How to indulge: Transform doughnuts into a lighter delight
A friend who strictly follows a diet and exercises regularly had planned an evening visit. She's resolute about keeping her New Year’s resolutions. However, she confessed a weakness for doughnuts, so I decided to make them for her, but in a much less calorific form.
Doughnuts are a traditional treat without which we can't imagine the carnival season. Their peak in popularity coincides with Shrove Thursday, which falls on 27 February this year. However, you can enjoy their taste earlier, provided you’re not on a stringent diet.
How to make lighter doughnuts? Use cottage cheese
Traditional doughnuts are made from fluffy, buttery yeast dough and then fried in deep fat. They're delightful, but it’s best not to count the calories with these. When that’s not an option, choosing lighter versions of doughnuts is better. There are quite a few such alternatives. These doughnuts are also much more straightforward to prepare. Has a friend called to say they’re visiting in the evening? You can greet them with a plate of doughnuts.
Cottage cheese is an item that nearly everyone on a slimming diet has in their fridge. It's endorsed by nutritionists and favoured by athletes, and it’s also relatively inexpensive and available in every store. It contains plenty of easily digestible protein, which makes it very satisfying. Its neutral taste also allows for the making of low-calorie sweets. It’s suitable for omelettes, cakes, and muffins; you can also make delicious doughnuts with it.
Doughnuts with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients:
- About 200 g (7 oz) of cottage cheese,
- About 200 g (7 oz) of plain flour,
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar,
- Half a tablespoon of caster sugar (or another sweetener),
- 2 eggs,
- 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder,
- Icing sugar (or xylitol powder) for serving,
- Oil for frying.
Instructions:
- Blend or carefully mash the cottage cheese with a fork to ensure no lumps.
- Sift the flour and baking powder, mix them together, and add them to the bowl with the cottage cheese.
- Add the vanilla sugar and caster sugar along with the eggs. Mix everything thoroughly.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Shape the doughnuts with two small spoons before placing them in the oil.
- Fry them until golden brown.
- Place them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
- Sprinkle the doughnuts with icing sugar, and they’ll be ready to enjoy!
