Uštipci ( sr-cyr, Уштипци, ) are doughnut-like fried dough balls popular in Southeast European countries, namely

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

and

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

Origin

The origin of the uštipci pastry is unknown. The word uštipci comes from the verb ''uštinuti'', which can be translated as "to nip, tweak or pinch". In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is occasionally referred to as ''peksimeti''. In Croatia, a variant of the dish known as ''

fritule is a Croatian festive pastry made particularly for Christmas. They resemble little doughnuts, the Italian ''zeppole'', Venetian ''frìtole'', and the Dutch Christmas snack ''oliebollen'' ('balls of oil'). However, they are usually flavored with ...

'' is also made; the two names are commonly used interchangeably for both dishes. In Slovenia, a variant of the dish similar to ''fritule'' is called ''miške''.

Description

They are similar to

and also

krofne Krofne ( Albanian and hr, krafne; Bosnian and sr-Latn, krofne, sr-cyr, крофне; sl, krofi; mk, крофни) are airy filled doughnuts. They are round and usually filled with jelly, marmalade, jam or chocolate as well as butter, Nutel ...

but with more of a soft, bread-like feel. Unlike other dishes from the region, such as

, they do not necessarily have to be sweet. In restaurants, they might come with jam,

kajmak Kaymak, sarshir, or qashta/ashta ( fa, سَرشیر ) ( ar, قشطة or ar, قيمر ) is a creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats in Central Asia, some Balkan countries, som ...

or with cheese thus fulfilling the role of breakfast staple, dessert, or even a main course. They can also have other ingredients in them which most commonly are apple, pumpkin, but even meat and cheese are possibilities. They are eaten with tea or coffee and also as a dessert. They are also often served with powdered sugar sprinkled on top to make them more aesthetically pleasing. They can go well with jams,

Nutella Nutella (; ; ) is a brand of sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread. Nutella is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero and was first introduced in 1964, although its first iteration dates to 1963. History Pietro Ferrero owned a bakery in Alba, ...

, and

Eurocrem Eurocrem (a shorthand for Eurocrem Takovo) is a brand of two-colored (brown and white) hazelnut- and cocoa-flavored sweet milk chocolate spread, produced by a Swisslion Group factory in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, about south of Belgrade. It ...

Preparation

In a large bowl, add flour and yeast, and then mix. Then, add salt and sugar, egg, and water until the mixture is at a dough-like consistency. Leave to stand for about half an hour until the dough sets. Once the dough has doubled in size, pinch medium-sized pieces of dough in any shape you like and place them in a pan with a good amount of oil, usually filled to half to the top. Fry until just golden brown. Place on paper towel to dry excess oil.

References

Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine Croatian pastries Serbian cuisine {{NorthMacedonia-cuisine-stub