These Are The World's Best Doughnuts — And You Can Make Them Yourself

We were in the region of Međimurje, in northern Croatia, during for the carnival-like celebration called Fašnik this February. This is a time of celebrations signifying the end of winter darkness and the welcoming of spring. During this time, there is a parade on Sunday through the center of the town of Čakovec. Here you can see people dressed up as scarecrows and masked demons, though some of the locals wear fancy dress outfits that aren’t as scary. At the end of the parade, they burn an effigy stuffed with hay to signify victory over the demons of darkness, as well as to mark the end of festivities. This is the occasion for people to eat krafne — doughnuts — and because they’re a specialty of this particular time of year, people can easily down three or four in one sitting.