METUKA
The Metuka chain of Hanukka treats adds new extreme tastes alongside its traditional flavors. The strawberry selection has new flavors such as kids’ doughnut with gummy sweet and whipped cream and strawberry savarine. NIS 5 to NIS 8 per doughnut. Other options include tiramisu, triple chocolate, halva, white chocolate and chocolate covered with M&Ms.
Metuka also offers a selection of latkes and croquettes sold with yogurt dip for NIS 49 to 109. Kosher.
LEHEM YAYIN If you’re a fruit lover, try the selection at this small Yehud bakery, which focuses on winter fruit such as lemon, berries, citrus, banana and coconut. Such are the berries and mousse patissier with white chocolate and lemon-mousse and coconut doughnut. NIS 7 per doughnut. We loved the apple cake doughnut, which looked more like an apple cake than a doughnut.
4 Derech Hahoresh, Kiryat Savyonim, Yehud. (03) 632-1793. Not kosher.BEN AMI This year, the Ben Ami bakeries offer special fruit marmalade fillings, as well as rich creams. Ben Ami Bertini created, as he does every year, a stylized collection that is as good as it looks. The homelike jams add to the holiday nostalgia, and the pastry is light and doesn’t feel oily at all. We loved the orange marmalade-filled doughnut and the traditional red jelly one, as well as the richer tastes, especially the whipped cream and strawberry. NIS 5 to NIS 8 per doughnut. Try the brioche-pastry doughnut and the selection of latkes.
www.benami.co.il. Kosher.DALLAL The Dallal bakery repeats its gimmick from last year – selling unfilled doughnuts with plastic syringes filled with your choice of filling, such as chocolate, jelly and pistachio. The special doughnuts are sold alongside a more traditional selection of filled doughnuts.
7 Kol Israel Haverim Street, Neveh Tzedek, Tel Aviv. Not kosher.MICKEY SHEMO Celebrity baker Mickey Shemo offers a huge assortment of doughnuts in his chain of bakeries, all fried in canola oil and some sugar-free. The latter are slightly smaller than the regular doughnuts and are filled with sugar-free jam and sugar free dark chocolate. All tasters agreed that the flavor was very good and the presentation sensational. Perfect if you need to bring something for a party.
Loved the marshmallow-covered one, the crumble and pistachio, and the pineapple and mango filled doughnut. For a more grown-up taste, try the espresso doughnut. NIS 6 to NIS 7 per doughnut.
www.shemo.co.il. Kosher.
BISCOTTI Inspired by classic cakes, this year the Biscotti bakery has added some new flavors to its rich collection of gourmet doughnuts, such as Black Forest, tiramisu, trikolad and cheesecake. All the doughnuts tasted were excellent, including the all-time favorite jelly doughnut. The pastry was light and the fillings rich. We especially loved the Black Forest, filled with white chocolate and covered with dark chocolate and cherries. NIS 8 per doughnut.
67 Hayarkon Street, Bnei Brak. (03) 570-4015/8. Kosher.