It is the typical snail-shaped pancake of the Tyrolean tradition, which is never lacking in festivals and country festivals also in Trentino and Alto Adige.
The dough, sweet and greedy, it is dropped into the boiling oil using a sort of iron "funnel”.
It is normally fried on the spot in large pots, an absolutely fascinating art, worth stopping to watch as they fry them to finish!
INGREDIENTS (for 8 Strauben)
Eggs 3
Grappa 25 ml
Sugar 50 g
00 flour 200 g
Full cream milk 250 ml
1 pinch coarse salt
Butter 25 g
PREPARATION:
Pour the milk into a large bowl, then add the sifted flour and salt, stirring with a whisk to mix the ingredients.
Add the melted butter, the glass of grappa (about 25 ml) and the 3 egg yolks to the mixture (keep the egg whites aside), continuing to mix.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, continuing to beat, add the sugar, pour the whipped egg whites into the flour and egg mixture and mix them gently with a wooden spatula or ladle, so as to incorporate air and not disassemble them.
Put plenty of oil in a pan with a diameter of 25 cm which you will place on the fire; the oil must be hot but not too hot (it must not exceed 170 °), so that the batter can brown but not darken immediately. Take a funnel, plug the hole with a cardboard or with your index finger and then pour a ladle of batter into it.
Position yourself on the pan and remove your finger (or cardboard) from the funnel to release the batter that you will have to pour into the pan in a circular direction starting from the outside and continuing towards the center.
As soon as the cake has taken on a golden color, grab it with two skimmers and turn it to brown the other side. Once browned, always with the help of skimmers, remove the strauben from the oil, let it drain and place it to lose the excess oil on several sheets of absorbent kitchen paper. Transfer the strauben onto a serving dish, sprinkle it with icing sugar and place a spoonful of cranberry jam and / or whipped cream in the center of the cake. Enjoy your meal!