Healthier carnival cravings: Enjoy oven-baked faworki and more
Carnival sweets are so tempting that it's hard to resist them. For those who find donuts too indulgent, they often turn to recipes for other, lighter pastries like faworki. Unfortunately, these deep-fried treats aren't diet-friendly either. In the spirit of the carnival, some may ease up on calorie counting. However, a much better solution is to prepare a lighter version of faworki, which doesn't need to be restricted.
Nutritionists warn that deep-fried foods are harmful to health. However, the power of tradition is strong. Especially during the carnival, which is full of sweets, it's hard to deny yourself a single faworek, donut, or pączek. How can you reduce the unhealthy aspects of sweet treats? The solution could be baking faworki in the oven.
Healthier Variants of Carnival Sweets
You can also bake traditional donuts in the oven to prevent them from being soaked in oil or lard. Substitutes like whole grain flour and honey or agave syrup will provide a slightly different texture but an equally wonderful taste. Baked donuts are definitely less caloric than those fried in deep oil, and the addition of healthy ingredients makes them more nutritious.
A delightful complement to the carnival table can be fruit smoothies and light, colorful desserts based on yogurt or skyr. Fresh fruits combined with natural yogurt, granola, or nuts are 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 do you 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 let out your emotions—the more you beat the dough, the better. Wrap the finished dough into a ball and let it 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 all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
- 1.75 oz of butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 0.42 cups of 18% sour cream
- a pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Sift the flour onto a board, and add powdered sugar and chopped cold butter.
- Form into a cone, make a well in the center, and 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 it into a ball again, wrap in plastic wrap, 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 1.6 inches wide, then cut into approx. 3-inch lengths.
- Make a small incision in the middle of each. Pull one end of the faworki through.
- Place the prepared faworki on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put it in the oven preheated to 320 degrees Fahrenheit with fan circulation. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
- Remove when the faworki turns golden.
- You can sprinkle baked faworki with powdered sugar sifted through a fine sieve.
