Bake me yours: Suomalaiset Munkit (Finnish Donuts)

Dear all,

If you ever come to Finland this is one of the things that you really have to try:) I have had many different kinds of donuts throughout my life...But these ones I consider the best so far...

So my Finnish friend Anna revealed the top secret of her ancestors for your eyes only:)

What you need for the munkit:

(this portion makes about 36)

500ml milk

50g fresh yeast

2 eggs

1,5 teaspoons salt

150ml sugar

4 teaspoons cardamom

1,2-1,4 litres flour

100g butter

oil for frying (you need so much that it's about 5-10cm thick in the pan)

normal caster sugar for coating

1. Heat up the milk to body temperature

2 Melt the yeast in the milk

3. Mix in the eggs, sugar, salt, cardamom and about half of the flour. Stir until smooth.

4. Add soft (room-temperature) butter

5. Gradually add the rest of the flour while mixing by hand (or by machine, if available :).

Kneed until the dough starts coming off your hands.

6. Cover with a cloth and let rise up to twice the size(about an hour)

Take the air out:)

7. Roll the dough into small balls and stick your finder in the middle to make a hole.

Until it looks like this

This is the kind of tool you need!

8. Heat up the oil in a steady pan. It's hot enough when a small bit of dough or bread rises up

immediately to the surface and starts sizzling.

9. Fry the buns in the oil, few at a time, until they are golden brown on both sides(takes about a

minute, but depends on the temperature of the oil, so keep an eye on the colour rather

than time)

10. When ready, take them out of the oil and let them drain for a while on some kitchen paper.

After that, when they are still warm but no longer burn your fingers, roll them around in sugar. The sugar doesn't stick anymore when they've fully cooled down. You can also coat them more donut-like in sugar frosting (picture:)

And Enjoy..