When it comes to Hanukkah, one of the signature dishes and favorites of the Jewish community is the suganiyot, the Chanukah donut filled with jam or chocolate. Though not proven to be true, it was passed along as an Israeli folk tale that after Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, God fed them suganiyots to cheer them up. The serving of these jelly donuts celebrates the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days.

In light of our upcoming “Let’s Learn About Hanukkah!” Family Workshop, in which participating families will be able to have a taste on this delicious delicacy, here’s an easy recipe of the suganiyot if you wish to replicate one yourself!

Ingredients

• 1 scant tablespoon (1 package) of dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 3/4 cup of lukewarm milk or warm water*
• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of butter or pareve margarine, softened*
• Apricot or strawberry preserves
• Sugar
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

*Use butter and milk if serving at a milk meal, and water and pareve margarine for meat meal

Steps

1. Bring milk to simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove milk from pan and whisk in sugar, pour mixture into a bowl and cool it to 90° F (32°C). Mix in yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until it foams.
2. Separate the eggs, beat the egg whites, and set them aside in the refrigerator. Add the egg yolks and the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients, mix with wooden spoon, and dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Gently knead the dough for a minute or two, then make a well in the center and add very soft or melted butter. Knead again until butter is absorbed. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, and cover it with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, or in a warm, draft-free place for approximately 1.5 hours, until it has doubled in size.
4. Flatten dough into a disk and roll it to a thickness of a third of an inch (8.5mm). Using a floured cookie cutter or glass, cut out as many two-inch (5 cm) disks as you can. If desired, reroll the scraps and cut out more rounds. Stretch the disks using a pinching motion until they are thinner and about two-and-a-half inches (6.3 cm) in a diameter.
5. Place 3/4 of a teaspoon of jam in the center of half of the rounds. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, moisten the edges of these rounds with the beaten egg whites. Top with the other rounds. Crimp closed firmly, using your thumb and fingers.
6. Use a floured two-and-a-half inch (6.3 cm) cookie cutter or glass to trim the ragged edges of each round. Place the rounds on a cookie sheet, cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes. Some donuts may need to be crimped closed again after a second time.
7. Heat 1 to 2 inches (2-5 cm) of oil in a deep frying pan or pot. The temperature of the oil is very important. Keep the oil at 375°F or 190.5°C.
8. Fry the donuts in hot oil for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Use two slotted spoons or skimmers to flip each donut when the underside is golden brown.
9. Drain the donuts on paper towels, roll in sugar, and serve immediately.

Voila! Now you can enjoy your own suganiyot at home by making them yourself!

The above recipe is found on Epicurious.com