It seems that there has been a funny misunderstanding here! The term “Vintage earrings” (known in Serbian or Croatian as Vanđine naušnice) is actually the name for traditional homemade doughnuts or slatki, which are passed down as a secret recipe in many families.

If you are looking for a recipe for this sweet pastry that is “soft as a soul”, here is a proven recipe from ingredients that everyone has in their pantry:

The secret to “soft as a soul”
To make these “earrings” fluffy even the next day, the secret is to add plain yogurt or sour cream to the dough and a pinch of vinegar, which will prevent excessive fat absorption during frying.

What will you need?
Plain flour: 500 g
White yogurt (or sour cream): 200 g
Egg: 1 pc
Fresh yeast: ½ cube (or 1 pack of dried)
Milk: 100 ml (lukewarm)
Sugar: 1 tbsp
Salt: a pinch
Vinegar: 1 tsp (key ingredient!)
Step by step instructions


Yeast: Mix sugar and yeast in lukewarm milk. Leave to rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Dough: Add yogurt, egg, salt, vinegar and prepared yeast to a bowl with flour. Knead a smooth and soft dough. If it is sticky, add a little flour, but do not overdo it – the softer the dough, the fluffier the donuts will be.
Proving: Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise for at least 45-60 minutes until it doubles in size.
Shaping the “earrings”: Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1.5 cm. Cut it into rectangles or diamonds. Make 1-2 cuts in the middle of each with a knife (this will give them their typical vintage shape).
Frying: Fry in hot oil on both sides until golden brown. The oil must not smoke so that the doughnuts do not burn and remain raw inside.
Why are they called “earrings”?


The name probably comes from their shape – in many regions, the dough is interwoven in various ways through the cut before frying, creating a shape reminiscent of decorative jewelry or historical earrings.

How to serve them?
Classic: Rolled in powdered sugar with vanilla.
With filling: With homemade apricot jam or plum jam.
As a savoury dish: They also taste great with white cheese or sour cream.
Final tip: If you want them to be even more fragrant, add the grated zest of one organic lemon to the dough.

Would you like to know how to bake these “earrings” in the oven if you want to avoid frying in oil?