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Cat Santamauro loves doughnuts almost as much as we do. Let’s hear it for the jelly-filled kind.

Sufganiyot

I figured with the holiday season upon us I would pay some love to the tribe. Gingerbread seems to hog the spotlight, so I thought I would show off a Hanukkah specialty, “Sufganiyot”. Hanukkah is all about fried food to commemorate the oil that lasted eight days. If you can think of a better use for oil than frying up delicious food, I’d like to hear it.

This recipe makes about 24 doughnuts (with leftover scraps for extra fried goodness)

Ingredients:

• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (about 100 degrees)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you might want some more for rolling out the dough)
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup strawberry jam mixed till not lumpy
• 3 cups vegetable oil for fryers

Directions:

1. Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and let sit for 10 min ’til it’s nice and foamy. If it doesn’t get foamy, throw it out and start over.
2. Place flour on a clean surface and create a well in the center.
3. Add eggs, butter, cinnamon and salt.
4. Knead throughly until you have some smooth, sticky, elastic dough.
5. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.
6. Let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours.
7. Place dough on a floured surface and roll out to ¼ to ½ inch thickness.
8. Cut as many rounds as dough allows with a biscuit cutter or a floured drinking glass. You can re-roll the scraps or just cut them into 1 inch irregular shapes to make donut holes.
9. Take a dough round and spoon a tablespoon of jam in the center and cover with another round, pinch the edges together by pulling outward (this should make the doughnut about an inch bigger in diameter)
10. Use the same biscuit cutter and go over it again cutting off the excess. Place on an oiled cookie sheet. Continue with the rest of the dough.
11. Cover and let rise for another hour until the doughnuts double in size.
12. Heat the oil to 375. Drop the doughnuts in (two at a time) and cook for 30 seconds on each side. Remove and set on paper towels to drain.
13. When slightly cool, roll in either granulated or powdered sugar.
14. Serve warm.

– Cat Santamauro

catFood is one girl’s mission to teach people the art of simple food with big flavor. She loves cheese, crafts, and her Kitchen-Aid mixer. She can often be found around fresh produce and curing the common cold with Matzo Ball Soup.