Quarkbällchen – Fried Curd Balls

Ingredients

• 420 ml quark
• 2 eggs
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 packets vanilla sugar
• 400 g flour
• 2 packets baking powder
• 1 L sunflower oil
• icing sugar
• alcohol

Method

Quarkbällchen are held together by the protein network in quark and eggs, then leavened by baking-powder as they hit the oil — get the dough texture wrong and they'll either collapse into greasy pucks or stay dense inside. Mix quark, eggs, 6 tablespoons caster sugar, and the vanilla sugar until smooth. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then fold into the wet mixture until just combined. The dough should be loose and slightly sticky, almost like a thick pancake batter that's just holding its shape when you scoop it. This matters: too stiff and they won't puff; too wet and they'll absorb oil instead of fry.

Heat sunflower oil to 170°C in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep frying pan — use a thermometer, not guesswork. The oil needs to be deep enough for the balls to float freely without crowding; aim for at least 8 centimetres. Once it reaches temperature, take a wet spoon and carefully lower a ball of dough into the oil. It should sink briefly, then rise to the surface within 20 seconds as the deep-frying expansion kicks in. If it stays on the bottom, your oil is too cold.

Fry in batches to avoid temperature drop. Each ball takes roughly 2–3 minutes per side. Watch for the surface to transform from pale to mahogany brown — not dark mahogany, which means the outside has burnt whilst the inside stays raw. Turn them once, using a skimmer or slotted spoon, and listen for the crackle to quieten slightly, a sign the interior is setting. They're done when they sound hollow if tapped lightly with the spoon.

Drain on kitchen paper immediately. The interior should feel light and slightly bouncy when cooled. Dust generously with icing sugar while still warm — it clings better to the residual heat and dissolves into the surface crevices. If serving in the German style, serve with a splash of alcohol (traditionally fruit schnapps) drizzled over the pile, or simply eat them plain whilst warm, when the contrast between the crispy exterior and the airy, custard-like centre is sharpest.