Lighten up carnival: Healthier twists on festive treats
Carnival sweets are so tempting that it's hard to resist them. For those who find doughnuts too indulgent, there are recipes for other, lighter pastries, like faworki. Unfortunately, these deep-fried treats aren't diet-friendly either. In the spirit of the carnival, one might ease up on calorie counting. However, a much better solution is to prepare a lighter version of faworki that needn't be restricted.
Nutritionists warn that deep-fried foods are harmful to health. However, the power of tradition is enormous. Especially during the carnival, which is full of sweets, it’s hard to deny oneself a single faworek, doughnut, or pączek. How can we reduce the unhealthy aspect of sweet delights? The solution could be baking faworki in the oven.
Healthier variants of carnival sweets
You can also bake traditional doughnuts in the oven to prevent them from being soaked in oil or lard. Using whole grain flour and substituting honey or agave syrup will provide a slightly different texture but an equally wonderful taste. Baked doughnuts are definitely less calorific than those fried in deep oil, and the addition of healthy ingredients makes them more nutritious.
A wonderful addition to the carnival table can be fruit smoothies and light colourful desserts based on yoghurt or skyr. Fresh fruits combined with natural yoghurt, granola, or nuts offer a tasty alternative for those who want to enjoy sweets without guilt.
The secret to perfect faworki
The dough for faworki should be "beaten" with a rolling pin. How to do this? Once you've kneaded the ingredients into a ball, hit the dough with the rolling pin until it becomes flat. Then fold it several times and beat it again with the rolling pin.
You can safely vent your emotions – the more you beat the dough, the better. Wrap the finished dough into a ball and allow it to rest in the fridge. You too could use a break. Brew yourself a cup of aromatic tea, and after the break, return to preparing the faworki.
Recipe for oven-baked faworki
These faworki won't be deep-fried, so you don't need to add spirits to the dough.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups of plain flour,
- 2 tablespoons of icing sugar,
- 50 grams of butter,
- 3 egg yolks,
- 100 ml of 18% sour cream,
- a pinch of salt.
Instructions:
- Sift the flour onto a board, add icing sugar and chopped cold butter.
- Form into a cone, make a well in the centre. Add the egg yolks, sour cream, and a pinch of salt.
- Knead the dough into a ball, then beat it with a rolling pin.
- Knead into a ball again, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a floured board into a very thin sheet.
- Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut strips about 4 cm wide, then cut into approx. 8 cm lengths.
- Make a small incision in the middle of each. Pull one end of the faworki through.
- Place the prepared faworki on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Put in the oven preheated to 160 degrees Celsius with fan circulation. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
- Remove when the faworki turn golden.
- You can sprinkle baked faworki with icing sugar sifted through a fine sieve.
