Ever since I first left my childhood home, I've been searching for it somewhere else. Searching for its language, its culture, its food. In some places, I found all of them. Not in equal amounts, and sometimes even the downside of my culture, its language or its food.
Anyway.
I've been craving sugar for some time now. And even though I use two overfilled teaspoons of sugar in my morning coffee, it wasn't enough. It hadn't been for some time now. In fact, my body is craving the exact opposite, I believe, while it presents itself as craving sugar for me.
And just like all them commercials suddenly making you crave something, or you suddenly end up buying it the following day. I got a craving for sugar by writing and reading and re-reading about it. WHAM. Mind. Blown.
So, the other day, I decided to make something I hadn't eaten for a few years now. And only ate like once-twice a year before that. Tulumbe
I had made it once before, but I had to freshen up the ingredients, as the expression goes in Norwegian. I remember not using milk, and since the recipe can be made several different ways, and has several different names, all of whom are meant to cause more disagreements and arguments amongst the once-all-together-in-one-country, not as far back as Pangea, but yeah, maybe, when I come to think of it. But that was all I had to go with.
Anyway. I found a recipe. Went with my patriotic side this time, and turns out, it didn't work.
I failed.
Miserably.
Not as bad as with the previous kitchen failure, the Napoleon' Cake-episode. But miserably still.
Now. To the tulumbe.
Imagine churros.
But fluffy.
And twice the size.
Dipped, no, soaked in sugary water. Sugar brine, but without the salt.
And just as you take a bite, some of that sugary deliciousness drips from your mouth like that dog drooling in the every cartoon.
Ouff.
Tulumbe. On a plate. Using a filter.
I once fainted, actually, after eating one of them.
I had just gotten out of bed, real fast, eaten a hugher-than-usual amount of sugar as my old friend's Mom had made them, and ate a big one real fast before going off to bed. I fainted halfway, my head hit the door, made a hole, the door hit the wall, made a hole. My old friend re-did her place, and both holes are gone, as far as I know. Not a doctor, but nothing serious. I hope. I got to bed eventually.
These, on the other hand, will not make you faint. Unless you an allergic one. Then read through the ingredients carefully, leave an upvote, and wait for another one. Haha. But for real.
Mine turned out to be cripsy, kinda. They didn't go soft the right way. The length was as it was back when I was young, but that was about it. The best ones were the ones straight from the syrup dip. The remaining ones, I left in the fridge. Which made them even harder. But bacteria, man. Need to keep that cooked food refrigerated.
I ate them all up. Didn't even share this time.
No regrets.
Not because the tulumbe didn't turn out the way they should've, and I became embarrassed, or something, no.
But because I wanted to soak in all that nostalgic feeling where I was a kid, eating this cause it was one of those holidays, and eating them for breakfast. Ouff.
I would close my eyes now while eating almost each one, and just let all the good memories pour in. Fill my brain with happy memories. Mainly, the memories are of a simpler kind. Involving me and food, and my tummy filling up with a beautiful sensation of pure joy. Oh, how I miss the food. Oh, how I miss it.
Now, back to reality. And the tulumbe that I made.
Here they are.
Look.
Look beyond the filter.
Tulumbe. Balkan's version, whether it's better or no, you decide, of the churro
This is the first photo of the process. That's when I decided I should write about the famous tulumbe I was making
This the baking instrument I used. One of a kind, but similar are found in stores near you. I guess.
This me trying to be funny when I saw the resemblance between the hand of Godzilla and my tulumbe soaking in the sugary syrup
I have no idea why I took this photo. But it is a picture of the frying pan I used. I could be interpreted as a metaphor for the caterpillar becoming a beautiful butterfly, from the frying pan and all that grease into the Balkanized churro of sugary deliciousness
This is a close-up. Because why not
Servings: 1, or 10-12 tulumbe
Time: 5 min. prep + 10 min cook time + 10 min cooling down time + 15 min. fry time
Ingredients
2 dl water
1 dl cooking oil
2 eggs
4 dl flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 l cooking oil, used to fry
Syrupy sugar water:
1 1/2 dl water
2 dl sugar
Optional: juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients
- Cook that water and oil, let it bubble for half a minute, and take the casserole of the heat
- Pour over all the dry ingredients at once, stir with a spatula or wooden spoon, fast, until the dough is flawless
- Let the dough cool, before you stir in two eggs
Now. Pay attention to the order of things that have to happen first, second, and last.
- Bring sugar and water, and maybe lemon juice, to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes. Turn off stove. Leave it be
- Fill a frying pan with cooking oil, turn to 7 out of 9, never 9. Never 10.
- When bubbles start forming around that wooden spoon handle of yours, you can go on with the frying process
- Fill the tube, or similar instrument of your choosing, press out the dough. Cut off with a spoon or knife or fork of your choosing
- Let the tulumbe fry a few minutes longer on the first side than on the other side
- When done, toss them into the sugary river, leave them be for 10 quick seconds, before placing them in a photogenic manner on a plate
Tips, Tricks etc
- This recipe contains baking powder, which my first one didn't. I hope that helps making the tulumbe more fluffy.
- Don't let the tulumbe soak in the sugary syrup for too long. No more than 10 seconds. There is a thing called 'too much' of something. I have done this. So you don't have to.
So, go, make the recipe.
Enjoy.
Tell your friends about it (email it to your haters).
Spread the joy.
Share a comment, or two, if you end up making it. Or not. Do as you please. But don't end up in jail.
Did you know?
Eating sugary food on occasion, especially food from your childhood or food you have good memories of, can make you smile for at least 5 seconds
If someone gives you more stress than peace, leave. Run. Jog away.