Sometimes a simple homemade pastry is enough to make you feel like you’ve gone back a hundred years. God’s graces are exactly this treasure – tender, sweet, fried with love and an aroma that fills the whole kitchen.
When we say the grace of God, many of us remember our childhood, the kitchen filled with the smell of fried cookies and the moment when they are still warm wrapped in sugar and . These fragile, light and sweet shapes used to be a regular part of the Mardi Gras table. In each family they were made a little differently, some with wine, some with rum and some with lemon peel, but they all had one thing in common, they were a symbol of happiness, abundance and domestic care, which our grandmothers considered.
Check out the video from Dnes váří dada with a recipe for God’s delight on YouTube:
Today, God’s graces may be less common on , but once you taste them, you’ll understand why they disappeared at lightning speed.
A recipe for God’s grace
Raw materials:
- 250 g plain flour
- 50 g of butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons of white wine or rum
- 5 spoons of sour cream
- a pinch of lemon zest
Procedure:
Pour flour into a bowl along with a pinch of salt and grated lemon peel, add softened butter and sugar. Make a hole in the center and add the egg yolks, rum or wine and sour cream. Process everything by hand or with the help of a robot into a smooth firm dough. Then wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes to make it easier to work with.
After it has rested, take out the dough, roll it out into a thin sheet of approximately 3-4 mm and cut rectangles or other shapes out of it with a rolling pin or a sharp knife. For each piece, make a few more cuts in the middle, because this is the traditional sign of God’s graces.
Heat a higher layer of oil in a deep pan or casserole and fry the shapes in the hot fat until they are only slightly pink. During frying, the graces of God will puff up slightly, which is a good sign that you are doing everything right.
Take out the finished graces on a paper napkin to absorb the excess fat, and while they are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar mixed with vanilla sugar. That sweet crust is what makes an ordinary fried pastry a real delicacy.
Tips that make a difference
God’s graces are very fragile, so handle them carefully so they don’t break. Traditionally, they were served still lukewarm, because that’s when they are the most fragile and fragrant. Whoever added rum to the dough knew that the candy smells better and absorbs less fat during frying.
“The biggest trick with God’s graces is to fry them really briefly and in properly heated oil. It only takes a few minutes on each side for them to remain crispy and fluffy inside. And if you roll them in sugar while they’re still hot, that typical delicious crust is formed,” advises pastry chef Marie Hašková.
God’s graces were not only baked at Easter. Their history dates back to the Middle Ages, when similar fried pastries were served at various celebrations as a symbol of abundance and blessings. Many families had their own recipe that was passed down from generation to generation.
