It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Krapfenzeit. Simply put, a Krapfen is a deep-fried ball of yeast dough with a fruit or cream filling. In other regions they may be called Berliner, Pfannkuchen, or Ballen, but in Bavaria and Austria they are Krapfen (I have also seen “Grapfen” in Südtirol).
Standard Krapfen, with powdered sugar and jelly inside may be found year-round, but in Fasching, the lead-up to Ash Wednesday that Americans will know as Mardi Gras, bakeries go crazy with color and flavor.
In previous years I have gone on quests to collect Faschingskrapfen from every bakery in walking distance (more than you think), rate all the different chocolate ones, or to accumulate a maximum number flavors; this year instead I’ve enjoyed a random few.
2020 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven.
Homage has been paid in sugar. The filling was nutty.
And for Valentine’s Day, Roland brought home “Heisse Liebe”, which we will translate to “Passion”. Inside there is both raspberry jelly and vanilla pudding!
