Israeli Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts

While Latkes are traditionally eaten by Eastern European and American Jews of Eastern European descent, during Hanukkah, it is more common to find an Israeli family eating Sufganiyot. These jelly doughnuts are fried in oil to represent the lasting oil of the miracle of Hanukkah. This recipe produces a yeasted dough spiced with nutmeg and cloves, to be rolled in sugar and filled with a sweet jam after frying. Have a happy and delicious Hanukkah!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons

  active dry yeast

• 1/2 cup

  warm water (100 degrees to 110 degrees)

• 1/2 cup

  sugar(1/4 cup for dough, 1/4 cup for dusting)

• 2 1/2 cups

  all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 2

  large eggs

• 2 tablespoons

  unsalted butter, cut into dime sized pieces, room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon

  freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 1/2 teaspoon

  ground cloves

• 1 1/2 teaspoons

  fleur de sel salt

• 3 cups

  vegetable oil, plus more for bowl

• 1 1/2 cups

  raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam

Directions

In small bowl, combine yeast and warm water, gently stirring with a fork for a few seconds. Set aside for 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy and bubbly.

On a clean, well floured counter top, combine flour, sugar, fleur de sel, and spices with hands. Make a large well in the center of this flour mixture and add eggs, yeast mixture and butter. Quickly and carefully add flour from the walls of the well to the wet mixture.*

Once a ball of dough has formed, scrape scraps stuck to counter with a pastry scraper, re-flour counter top and knead dough for about eight minutes or until until smooth and dough bounces back when poked with a finger.*

Place dough in a well oiled, medium sized bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Set to rise in a warm place for 1- 1 1/2 hours.**

Roll dough out to 1/4” and cut with a 2 1/2” round cookie cutter or a drinking glass. (Ateco makes round cutters in various sizes that can be used for cake decorating and cookie making.)

Place dough on baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for fifteen minutes.

Preheat 3 cups of vegetable oil in a deep skillet on medium high heat. Oil is ready for frying when bubbles form around the submerged handle of a wooden spoon and rise to the top.

Place cut dough in preheated oil with slotted spoon and cook for about 40 seconds on each side or until dough is golden brown.

Transfer doughnuts to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Roll all doughnuts in remaining 1/4 cup of sugar on a large dinner plate while still warm.

Poke holes in tops of doughnuts with a small pairing knife and fill doughnuts with jam using a piping bag or a plastic zipper bag with one corner cut off, making a hole small enough to go inside of the doughnut hole.

*Steps 2 and 3 can be performed with a stand mixer, if preferred. Place dry ingredients in stand mixer’s bowl, make a well, add wet ingredients and butter and use paddle attachment to bring dough together. Once mixture has come together, use a dough hook on low speed to knead for eight minutes or until dough springs back when poked with finger.

**Dough can be placed in refrigerator overnight after rising, just punch down before rolling out.