A Schenkele, or Schenkela (in Alsace), Schänkeli, Schenkeli, Schenggeli, Schänggeli (in Switzerland) is a small cylindrical sweet fritter eaten around Christmas and Fasnacht in Alsace and German-speaking Switzerland.

Schenkele
TypeFritter
Place of originSwitzerland, Alsace
Associated cuisineSwiss cuisine, Alsatian cuisine
Main ingredientsFlour, sugar, butter eggs, ground nuts
Ingredients generally usedCandied peel, kirsch

They are also known as pieds de chèvre ("goat's feet") in the Canton of Jura (due to the small incision made at one end of the dough making them resemble cloven hoofs.[1] Other names include cuisses de dames ("women's thighs") in France.[1]

A reference to Schenkele can be found as early as 1787 by Kaspar von Stieler as "im Elsass schenkele zur bezeichnung kleiner, länglicher brödchen" ("in Alsace schenkele to mean small, elongated bread rolls").[2]

Preparation

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Schenkele are made from a dough of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, ground almonds or walnuts additionally flavored using candied orange or lemon peel and Kirsch. The dough is formed into finger-sized cylinders, deep-fried and dusted with sugar.[3] They are shelf-stable and their flavor intensifies with storage.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Schenkeli in the online Culinary Heritage of Switzerland database.
  2. ^ Grimm, Jacob (1984). Deutsches Wörterbuch. Wilhelm Grimm, Moriz Heyne, Rudolf Hildebrand, Matthias Lexer, F. L. K. Weigand. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-423-05945-1. OCLC 11419533.
  3. ^ Hamlyn (2018). Larousse gastronomique. London. ISBN 978-0-600-63587-1. OCLC 1053862351.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Sheraton, Mimi (2014). 1,000 foods to eat before you die : a food lover's life list. Kelly Alexander. New York. ISBN 978-0-7611-8554-3. OCLC 868648835.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)