Hanukka special: Doughnut daze

The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the diet that will follow.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Doughnuts 521 (photo credit: Shay Ben-Ephraim)
Doughnuts 521
(photo credit: Shay Ben-Ephraim)
Doughnuts were always one of Hanukka’s symbols. But contrary to the ones we had as kids (large, heavy, oily and filled with the cheapest kind of red jam), current versions are creative, gourmet and have sophisticated fillings.
MARSHMALLOW ✔ 3 cups flour (420 gr.) ✔ Tsp. salt ✔ 35 gr. fresh yeast ✔ 100 gr. butter ✔ 1⁄4 cup canola oil ✔ 3 large eggs ✔ 1⁄4 cup water ✔ 1 Tbsp. brandy ✔ 1 tsp vanilla extract ✔ Zest from 1⁄4 orange
For the filling: ✔ 11⁄4 cup sugar ✔ 70 gr. fresh strawberries washed and pureed in the blender ✔ 1⁄3 cup honey ✔ 1 package (14 gr.) gelatin + 1⁄3 cup cold water
Prepare dough: Knead all ingredients 12- 15 minutes in the mixer on medium speed. Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes at room temperature. Knead to let air out and divide into 15 pieces. Roll into balls. Let rise for an hour. Heat canola oil in a tall pot filled up to 3⁄4 of its height. Fry about 3 minutes on each side.
Prepare filling: Boil together sugar, honey and strawberries, lower heat and continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
Move to a mixer bowl, melt gelatin in water and add to the mixer bowl. Mix well. Fill doughnuts using a pastry bag. Decorate with small marshmallows.
THE BUTTERY CLASSIC Courtesy of Moshe Ahuvi of Piece of Cake
Makes 25 medium size
Doughnuts
Doughnuts
✔ 725 gr. white flour ✔ 20 gr. granulated yeast ✔ 6 gr. soft butter ✔ 300 ml. milk ✔ 2 large eggs (3 small) ✔ 65 gr. sugar ✔ Pinch salt
Knead well on medium speed at least 10-12 minutes. To ease handling of the dough, rub a little oil on hands, dough and work surface. Fold dough a few times and create a ball,. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Make 25 small balls, about 50 gr. each. Place on an oiled surface. Let rise until almost double in size, but not quite. Too much rising is not recommended.
If you pick the doughnut up and it collapses, it rose too much. Heat oil to 155-169 degrees. It is recommended to use a thermometer. Carefully place the doughnuts in the oil.
Do not put too many in at the same time. Fry for 3 minutes on each side.
Cappuccino filling ✔ 250 ml. cooking cream 32% ✔ 250 gr. white chocolate✔ 3 tsp. instant coffee ✔1 egg, beaten
Heat cream in a small saucepan. When the cream is boiling, add coffee and mix. Transfer some of the hot cream into the egg. Mix and pour back to the cream mixture. Add chocolate and remove from heat.
Mix well until smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Take out of the refrigerator and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
CHOROS (MEXICAN DOUGHNUT) WITH SPICY HOT CHOCOLATE Courtesy of Gideon Ben-Ezra for Etz Hazait
Makes 24
Choros with spicy hot chocolate
Choros with spicy hot chocolate
✔ 5 Tbsp. canola oil with Omega 3 ✔ 1⁄2 cup milk (1%) or water ✔ Pinch salt ✔ 2 tsp. sugar ✔ 1 tsp. baharat ✔ 1⁄2 stick vanilla or 2 drops vanilla extract ✔ 1 cup flour ✔ 3 eggs ✔ 1⁄2 cup sugar ✔ 1⁄3 tsp cinnamon ✔ Oil for frying
In a saucepan, heat the milk, oil and spices and bring to a boil. Add flour and mix well until it thickens. Remove from heat and continue mixing. Add eggs one at a time. Fill a pastry bag with the warm batter, using a star shaped nozzle. Heat frying oil. Put a pair of scissors in a glass of water next to stove. When oil is hot, squeeze 8-10 cm of the batter into the oil and cut with the scissors. Fry on both sides. The choros should turn by themselves after 1-2 minutes. When done, remove from oil and place on a paper towel.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl, roll the choros in the mixture and serve with spiced hot chocolate.
Spiced hot chocolate
✔ 2 cups milk (3%)
✔ 1 mm. slice of hot chili
✔ Pinch cinnamon
✔ Pinch nutmeg
✔ 1⁄3 cup sugar
✔ 1⁄2 tsp. corn flour
✔ 200 gr. bitter chocolate Boil together milk, sugar, corn flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili. When boiling, remove chili and add chocolate. Remove from heat and wait 1 minute. Mix the hot chocolate until smooth and thick. Serve in a small glass.