FANKS -A DEFINITION & A REPUBLISHED RECIPE

The following information was extracted and modified from the Burgenland Bunch newsletter. Some history and variations are included.

Question: "I have tried to find for my grandchild the origin of "FANK" a Hungarian dessert. As far as I could discover on the internet from Montreal, the name is German, the dessert (doughnut in America) is Hungarian. Am I right?"

Reply: As near as I can determine, the origin of "Fank" (Hungarian for the English language doughnut) is not Hungarian but Germanic or Viennese as it doesn't appear in the two leading English language Hungarian cookbooks. It is not found in either the "Paprikas Weiss Hungarian Cookbook" or George Lang's "The Cuisine of Hungary. " It is found in Marina Polvay's book "All Along the Danube" in the chapter dealing with the Black Forrest region of Germany. Here it is called "Krapfen" (raised doughnuts) Fank also appears in the Gourmet "Old Vienna Cookbook" as Krapfen including a variation called Wiener Faschingkrapfen (apricot jam filled) with rum added to the recipe. . (Note: Ernst Marboe's book "The Book of Austria claims that Faschingkrapfen were invented in 1615 by a Viennese baker named Cacilie. Her shop was near the Pieler Gate Naglergasse] and this pastry was later named "Cilli-balls." Thirty years later it was improved by adding a jam filling. During the carnival of 1815, 8 to 10 million of these doughnuts were eaten. A doughnut broken in half and given to a sweetheart

was also considered a token of engagement.)

Another reason to believe Germanic or Viennese origin is that Krapfen are well known under that name throughout Europe-I've ordered and eaten them in Austria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Romania and elsewhere. There is even a variation in northern Germany called "Berliner" although these generally are filled with jam, chocolate or creme. (When US President Kennedy announced on a visit to Berlin -"Ich bin ein Berliner"-many German speakers grinned in amusement.) A true "Fank" or Krapfen does not have a filling although they are eaten with jam. They are dusted with powdered sugar or vanilla sugar and sometimes eaten plain.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Germans from the Palatinate (today's Rhine-Hesse) came to the United States and settled in eastern Pennsylvania. Today they are erroneously called Pennsylvania Dutch (from Deutsch) and they have a traditional fried raised doughnut called "Fastnacht"-it is eaten right before Lent and is still very popular. The recipe was brought with them from Europe. It is to all intents and purposes "Fank" or Krapfen, has no center hole and is complete with the yellow ring which occurs when the Krapfen is turned (only once) while being fried in the hot fat. This yellow ring is found on most

variations and is the pride of Hungarian and Austrian cooks-they try to keep it perfect. The "Fastnacht" is sometimes made with the later addition of potatoes to the dough, all other ingredients being about the same as Krapfen. There

is also something similar in French cookery called Beignet (Beignets d' Orleans) often filled with jam.

When the Krapfen or doughnut came to America, it originally came in the old pattern. It retained it's plain fried sweet bread aspect for many years, even traveling west with the wagon trains as a frying pan bread, sweetened or un-sweetened as sugar, honey or molasses was available. In the early West, Louis L'Amour would have us believe it acquired the new name of "Bear Sign." Cowboys would supposedly ride miles to eat them. I doubt if these were a raised variety in the absence of yeast-perhaps a sour-dough variant.

Doughnuts became a very popular restaurant breakfast commodity, but were made with a hole in the center (probably to make it easier to fry or dunk in coffee) and after WWII many doughnut franchises (like Dunkin-Donuts) went into operation. Their products, while retaining a raised, Krapfen dough, changed considerably in shape, filling and the additions of various outer coatings. A cake doughnut was also produced and a twisted shape "cruller" was also made. Today a true Krapfen doughnut is very hard to find in the US except in limited ethnic neighborhood bakeries right before Lent. The closest is the Pennsylvania

Fastnacht. The donut with the hole predominates elsewhere.

Not too long ago, my wife and I made a batch of Krapfen (unfilled in the old style) dusted with only powdered sugar for a church supper. They were perfect, according to the old recipe, but they were not popular. Those eating them expected the heavy sweetness of commercial doughnuts with their various fillings and outer coverings (nuts, chocolate, coconut, sugar glaze, colored sugar sprinkles, cinnamon sugar etc.) Sadly the doughnut is in decline in the US as not healthy, given its sugar and fat content. Krispy-Kreme, a large commercial national producer, recently filed for bankruptcy. The doughnut franchises have

retrenched and many now carry additional baked goods like bagels, cinnamon buns, ice cream etc. We now find them in convenience stores also selling gasoline.

So, we are long way from traditional Fank or Krapfen, still a delight to eat with a cup of coffee and easy to make at home. I have even used a bread machine to make the dough. Throughout Europe, recipes have been exchanged for centuries among the various ethnic groups-each borrowing (and sometimes adapting) whatever appealed to them. Fank-Krapfen like Strudel (from Turkish to Hungarian to Austrian-to German) is a case in point. I believe Krapfen may have traveled the reverse route. They can be found in Turkey and Greece as well. I like to believe they are all a variant of the 1615 Viennese discovery by Cacilie. Nothing beats a sack of fresh Krapfen from an Austrian bakery-in their coffee houses it's always a hard choice between Krapfen and other delicious pastry.

A traditional recipe for Fank (Krapfen) follows:

Krapfen (raised doughnuts)

2 packages yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tblsp sugar

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
6 Tblsp butter
3 eggs or 2 eggs plus 2 yolks
Oil for frying

Combine yeast, water and 2 Tblsp sugar. Set aside to work. In a larger bowl, put 2 cups flour  Add milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and butter (room temperature) mix till butter is combined and add yeast mixture. Add beaten eggs. Add remaining flour using enough to make a smooth elastic dough. More water or flour may be needed to make a pliable dough. Knead well, then place in greased bowl, covered to rise until doubled.

(Note-up to this point, a bread machine can also be used, placing the ingredients in the machine in accordance with machine procedure -wet items first-yeast in last in a depression in the flour. Use dough cycle until finished-remove at the finish beep and proceed as below.)

Put dough on floured surface, roll 1 inch thick and cut with doughnut cutter or cut into 2 to 3 inch squares.  Cover and let rise again-about 1/2 hour. Fry in hot (drop of water should sizzle) deep oil or fat (Hungarians used lard) about 1 minute per side-golden with a yellow stripe. Drain on paper towels and dust with confectioners sugar or a combination of granulated and cinnamon to taste. Sooner eaten the better-they will begin to go stale in 24 hours, but can still be eaten and enjoyed.

Last changed 4/1/2006