Krapfen

Krapfen is one of many names for the same tasty yeast-based pastry. A German national-image article lists Berliner, Kreppel, Krapfen and Pfannkuchen as regional names, and says that in the south it is called a Krapfen.

It is described as a fist-sized yeast ball baked in boiling fat and filled with jam. As a yeast dough, it is left to rise before it is shaped into rounds, and then it is deep-fried until puffed and golden brown.

The filling depends on where you are: red jam in the north, apricot jam in the south, plum jam in the east, and in some areas rosehip puree. After filling, the pastry is dusted with powdered sugar. The same pastry is known as a Berliner in Berlin and a Kreppel in parts of Hesse, so the name tells you where in Germany you are.