon as possible – they are best when still warm.
1. Mehl, Backpulver, Zucker und Salz in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Orangenschale, Butter, Eier und Rum dazugeben und zuerst mit einer Gabel vermischen, dann mit den Händen zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. Zu einer Kugel formen, flach drücken und dann in Klarsichtfolie einschlagen. Für etwa 30 Minuten in den Kühlschrank legen.
2. Den durchgekühlten Teig zu einer Rolle formen und dann dünne Scheiben abschneiden. Die Scheiben zwischen den Handflächen zu glatten Kugeln formen und dann in Tropfenform bringen. Die Teigportionen sollten etwas kleiner sein als Walnüsse im Größenvergleich. Zucker und Zimt in einer kleinen Schüssel vermischen und bereitstellen.
3. Einen kleinen Topf mit genügend Öl oder Fett erhitzen, damit die Teigportionen gut darin schwimmen können. Das Fett/Öl sollte etwa 175°C (345°F) heiß – mit einem Thermometer*, damit das Fett nicht zu heiß wird. Die Teigstücke in kleinen Portionen ins Fett/Öl geben und rundum goldbraun ausbacken. Die fertigen Mutzenmandeln mit einem Schaumlöffel* aus dem Fett fischen, auf einem Stück Küchenpapier kurz abtropfen lassen, dann noch heiß in der Zimt-Zucker-Mischung rollen. Mit dem restlichen Teig wiederholen und zwischendurch immer wieder die Temperatur messen. Die noch warmen Mutzenmandeln so bald wie möglich servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
German Deep-Fried Mutzenmandeln
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 01:00
- Yield: 60 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: -
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Typical sweet snack for German carnival: Deep-fried Mutzenmandeln. Small, crunchy, sweet, and really delicious!
Ingredients
For the dough:
12.3 oz. (350g) stronger all-purpose flour*
1 tsp. baking powder
2.1 oz. (60g) sugar (fine)*
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp. zest of organic orange
3.5 oz. (100g) butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. dark rum*
To finish:
4 tbsp. sugar (fine)*
1 tsp. ground cinnamon*
fat/oil for frying
Instructions
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the orange zest, butter, eggs, and rum and mix everything with a fork, then knead with your hands until you get a smooth dough. Shape into a ball, flatten it, and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. Shape the chilled dough into a log and cut off thin slices. Shape into small balls (bit smaller than a walnut) – make sure they are very smooth – and then shape into drops. Set aside. Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside as well.
3. Add fat/oil to a small pot – it should be enough so the dough pieces can take a swim. Heat up to a temperature of about 175°C (345°F) – check with a kitchen thermometer* so the fat/oil doesn’t get too hot. Add the dough pieces in small batches and deep-fry until golden brown all around. Remove the Mutzenmandeln from the fat/oil with a slotted spoon*, drain briefly on a piece of kitchen paper, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mix while still hot. Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces – check the temperature of the fat/oil from time to time. Serve the Mutzenmandeln as soon as possible – they are best when still warm.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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