As a result, oil features prominently in Chanukah traditions, and many faithful Jewish people include foods fried in oil as part of their holiday dinners or desserts. This recipe for “Raspberry Jam Doughnuts” from BBC GoodFood produces a delicious treat for Chanukah celebrations.
This recipe features metric volumes and weights, so use the correct measuring conversion in countries where the metric system is not employed.
Raspberry Jam Doughnuts
Makes 20
- 130 ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
- 500 grams strong white bread flour
- 40 grams golden caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 7 grams fast-action yeast
- 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- 120 grams unsalted butter, softened
- Vegetable oil, for proving and deep-frying
- 350 grams raspberry jam
For the icing:
- 400 grams icing sugar, sieved
- Pink food colouring
- Freeze-dried raspberries, to decorate (optional)
Directions:
Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the split vanilla pod. Slowly bring to a simmer and, once it begins to steam, remove from the heat and pour into a measuring jug. If it has reduced, top with up to 130 ml extra milk, then leave to cool until tepid.
Put the flour into the large bowl of a stand mixer. Stir through the sugar, salt and yeast. Using the hook attachment for your mixer, begin combining the dry ingredients, then add the vanilla-infused milk and eggs. Keep mixing for 10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Scoop small spoonfuls of the softened butter and gradually add to the dough. When all the butter has been added, continue mixing for a further 5 to 6 minutes or until it is well incorporated and the dough is sticky and stretchy.
Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, put the dough in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 20 equal-sized pieces (if you want to weigh them, they should be around 45 grams each). Roll the dough into balls and place them, well spaced apart, on two lightly oiled baking sheets. Cover with lightly oiled baking parchment, or a light tea towel (if it’s too heavy it will keep the dough from rising) and leave for a further 1 hour, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Fill a large heavy-based saucepan two-thirds full with oil and place over a low-medium heat, bringing the temperature up to 170 C. Use a cooking thermometer to check, then carefully lift each doughnut and gently lower into the oil to fry in batches of about five at a time. Cook each batch for 5 minutes, turning halfway, until the doughnuts are dark golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper. Leave to cool completely.
Spoon the raspberry jam into a piping bag without a nozzle and snip a very small hole in the end. Use a skewer to poke a hole in the side of each doughnut, then push the end of the piping bag into each hole and pipe in a little of the jam. Set aside.
For the icing, mix together the icing sugar and 4 tablespoons water, then a drop or two of the food colouring to make it pale pink. Drop a dessert-spoonful of the icing on top of each doughnut, then use a palette knife to spread and even out the icing. Sprinkle each one with the freeze-dried raspberries, if you like.
Jelly doughnuts can be the culinary star of Chanukah
Symbolism and the holiday season go hand in hand. For those of Jewish heritage who celebrate Chanukah, there is more than one prominent symbol of the holiday that endures year after year. The widely recognizable menorah fits that bill, and jelly doughnuts also have withstood the test of time. Many Chanukah celebrants enjoy a specific variety known as sufganiyot.
According to My Jewish Learning, jelly doughnuts are one of the more symbolic dishes associated with Chanukah. Oily foods are made to represent the miracle of Chanukah since the first celebration, and fried jelly doughnuts became tied to Chanukah during the Middle Ages. Early on they were known as “ponchiks” because they were modelled after the doughnuts served in Poland around Christmastime. But eventually they took the name sufganiyot, from the “spongy dough” mentioned in the Talmud.
Enjoy this recipe for “Sufganiyot,” courtesy of Martha Stewart, for your next Chanukah celebration.
Sufganiyot
Makes 20
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1⁄2 cup warm water (100 to 110 F)
- 1⁄4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, plus more for rolling
- 21⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups vegetable oil, plus more for bowl
- 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Place flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre; add eggs, yeast mixture, 1⁄4 cup sugar, butter, nutmeg, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a sticky dough forms. On a well-floured work surface, knead until dough is smooth, soft, and bounces back when poked with a finger, about 8 minutes (add more flour, if necessary). Place in an oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, 1 to 11⁄2 hours.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness. Using a 21⁄2-inch-round cutter or drinking glass, cut 20 rounds. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 15 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 370 F. Using a slotted spoon, carefully slip 4 rounds into oil. Fry until golden, about 40 seconds. Turn doughnuts over; fry until golden on other side, another 40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Roll in sugar while warm. Fry all dough, and roll in sugar.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip with jam. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip into a hole, pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.
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