Miske

Ingredients

Batter

• 400 gplain flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 2 tbspcaster sugar
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 250 mlwarm milk
• 2eggs
• 60 gbutter, melted
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsprum, if wanted

Sometimes added

• 2apples, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 tspground cinnamon

For frying

• 1 litresunflower oil

To finish

• 150 gcaster sugar
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• or icing sugar, to dust

Directions

1. Warm the milk to blood temperature and no hotter. Put the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk them together so the yeast is evenly spread. Add the warm milk, the eggs and the melted butter. Add the lemon zest and the rum if you are using it.
2. Beat it hard with a wooden spoon for three minutes. The batter should be thick and sticky rather than a dough. Peel and coarsely grate the apples. Squeeze out some of the juice so the batter does not go loose. Fold the grated apple and cinnamon into the batter. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth.
3. Leave it somewhere warm for about an hour. It should roughly double and be visibly full of bubbles. Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 170C. It should rise within a couple of seconds and sizzle steadily.
4. Take two spoons and dip them in the hot oil first. Scoop a heaped teaspoon of batter with one spoon. Do not try to make them look neat. Fry six or seven at a time without crowding the pan. Frying them takes only a few minutes.
5. Turn them with a slotted spoon as they colour. They often turn themselves once one side is done. Fry them for about four minutes in total. They should be deep golden all over. Break one open and look at the middle. It should be light and fully cooked rather than wet. Lift them onto a rack lined with paper. Do not stack them while they are hot.
6. Let the oil come back to temperature between batches. Finishing them is done while they are still hot. Mix the caster sugar with the cinnamon in a wide bowl. Roll each warm fritter in the sugar until coated. The sugar only sticks while they are hot.
7. Pile them into a bowl and bring them to the table. They go dense within a couple of hours and are made to be eaten at once.

Technique

• The batter is a thick sticky mixture, not a dough, and must not be kneaded.
• Dip the spoons in hot oil first, since the sticky batter releases far more easily.
• Roll them in sugar while hot, as it will not stick once they cool.

Substitutions

• Water in place of milk, for a plainer fritter.
• Pear in place of apple.

Variations

• With grated apple through the batter.
• Plain, with just lemon zest.
• Served with a fruit compote alongside.

History

A homely Slovenian fried sweet whose name means little mice, from the shape of the dropped dough.

Frequently asked questions

What is Miske?

Miske is a dessert from Slovenia: small yeast fritters, sometimes with grated apple, rolled in sugar. A homely Slovenian fried sweet whose name means little mice, from the shape of the dropped dough.

How long does Miske take to make?

Miske takes 20 min plus 1 hour rising of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 30 fritters. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Miske?

Yes, within limits. Water in place of milk, for a plainer fritter. Pear in place of apple.

What is the most important thing to get right in Miske?

Beat it hard with a wooden spoon for three minutes. The batter should be thick and sticky rather than a dough. Peel and coarsely grate the apples. Squeeze out some of the juice so the batter does not go loose. Fold the grated apple and cinnamon into the batter. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth.