My Kitchen My World - Lithuania

This is my first entry in the My Kitchen My World blogging event. I'm actually not even on the blogroll yet, but this event just looked too fun to not participate. Andrea of Nummy Kitchen chose Lithuania as the country of choice this week. I wasn't really clear on the rules of the event. I think I'm supposed to make an actual meal from the featured country, but I didn't realize that and instead made little Lithuanian pastries. Next time I'll be sure to do an actual meal.


Ausukes ("little ears" - Lithuanian pastries)
2 eggs
3 tbsp. sweet cream (I substituted whole milk)
1 tbsp. sugar
About 1 3/4 cups pastry flour (I used all-purpose)

Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream. Add enough flour to make a dough which can be rolled very thin. Cut into diamond shapes. Slash the center of each diamond, twist one end through the hole to form a knot. Fry in hot fat until lightly browned. Drain on absorbent paper. Dust with powdered sugar.

Note 1: Check the hot oil before frying to make sure it's the right temperature. Toss in a scrap of dough or two (okay, don't toss it. Set it in gently and stand back). If the dough just sits there and maybe bubbles half-heartedly, your oil probably needs to heat a bit more. If it pops and hisses and oil jumps out at you and the scrap starts burning within seconds, turn the heat down. If the dough starts bubbling merrily, and is nicely browned in about half a minute or so (maybe less), then the oil is just about right.

Note 2: These cook up really quickly. I learned that it's best to cook them in small batches. I would put in four little pastries, and by the time all four were in the oil, it was time to start turning them over. By the time I was done turning them, they were ready to be taken out and sugared.

Note 3: These were yummy! They didn't last very long because we kept snatching them as they finished cooking. You see this plate of ausukes? I ate the whole thing, and then some, in just a few minutes. Tasty little pastries!


Check out the My Kitchen My World website to see what yummy Lithuanian dishes that other (official) members of this event prepared!