Carnival (also called carnival outside of Franconia) is just around the corner and I’m really looking forward to it! The fifth season means great costumes, lots of fun and great parties. But if you want to party and drink properly, you obviously need a good basis for it. What do you traditionally eat at Carnival? What are classic carnival recipes that cannot be missed in the fifth season?
Foto: shutterstock/ Ingrid Balabanova
Just as delicious cookies are a must at Christmas time, there are also classic recipes for Carnival, without which the carnival season would only be half as wonderful. Alcoholic drinks, hearty meals and a wide variety of delicacies are popular at Carnival. Sure, delicious stuffed Berliners are a true Mardi Gras classic, but if you’re looking for more classic Mardi Gras recipes, be sure to stay tuned. Whether sweet or savory – there is everything that the hearts of jesters and fools desire.
What do you traditionally eat at Carnival?
Foto: shutterstock/ p.studio66
Whether it’s Berliners, donuts or broad beans with bacon – the food during carnival season is often very high in calories and fat and there are actually several reasons for this. On the one hand, where there is a lot of partying and drinking, a good foundation must be created. In the past, the consumption of not only meat, but also butter, fat and eggs was strictly forbidden during Lent. For this reason, during the carnival season everyone feasted on whatever their hearts desired. In particular, perishable products such as fat and eggs had to be used up and this is exactly how classics such as donuts and donuts were created. Whether Baden shards, Rhenish donuts or Westphalian Mutzenmandeln – depending on the region, there are different carnival recipes that have a permanent place on the menu.
Classic carnival recipes: Popular pastries for carnival
Sweet pastries are simply part of Carnival and sweeten the carnival season wonderfully. If you would like to try something new, then you should remember the following classic carnival recipes.
Recipe for Americans, grandma’s style
Foto: shutterstock/ Jennifer Gauld
Wonderfully airy, full of flavor and with a creamy icing – Americans are a classic pastry that is often eaten during the carnival season. Since the cookies are baked with deer horn salt instead of baking powder, they last for a very long time and are therefore perfect for the holidays. And here comes the original recipe for Americans, Grandma’s style.
Ingredients for about 10 pieces
250 grams of wheat flour 200 grams of powdered sugar 100 grams of granulated sugar 100 grams of butter or margarine, at room temperature 2 eggs 5 grams of staghorn salt 80 ml milk 1 pack of vanilla sugar 1 pack of vanilla pudding powder A pinch of salt
preparation
Preheat the oven to 180 (160 degrees fan) degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper. Mix the butter with a hand mixer until smooth and add the eggs one at a time. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar and milk to the bowl and stir until smooth. Add wheat flour and pudding powder and mix well. Dissolve deer horn salt in a little water and add to the dough. Spread small heaps of dough onto the baking tray using a tablespoon, leaving plenty of space in between. Bake for about 20-25 minutes and let cool completely. Mix the powdered sugar with a little milk to form a firm icing and brush it on the flat side of the cookies. And voilà – your Grandma-style Americans are ready!
Rhenish donut recipe
Photo: shutterstock/ Lesya Dolyuk
What would our list of classic carnival recipes be without Rhenish doughnuts? Beautifully crispy and irresistibly delicious – the delicious pastry is another carnival classic that is simply a must in the fifth season!
Ingredients for about 24 pieces
350 grams of wheat flour 5 eggs 100 grams of sugar 130 grams of butter As desired 200 grams of raisins or apples About 1 liter of sunflower oil for deep-frying
preparation
Bring the butter to the boil with 450 ml water and a pinch of salt in a large pot. Add the wheat flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough separates from the bottom of the pot as a dumpling and a white layer forms on the bottom of the pot. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and add 1 egg until the dough becomes smooth. Then stir in the remaining eggs and mix to form a smooth dough. Then stir in the raisins or diced apples. Heat sunflower oil in a wide pot (a temperature of 170 degrees is optimal, otherwise the donuts will quickly darken and won’t rise). Scoop up the dough with a tablespoon and scrape it into the fat with a second spoon. Fry in batches for about 6 minutes, turning once in between. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain briefly on a kitchen rack. Put the sugar in a plate and roll the hot donuts in it. Enjoy!
Also read: Torta di Limone: The Italian lemon cake for more “dolce vita” on the table!
Mutzen almonds recipe
Foto: shutterstock/ margouillat
Mutzenalmonds, Mantelmutzen or Muzealmonds – a pastry with several names. But no matter what you call it, one thing is certain – these little delicacies are definitely among the tastiest classic carnival recipes.
Ingredients for about 20 pieces
125 grams of wheat flour 1 egg 40 grams of butter 30 grams of sugar 1 tablespoon of rum 30 ml of milk 1 pack of vanilla sugar 1/2 pack of baking powder A pinch of salt About 500 ml of sunflower oil for deep-frying Powdered sugar
preparation
Put the sugar, butter, egg, vanilla sugar and rum in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer until foamy. Mix wheat flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and press a mild mixture into the middle. Pour the sugar mixture and milk into the cavity and knead everything with your hands to form a smooth dough. Cut off small pieces of dough with a teaspoon and shape into an almond with your hands. Heat oil in a high pot and fry in batches until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and your Mutzen almonds are ready!
Classic curd balls without frying
Photo: shutterstock/ Daniela Baumann
Crispy on the outside, nice and airy on the inside and eaten within a very short time – I love quark balls and the delicious pastries are in high season at Carnival. Instead of frying them in plenty of fat, I’ll show you how to prepare quark balls in the oven.
Ingredients for about 35 pieces
300 grams of wheat flour 250 grams of quark, 20% fat 20 grams of sugar 2 eggs 2 packs of vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon of baking powder A pinch of salt
For rolling:
2 packs of vanilla sugar 20 grams of sugar 20 grams of butter
preparation
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 degrees fan) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Beat eggs, quark, sugar and vanilla sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer until creamy. Mix wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and add to the egg mixture. Mix everything together until smooth – it’s okay if the dough is slightly sticky. Use a teaspoon to cut off small pieces of dough and shape them into small balls with lightly floured hands. Bake the quark balls in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown. In the meantime, melt butter and mix sugar and icing sugar in a bowl. Take the quark balls out of the oven and let them cool slightly. Brush with the butter using a silicone brush and roll in the sugar mixture.
Hearty recipes for Carnival
Not a fan of donuts and the like? If you prefer something hearty, then these hearty carnival recipes have you covered!
Swabian Dinnete
Photo: shutterstock/ Mironov Vladimir
Crispy yeast dough with a topping of onion, bacon, cheese and sour cream – these Swabian dinettes are a carnival classic and really taste wonderful to everyone!
Ingredients for 4 pieces
250 grams of wheat flour 100 ml milk 40 ml water 1/2 pack of dry yeast 20 ml olive oil A pinch of salt A pinch of sugar
Topping:
200 grams of sour cream 1 stick of spring onion 1 small onion 100 grams of raw ham 50 grams of grated cheese
preparation
Put all the ingredients for the yeast dough in a bowl and knead with the dough hook of the mixer for about 8 minutes. Knead with your hands for another 5 minutes and leave covered in a warm place for 1 hour. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into small flat cakes. Place the flatbreads on a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread with the sour cream. Top with the remaining ingredients and let rise again for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
Classic pea soup
Photo: shutterstock/ Svetlana Monyakova
A hearty pea soup with sausages and bacon like Grandma’s tastes particularly good in the cold season and is another classic for Carnival.
Ingredients for 4 servings
500 grams of split peas (if you use green peas, you should soak them in cold water overnight) 1 medium-sized onion 300 grams of potatoes 1 bunch of greens 1 bay leaf 2 liters of water 4 Vienna sausages or Mettwurst 400 grams of streaky bacon 2 tbsp herb vinegar 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard salt and pepper to taste
preparation
Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté chopped onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and bay leaf, add water and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Cut the bacon into small pieces, add it to the pot and cook for another 25 minutes. In the meantime, dice the potatoes and soup greens into small cubes and add them with the sliced sausages. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Season with mustard and herbal vinegar and distribute on plates. And your classic pea soup, Grandma’s style, is ready!