Faworki

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the dough: sift the plain flour onto a work surface or into a bowl, then add the egg yolks, sour cream, melted cooled butter, caster sugar, rum, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 5-6 minutes until smooth and fairly firm. If it feels sticky, dust very lightly with flour, but keep the dough compact rather than soft.

2. 2

   Beat and rest the dough: using a rolling pin, pound and fold the dough repeatedly for 3-4 minutes to incorporate air; this helps create the characteristic blistered, crisp texture. Wrap or cover and let it rest for 10 minutes so it relaxes and rolls out more easily.

3. 3

   Roll and shape the faworki: on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough very thinly, about 1-2 mm thick. Cut into strips roughly 3 cm wide and 10 cm long. Cut a 3 cm slit in the centre of each strip and pull one end through the slit to form a twist. Keep the shaped pieces covered with a towel so they do not dry out before frying.

4. 4

   Heat the oil in a small deep pan to 175-180°C. Fry the twists in batches for 30-45 seconds per side until pale golden and puffed; they should colour lightly, not deeply brown. Turn once with tongs or a spider, and avoid overcrowding so the oil temperature stays steady.

5. 5

   Drain and finish: transfer the fried faworki to paper towel or a rack and cool for 2-3 minutes until no longer greasy. Dust generously with icing sugar and serve while fresh and crisp.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •Roll the dough as thinly as possible; thick dough makes heavy, less delicate faworki.
• •The brief pounding step is traditional and helps create the signature bubbles during frying.
• •A small pan reduces the amount of oil needed, but keep enough depth for the pastries to float freely.
• •Faworki are best eaten the day they are made, ideally within a few hours of frying.

Background