Resting time: 1 hour + 2 hours + 30 + 30 minutes

For those who want to experience the spirit of the Viennese "Fasching," or carnival, here is a recipe for the delicious dessert called "Carnival Doughnuts" (Faschingskrapfen), so named because they are an essential component of carnival season in February.

Yeast

1. Dissolve the yeast in the cold milk; add the salt and mix. Let rest for 1 hour.

Dough

1.  Beat the butter with the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar until the mixture is creamy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
2. Add the flour, yeast mixture, rum, vinegar and 100 ml cold milk. Mix gently to form a fairly soft dough.
3. Cover and let rise in a cool place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. 

Cooking and finishing

1. On a floured work surface, divide the dough into 18-20 smooth balls. Let rest for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil to 165-170° C (330-340° F) maximum.
3. Carefully place the doughnuts into the hot oil, upper part down, and cover.
4. Once the upper part is nicely browned, turn the doughnuts and brown the lower side, then recook the upper part briefly.
5. Fill the doughnuts with apricot jam using a piping bag. Sprinkle them with icing sugar. Let rest 30 minutes before serving.