Knieküchle is a traditional Austrian/German fried dough pastry that is very popular in

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, Western

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South Tyrol it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol , settlement_type = Autonomous province , image_skyline = , image_alt ...

and

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. Depending on region it has several other names, including ''Auszogne'', ''Krapfen'', ''Küchl'', ''Nudel'' or ''Rottnudel''. In Austria its name is ''Bauernkrapfen'' or ''Kiachl''.

Preparation

As a general rule they are made of yeast dough but some recipes vary slightly. Very common for example is the addition of

raisin A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the d ...

s. The dough is then shaped in a way so it is very thin in the middle and thicker on the edges. They are then fried in boiling

lard Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.Lard
entry in the o ...

and dusted with

confectioner's sugar Powdered sugar, also called confectioners' sugar, or icing sugar, is a finely ground sugar produced by milling granulated sugar into a powdered state. It usually contains between 2% and 5% of an anti-caking agent – such as corn starch, ...

. In

and in

South Tyrol it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol , settlement_type = Autonomous province , image_skyline = , image_alt ...

it is eaten with

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marmalade Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamo ...

lingonberry ''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'', the lingonberry, partridgeberry, mountain cranberry or cowberry, is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family Ericaceae, that bears edible fruit. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Norther ...

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and entertai ...

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferme ...

.Knieküchle
(kirchenweb.at) In the past, the pastry was mostly eaten during the harvest and on

holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...

s, especially for Kermesse or Dult. In

, people also differentiate between "catholic" and "protestant" Knieküchle depending whether it is dusted with confectioner's sugar or not.

Name etymology

According to legend, the name derives from the practice of baker women from Franconia that stretched the dough over their knees very thinly so they could read

love letter A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a lo ...

s through it.

References

External links

Knieküchle (Krapfen, Kiechla)
(frankentourismus.de) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kniekuchle Austrian pastries Austrian cuisine Bavarian cuisine German pastries