Pampushky

• 2 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 Cup water
• 2 Package active dry yeast
• 1/4 Cup milk
• 6 Cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 Pound sweet butter
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 3 Egg yolks
• 1 Teaspoon salt, if using sweet butter
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 Cup rose preserve or any dry fruit preserve
• Powdered sugar, as needed

• Mix the sugar and water, sprinkle with the yeast, and let stand until soft.
• Heat the milk to warm, and add the milk and 1/4 cup of the flour to the yeast mixture.
• Beat well, cover and allow rising until light and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
• In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
• Beat eggs and egg yolks together, blending well and combine with the sugar-butter mixture, beating meticulously until the eggs are pale white.
• Grate a lemon on a fine grater until the entire yellow colour is grated off and add this (the zest), vanilla, and the yeast mixture to the butter-egg mixture.
• Combine in 4 cups of flour.
• If the dough seems a little loose, add a little more, but the dough should be soft.
• Knead, by hand, for about 10 minutes.
• Replace in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top, and cover with a damp towel, set in a warm place until double in bulk.
• Punch down, knead a few more times, and allow rising again until the dough is doubled.
• When doubled, divide the dough into 4 parts.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one part into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick, turning once or twice during the rolling to achieve a uniform thickness.
• Dust with flour sparingly.
• Place 1 teaspoon of rose preserve at evenly space intervals on the dough, or with a 2 1/2-inch cutter, softly form impressions and place the filling in each.
• Roll another portion out, as above, to the same thickness, and softly cover the first, overlapping a little.
• Cut circles with the cutter.
• Place them on a lightly floured cookie sheet and allow rise until double in size.
• Repeat until all of the dough is used, rolling out the scraps last.
• Heat oil or shortening to 375 degrees F. in a deep fryer or wide skillet.
• Test the temperature by frying a piece of bread; it should bubble and turn golden quickly.
• The fat should not be smoking.
• Fry 5 or 6 pampushky at a time. Do not crowd as this lowers the temperature and the doughnuts will absorb too much grease.
• When one side is golden, flip with a spoon to fry the other side.
• Dough will puff up in the frying.
• Perfect Pampushky are light as air.
• Drain on paper towels.
• When slightly cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• Serve with tea.

Borscht	Shashlik
Solyanka	Varenyky
Holubtsi	Deruny
Pampushky	Okroshka
Kutya	Rozsolnyk
Chicken Kiev	Kasha