Romanian cheese doughnuts with soured cream and jam (Papanași)

1. Mash the curd cheese thoroughly with a fork (or push through a sieve), add the eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon zest and salt, and mix until smooth.

2. Mix the flour with the baking powder and gradually add to the cheese until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.

3. With floured hands shape 6 larger and 6 small balls; flatten the large ones slightly and poke a hole in the middle with your finger, like a doughnut.

4. Heat oil about 3 cm deep in a pan to 170 °C and fry the rings and balls in batches for 3-4 minutes a side until golden; drain on kitchen paper.

5. Put a ring on each plate, top with plenty of soured cream and jam, and crown it with a small ball.

6. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm – so the cream and jam run down from the ball.

Tip: Papanași are the must-have dessert of Romanian restaurants, and it's often debated whether the Moldavian or the Bucharest version is the real one. They're traditionally served with blueberry jam (dulceață de afine) or sour cherry preserve – with your favourite they're the real thing too.