I’ve gone diving with sharks, traveled alone to other countries, and presented at major scientific conferences–yet I was scared of deep-frying. I even considered baking this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Mrs. Vogel’s Scherben, to avoid heating gobs of oil to dangerously high temperatures.
I bit the bullet and jumped into the frying pan(ha!) because of doughnuts. Yes, doughnuts. I’ve been wanting to make traditional, yeasted doughnuts for awhile now but because of the frying-thing put them off. In the screwy logic base that is my head, I figured these scherben things are small and would be good practice for doughnuts which are big (it’s all relative).
Scherben means shards in German and it’s what the mother (Mrs. Vogel) of one of Dorie Greenspan’s friends called them. They are dough rolled paper-thin, cut into strips, fried, and then covered with cinnamon-sugar. I call them little snackie things. Because that’s way more understandable to the co-workers. 😛
Whatever you call them, they’re delicious (0r so I’ve been told. I’m eating vegan this week). Who doesn’t like fried dough covered in sugar?
Thank you so much to Teanna of Spork or Foon? for hosting this week’s selection. She is an awesome blogger, storyteller, and a very creative baker. Because of her I am now ready to tackle doughnuts! If you would like the recipe for the Sherben, visit her blog or buy the book.
Pink Stripes 
These look wonderful! There’s a very similar sweet in Spain, called “hojuelas”, little leaves…
Those look delicious. Doughnuts sound good, too. =) Frying doesn’t scare me that much, but I’ve had no time to make these.
Those look amazing!! Great job!! I didn’t get to mine today… but someday I will concur deep frying!
They are perfect !!
Great job, and your will power is amazing. I think it’s so hard to bake and not try what you make. I can’t wait to see your donut creations!
You are fearless! I am so glad you made these and I can’t WAIT to see the doughnuts! Thanks for frying along with me this week!
Thank you so much Pink, for visiting while I was gone… I appreciate it very much!
Wishing you and your family a very happy new year… perhaps over a cup of tea and a couple of those great fried thingies! LOL LOL
Ooo. I’d love to fry doughnuts one day. Can we use your kitchen?
Glad your thingies were enjoyed!
They look great – a gateway to donuts? 😉
My son wants me to make donuts this year too.
When you’re ready to make doughnuts, call me. I have just the recipe I want to tackle.
great job! they look perfect! I’ve never fried anything either and I’m still on the fence about making these today!
They came out perfectly. Just the right amount of brown on the ‘snacky things’. Here in the south it would be ‘snacky thangs’.
Your little snackie things look great 🙂 I was surprised by how much I liked these, I’m usually not a fan of fried things, but they were really light and not at all greasy. I made doughnuts (though not yeasted) a few months ago, and they were really fun and delicious. Have fun with them!
Beautiful pictures.
Your little snackie thingees look wonderful. Now that you’ve conquered your fear of frying I can’t wait to see your donuts.
Gorgeous – I’m definitely frying these next time! 🙂
Your little snackie things look great. Glad they were a hit with the co-workers. Good luck with the doughnuts. I’m really craving a doughnut now.
These look beautiful! Needless to say…I can’t wait to see the doughnuts.
How funny! I also plan to make doughnuts soon as well. That is on my to-do list.
I love your Scherbens. Very nice. Very nice very nice. (I sound like Borat huh?) 😉
They are rather addictive even when they aren’t the most tasty thing ever! Good for you, not even eating any! And way to get the fryer on! 😉
Glad your little snackie things turned out so well and that the co-workers liked them! 🙂
Wendy, your little snacks sure look yummie, love the wavy cut 🙂
They look tasty and I bet they are addicting!
I’d easily finish off a bowl of these…
They look great! I’m sure your co-workers were more interested in eating them than learning the proper name.
I wish you’d renamed these last week. I’ve been perplexing people by saying “I need to make scherben”, “The scherben are almost ready” or “the scherben are past their prime.” Little snacky things have a more universal appeal. And yours look perfect. I can’t wait to see the doughnuts!
Haha little snackie things – I love it!! A much more apt and descriptive term than scherben 🙂 Whatever you call them, yours look terrific.
Can’t wait to see the donuts!
No sampling? Way to stick to it! These look pretty with the edges.
Yours look just like the book! Glad you confronted your frying fears. I went cage diving in South Africa. It was fun. The great whites looked nothing in person like they do on t.v. It was still fun though.
Little snackie things is a great description! Yours look great. Ours disappeared very quickly, which is probably just as well.
Love how you call it little snackie things! Your photos have definitely tempted me to give them a go!
“little snackie things” is just the right name for these!
Your scherben are just beautiful. It seems like fate that I will have to get a fluted pastry roller, this is the third recipe I have seen recently that uses one!
LOL – “little snackie things” is a good description.
My grandmother used to make something like this. These look delicious!!
I think the name, little snackie things, rolls off the tongue a little easier, too!
Happy Friday!
~ingrid
The guys were eating these as fast as I could fry and sugar them. Probably need to make some more on these cold wintery nights for them. Yours look really perfect!