My parents tried (i repeat,,,,tried) to restrain us from junk food for most of the year, but during Hanukkah, we all got a pass. . My siblings and I would stuff ourselves stupid with potato latkes and sufganiyot.
What is sufganiyot? Basically, a Jewish jelly doughnut. My dough recipe for the sufganiyot is a buttery doughnut that’s so light you won’t even notice you’ve eaten four of them! Since sufganiyot is traditionally filled with a fruit jelly, I thought it would be fun to fill them with my “quick jam” recipe! The base recipe for the jam comes together in just 10 minutes and no need for any fancy equipment. my sufganiyot recipe is easily customizable with tons of fillings you can create yourself!
1 tablespoon (9g) active dry yeast
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, lukewarm*
3¼ cups (450g/16 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus up to ¼ cup more as necessary
⅓ cup (75g/2.3 oz.) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup (1/2 stick/56g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy or rum (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
½–1 cup jam of your choice
½ cup powdered sugar, for dusting
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups/1 liters
***RECIPE FOR JELLY IS ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM****
Making the dough: Sprinkle yeast over lukewarm milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until slightly foamy.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix flour and sugar. Fit mixer with dough hook and add eggs, butter, zest, vanilla extract, brandy, and milk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until a soft ball of dough starts to form, 2-3 minutes. If the dough is too sticky or soft and doesn’t come together, add more flour as necessary, one tablespoon at a time. Add in salt. Keep mixing until dough is soft and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Frying: In a large, deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 in./5 cm of oil until a thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 350F/180C. If you don’t have a thermometer to test, insert a wooden spoon into the oil; it’s ready for frying when bubbles appear around the stick. If it bubbles vigorously, it’s too hot. Carefully add doughnuts, 3-4 at a time, depending on how large the saucepan is. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Drain doughnuts and move to paper towel-lined plate.
Filling with Jelly: Once doughnuts have cooled, place jelly in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round tip opening. Press tip halfway into doughnuts and squeeze until jam begins to dollop out. Top doughnuts with powdered sugar.
eat up and enjoy every delicious bite!
FOR THE JELLY //
In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry (or mixed berries like you can see in my photos)
. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.