Glùcaella - Crocus Doughnut

Athril opened the window in his room in the palace and breathed in the fresh scent of spring. But then a second aroma mixed with the spring bouquet and tickled his nose. The prince sniffed, turned his head in that direction and closed his eyes.

"Mhhmmm, the sweet smell of crocus doughnuts," he thought, and a broad smile appeared on his face, as if he was clinging to the most wonderful memory of his life.

Honoring the Fertility Goddess

Glùcaella are a very popular dessert that is mainly baked during Brictadi, the 5th month of the Brictaelgican Luni changing year calendar. Especially during the Flower Festival, which is always celebrated on the 4th and 5th of Brictadi in honor of the fertility goddess Brictissa, countless such doughnuts are offered in the markets.

Apricot-pink giant crocuses are among the first flowers to bring the Brictealgian meadows back to life after winter, and are therefore seen as a symbol of resurrection, renewal, and joy. The goblins believe that everyone must eat at least one of these doughnuts during the season in order to enjoy life all year round.

Brictissa - Goddess of Fertility by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

Crocus doughnuts have been offered during the Flower Festival since around the 9th century AEC. Before that, it was traditional to serve simple pastries that were cut out in the shape of flowers and baked in the oven. But around 856 BEC, the fertility goddess is said to have appeared to the goblin Brill Glossyleaf in his sleep two days before the Flower Festival and revealed the recipe to him. He gave it to his wife Lâni, who tried it out immediately.

As Lâni ended up baking too many doughnuts that they would never be able to eat all by themselves, they opened the windows of their house during the flower festival and sold the rest to passing visitors with the words: "For the joy of Brictissa, blessings be with you." When they heard a commotion outside their door the next day, they saw a long line of goblins who had heard about their doughnuts. They immediately made more dough and, if the myths are to be believed, they are said to have sold thousands of these delicacies that day.

The doughnut business was so good that Brill and Lâni Glossyleaf opened a small bakery and kept the recipe secret until their deaths. Since they had no descendants, they left the recipe to the Druid Guild, which was to distribute it in honor of the fertility goddess. She undoubtedly succeeded in doing this, because today a flower festival without Glùcaella and the blessing would be unimaginable.

"Joy and blessings from Brictissa!
Be careful not to spill any on your robe. The cream leaves unsightly stains that are difficult to wash out."

squeak --

"Oh dear, I warned you."

Market woman at the stand talking to a traveler

Giant Crocus

by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

The giant crocus is a bulbous plant whose flowers reach a height of about 30 centimeters. The first flowers appear from the middle of Trállôndi. The end of the month to the middle of Brictâdi is the main flowering period of the crocus and the Brictaelgian meadows shine in a strong apricot-rose color.
It is the only type of crocus whose flowers, stamens and nectar are edible. The parts taste slightly sweet and have a floral scent, which is why they are often used in cakes and desserts.

The main ingredients, appearance and consistency

The doughnuts consist of a part choux pastry mixture on the inside, which is filled with a delicately melting cream made from crocus curd after baking, and a part puff pastry that flatters the choux pastry mixture like a coat on the outside.
Glùcaella are about 10 centimeters in diameter and about 7 centimeters high. When the doughnuts are baked, the unfolded puff pastry gives them a round flower shape that is reminiscent of open roses. There is a small hole in the middle that is decorated with candied crocus flowers.
Although the doughnuts are made with a lot of butter, you only taste a hint of butter when you bite into the soft and airy doughnuts. The first bite brings back memories of the slightly sweet, floral scent of the crocus meadows when the crocus curd touches your tongue. The strong yellow-orange cream is slightly runny and caresses the palate with a fresh lemony note and a hint of vanilla, rose and honey.

Recipe for 10 pieces

The crocus curd and candied blossoms are prepared a day or two before the actual baking. To make the curd, the blossoms are plucked, chopped, and boiled in a saucepan with the stamens, zest, and citrus juice. Strain the juice through a sieve, reserving the orange juice. Beat the eggs and sugar until white. Stir half of the boiled juice into the egg mixture. Add this mixture to the remaining juice in the saucepan and stir continuously over a low heat until thickened. Then pour into a glass and refrigerate.

Crocus curd by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

For the candied flowers, dissolve the sugar in the water and then add it to the sugar solution and carefully submerge it. Leave the solution with the flowers in a protected place for a day and strain or fish them out of the solution the next day. Leave to dry on a tray lined with baking paper in the spring sun.

On the day of the celebration, the puff pastry is prepared first, as it needs to be cooled repeatedly. The flour is mixed with salt and sugar in a bowl.

Then add the cold water and the yolk vinegar and knead everything into a smooth dough. Flatten the dough into a square and chill for 30 minutes (0.5 vâr). In the meantime, cut the butter into thin slices, dust with a little flour and roll evenly thin. Chill until the dough is completely cool. Take the dough and butter out of the fridge and roll out the dough. Place the thinly rolled butter sheet on the dough and wrap the sheet with the excess dough like a love letter. Roll out into a rectangle and fold 1/3 of the dough over on one side and the other as if you were folding a towel. Then roll out into a rectangle again and fold over again. Put the finished dough to one side.
For the choux paste, bring the water to the boil with the butter, salt and sugar. Add the flour and immediately stir with a wooden spoon to form a tough dough. Continue stirring at medium heat and press the dough ball onto the hot bottom of the pan from all sides with the wooden spoon. Put the dough in a bowl and leave to cool slightly. Gradually add the eggs and stir each egg until you have a smooth dough. The dough should be nice and shiny and fall off the spoon with a stick.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cut out the puff pastry into 20 round 11 cm pieces. Place 10 pieces on a baking tray and pipe a thin circle of the choux pastry mixture onto the 10 pieces in the middle. Brush the edges of the puff pastry with a little egg yolk or water. Then carefully place the second slice on the mixture and press the edges down a little. Brush the top slice with a little egg yolk. Bake the doughnuts in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. Do not open the oven!

Raw dough ring with curd filling by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

Allow the doughnut to cool slightly. Use a piping bag to fill the doughnut with the curd mixture and garnish with the sugar flowers. Depending on the city, the doughnut cost around 10 to 20 Aeleth each.

Ýrad drui nócti ad Brictissanai! - Joy and blessings of Brictissa!

Ingredients

For the cream
150 crocus flowers
abrite and juice 1 small citrus fruit
2 eggs
7 nul sugar
6 nul cold butter
For the sugar flowers
50 crocus flowers
60 nul sugar
1 avai water
For the puff pastry
2.5 ônul flour
5 êlbo salt
2.5 êlbo sugar
1.3 vai cold water
10 lômal yolk-yellow vinegar
2.5 ônul butter
some flour to work
For the choux pastry
3 lômal butter
15 âvai water
3 êlbo sugar
30 nul flour
1 lox salt
5 eggs
Difficulty level: medium
Preparation time:
Working hours: 1.5 Vâr
Cool: 1.5 Vâr
Bake: 0.5 Vâr

Quantities:
nul - pebbles (5 g) / ônul - chunk (1 kg)
âvai - blossom (15 ml) / vai - jug (1 l)
êlbo - acorn cap (1/2 tsp)
lox - stalk tip (1 p)
lômal - oak leaf (1 T) / vâr - hour

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In response to the unofficial challenge of Leijona

Desserts of Devotion