CARNIVAL SWEET MICE - SPOON DOUGHNUTS

From pagan times Carnival season is connected with transition from winter to spring. For that reason Carnival processions and festivals are held with the masks to make winter and bad spirits go away. Slovenia has some traditional masks among which Kurent is now considered to be UNESCO’s world cultural heritage.

Kurents dancing at the supermarket

To accompany such an opportunity, there are some special dishes on the menu. For this occasion some very strong meaty dishes are eaten and some special desserts are prepared. We already made Carnival doughnuts and Brittle flancati. 

Today  I would like to present a recipe for spoon doughnuts or sweet mice as we call them.

Sweet mouses - Spoon doughnuts

Ingredients:

3 g of yeast - fresh or dry 

6 tbsp of milk 

1 tsp of sugar

1 tsp of flour 

Mix all together and keep in warm place for a few minutes for yeast to activate.

500 g of fine wheat flour 

2 to 3 egg yolks 

5 g of sugar - optional

1/2 tsp of salt

Lemon zest
2 tbsp of good rum 

250 ml of lukewarm milk - approximately  
sugar powder

Vegetable oil for frying.

Sift the flour into a higher bawl. Add all other ingredients except milk. Than add activated yeast and make dough by adding lukewarm milk. Mix the dough with big wooden spoon to become soft with bubbles. You can add more milk if needed. The dough should be densely liquid. 

Keep aside to rest and rise. After 40 minuets mix again and wait another 20 minuets to rise. 

Put the oil on the stove and preheat it. With a spoon make small dumplings directly into hot oil. 

Putting dough with a spoon into oil

Fry until nicely yellow

Fry until you get nice yellow colour on both sides. When fried put them on paper to get rid of excess oil. Sprinkle with sugar powder and serve.

Put on paper first

Sprinkle with sugar

Buckwheat spoon doughnuts

Instead of the wheat flour you can use buckwheat flour which is very healthy, gluten free and delicious too. Make the dough in the same way as it is explained in previous recipe.

In our cuisine we usually mix buckwheat flour with 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of wheat flour. For this recipe I prefer to use buckwheat flour only - 100%. 

Ingredients:

3 g of yeast - fresh or dry 

6 tbsp of milk 

1 tsp of sugar

1 tsp of flour 

Mix all together and keep in warm place for a few minutes for yeast to activate.

500 g of fine buckwheat flour 

2 to 3 egg yolks 

5 g of sugar - optional

1/2 tsp of salt

2 tbsp of good rum 

250 ml of lukewarm milk - approximately  
sugar powder or honey

Vegetable oil for frying.

Buckwheat flour dough
for sweet mouses

Putting spoon doughnuts into hot oil

Before serving sprinkle them with sugar powder. 

Sprinkle with sugar.

Instead of sugar you can add some honey, which goes very well with the taste of buckwheat.

Served with honey, raisins and walnuts

Or you make them without adding sugar and serve them instead of bread with some hot pot, for breakfast etc.

Carnival sweet mice - quick version 

Making leavened dough takes time and can be sometimes just to demanding. 
If you don't have enough time just make this very quick version, which is not the same but it will satisfy your taste. 

Ingredients:
1 yogurt - 180ml
1 or 2 eggs
1 tbsp of good rum
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp of salt
60 g of sugar - optional
200 g of flour - wheat or buckwheat flour
1 tsp of baking powder
vegetable oil for frying
sugar powder 

First mix all the wet ingredients then add flour with baking powder. Make thick liquid dough. 
You can start frying instantly. Preheat the oil and make small dumplings with a spoon directly into hot oil.  

Sweet mouse served with homemade plum jam.

You can see more photos on this Link!