VegetarianAlpine Italian cuisine Desserts

Strauben

Name: Strauben
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Alpine Italian
Ingredients: 250 g Plain flour; 250 ml Whole milk; 3 piece Eggs; 30 g Unsalted butter; 25 ml grappa; 2 g fine salt; 500 ml sunflower oil; 40 g icing sugar; 160 g preiselbeeren jam

Strauben are crisp, golden Tyrolean spiral funnel fritters dusted with icing sugar. In Italian-speaking Trentino, they are known locally as straboli.

🇮🇹Italy· Trentino-Alto Adige

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

250 g Plain flour — sifted
250 ml Whole milk — lukewarm
3 piece Eggs — separated into yolks and whites
30 g Unsalted butter — melted and cooled slightly
25 ml grappa — or fruit schnaps, to limit oil absorption
2 g fine salt — a generous pinch
500 ml sunflower oil — for deep-frying
40 g icing sugar — for dusting generously
160 g preiselbeeren jam — tart mountain lingonberry or wild cranberry jam

Equipment

•Two mixing bowls
•Electric hand whisk
•Wide heavy-bottomed frying pan
•Funnel or piping bag
•Slotted spider strainer
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 58 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Whisk the flour, lukewarm milk, egg yolks, melted butter, grappa, and salt together in a bowl until smooth.
2
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
3
Fold the whipped egg whites gently into the batter with a spatula to keep it light.
4
Heat the oil in a wide frying pan to 175 degrees C.
5
Cover the funnel hole with your finger, fill with batter, and hold directly over the hot oil.
6
Release the batter in a steady spiral motion from the centre outwards to form a lacy disc.
7
Fry for two minutes until the underside turns crisp and pale golden.
8
Turn the fritter carefully with tongs and fry the other side for another two minutes.
9
Lift the fritter with a slotted strainer and drain thoroughly on a wire rack.
10
Repeat with the remaining batter to make four large fritters.
11
Dust each warm fritter heavily with icing sugar.
12
Serve immediately with a generous dollop of Preiselbeeren jam in the centre.

Chef's tips

Adding a splash of high-proof grappa prevents the batter from absorbing excessive oil during frying. Keep the oil at a steady 175 degrees C; if it is too cold the fritter turns greasy, and if too hot it burns before cooking through.

Ingredient substitutions

Preiselbeeren jam → tart redcurrant jam or wild cranberry sauce
grappa → Kirschwasser or apple schnaps

Storage

Strauben must be eaten immediately while hot and crisp; they become limp and soft if stored.

Reheating

Reheating is not recommended as the pastry loses its light, crisp texture.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Piping the spiral too tightly, which creates a heavy, doughy centre rather than crisp, lacy strands.
•Skipping the alcohol, which results in a denser fritter that holds too much frying oil.

Serving suggestions

Serve freshly fried alongside cold Preiselbeeren lingonberry jam and warm spiced apple juice.Present on a wooden platter heavily dusted with icing sugar for an authentic Alpine festival feel.