Simple to make and even easier to eat. Fritule are small balls of doughy goodness, often dusted in powdered sugar as an extra treat.
Knowing how to make fritule is almost mandatory for a Croatian. That way, when your relatives just pop in for a visit, you can quickly whip up a batch. Not that Croatian cooking is difficult, but these are extra easy!
The only tricky thing about making this fritule recipe is learning how to control the oil temperature. Too hot, and the fritule will be charred. Too low, and they’ll be oily-soggy balls – practice making one at a time. Then when you get it, you’ll be good to make the whole batch in less than 30 minutes.
Croatian Fritule Recipe
Easy to make, and even easier to eat. Try this Croatian fritule recipe out and let us know what you think.
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purose flour (3 1/2 cups)
- 20 g fresh yeast (2 tablespoons)
- 2 egg yolks
- 80 g raisins (optional) (1/2 cup)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 50 g of white sugar (1/4 cup)
- 20 g melted butter (1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 150-200 ml warm milk (2/3 - 1 cup)
- 50 ml rakija or brandy (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Approximately 500 ml of frying oil (2 1/3 cups)
- Powdered sugar (optional for dusting)
Instructions
- Sift flour into a bowl
- Combine the egg yolks, raisins, salt, sugar, butter, grated lemon zest and 25 ml of the rakija/brandy in a large bowl
- In a large glass dissolve yeast with 100 ml of warm milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar, cover and let it rise
- Then add the yeast mix to the flour and add enough milk so it forms a soft dough
- Allow it to rest covered for approx 30 minutes
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Take pieces of the dough with a teaspoon and drop into the hot oil
- Fry each ball on all sides until golden. (practicing cooking a few to get the oil temperature correct with your cooktop)
- Take each ball out and rest a paper towel to drain off the excess oil
- Once all of the fritule are ready, pour the rest of rakija over, transfer onto a serving bowl and dust with powdered sugar
I am a Croatian American who enjoys reading this blog and the recipes on it. Keep it up not everyone is so nasty!
Hello to all,
Apparently there’s an apology due to Chasing the Donkey about a comment made on her site……..this was not written by myself, another person had access to my Facebook and I was not aware of this till I read it this morning….I enjoy your Blog so I hope this misunderstanding can be forgotten? This will be dealt with on my part, have a nice day
I’m surprised that sharing a recipe would cause so much controversy. Never considered a recipe as sexist. My husband tried cooking, it didn’t work. I haven’t tried changing the oil, or tires on our car. My strengths are not his and vice versa. (We both changed diapers)
I am first generation Croat/American with a home in Croatia as well as US. I can fully relate to this blog and the person writing it. Shame on people who are trying to make it something other than what it is.
Get a life…kind of like Mrs. C T D did. Keep up the fun posts AND recipes. They bring back fond memories!
Hi SJ,
I am an Australian married to a Croat and I enjoy your blog very much. My mother-in-law is the most renowned fritule maker in Western Australia!! She “feels” the dough with her hands to know when it is “just right” and squeezes it through her fist to make to make the little balls that drop into the oil. Her secret ingredient is a little brandy!! She also buys a fine vanilla sugar to dust them with. I took a bowl to work once and they were gone in 60 seconds. xx
respectfully disagree Betty Perica of South Perth (rip) would have been in the running for the best fritulas or pusharatas in WA as she used to call them .I treasure her handwritten recipe which I will give to my daughter
I agree with Jane Perica. Betty’s fritule we’re amazing and always served with a light dusting of icing sugar and guilt.
Thanks for this recipe im going to try it this weekend. We moved here 1 year ago from Sydney (for my work), and my sons is begging me to make Fritule. I tried a Jamie Olover recipe and my son they are not the same as the ones the ladies at school make. So I’m going to try your recipe and I’ll let you know of it passes the 11 year old boy test (who’s a very picky eater).
Please ignore the ignorance of people who make negative comments. This will take up too much of you re energy- especially when you can use that energy for more recipes!!!,