Portzelky/Porzelchen - German New Years Cookies

We pronounced these delicious doughnuts 'Portzelchen' which must be a merge of the Low German Portzelky and the High German Porzelchen.  We looked forward to these New Years Cookies almost as much as we looked forward to Christmas.
They are very easy to make! 

Here is Mom's (Mary's) recipe.

Put the following into a large bowl:
1/1/4 cups water - warmed to lukewarm in the microwave
1 package (1 Tbsp.) dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups white all-purpose flour (loosely spooned into measuring cup)

Mix and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.  The mixture will rise and be bubbly.

Add:
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted but not hot
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour (loosely spooned into cup)
3 cups good quality raisins, washed, dried, and floured

Let this rise about 1 hour.

Memories of Mom's Method:  Mom never had a deep fat fryer, and always used a very heavy cast iron skillet for all her deep fat frying.  It is a miracle we never had a major kitchen fire, especially when Mom got older and her wrists were not strong enough to lift the pan off of her electric stove when the fat got a bit too hot.  We never used a thermometer, but always tested if the oil was hot enough by dropping a small bit of dough into it.

Deep Fat Frying:

Do NOT mix this bubbly dough.  Take a large tablespoon or serving spoon full of dough from the side of the bowl and drop it into the hot fat.  Let it brown on one side about 1-2 minutes, then turn it over to brown on the other side. 

The first doughnut will be your tester.  Take it out and cut it in half.  If it is cooked to the middle, then do the same with all the dough.  If it is not cooked to the middle, leave it in the hot oil a bit longer.  If the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will brown too quickly.  The cooking time can also be adjusted by the thickness of the ball of dough.  If you are using too large of a ball of dough, the inside will not be cooked. 

Put the hot Portzelky into a bag of powdered sugar, being careful not to burn yourself.  Shake the bag to coat the Portzelky and then put them on a large platter that has a layer of paper towel on it. 

Portzelky has become enough of a family tradition with my grandchildren that Abram has asked if we will have them this year.  Here is a photo of Kelsey and Abram helping make them last year.

 

These Portzelky were not as light as they should have been because the kids packed down the flour and the dough was a bit stiff.  Cherry Moos is in the pot.