Sunday, November 22, 2009
Food, Recipes, Atlanta
Holiday sweets
Sufganiot at Alon’s Bakery & Market
Photos/The Reynolds Group
Alon BalshanSufganiot is a traditional Israeli donut that is especially popular in the weeks leading up to Hanukkah. This dessert follows the Jewish tradition of eating fried foods as a way of commemorating the miracles associated with the oil of the Temple. Sufganiot is most often eaten in Israel, where I enjoyed it as a child growing up.
I used to, and still do, love trying different types with a variety of fillings. The most common is raspberry or strawberry preserves, but I also like to experiment with other sweet flavors. Some of my favorite fillings include the chocolate hazelnut spread Nutella and dulce de leche. Making sufganiot is a great way to gather the family in the kitchen and celebrate the season by baking together. I find that children often love to explore different fillings, and of course, they love to try the sweet, finished product!
While sufganiot is a traditional Israeli food, it also is great to bring to any holiday party. I have seen friends make and then decorate them with red and green icing, creating an attractive and delicious treat to cure any holiday sweet tooth! SP
Alon Balshan is executive pastry chef/owner of Alon’s Bakery & Market. 1394 N. Highland Ave. 404-872-6000. 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road. 678-397-1781. www.alons.com.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 ½ pack dry yeast
- 4 ½ cups of bread flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 2 ounces butter (1⁄2 stick)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, add 1 cup of flour, cover with plastic, and let rise for 30 minutes. Add to the bowl the rest of the ingredients and the melted butter. Knead in a mixer on medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough needs to be soft but not sticky. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1 hour or until double in volume. Take the dough to a floured surface and roll out to about ½ inch thick, and using a round cutter or a drinking glass, cut out round circles about 2 or 2-½ inches in diameter.
Place on a clean cloth towel and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise about half its original volume. In the meantime, heat up canola oil in a frying pan, about half deep, to 325 degrees F. Very carefully place the pieces of dough in the oil for 2 minutes on each side. Then place on a paper towel.
When cool, slightly poke a hole in the side and fill with your favorite filling. Use your imagination—raspberry preserve is a classic, but you can put chocolate spread, dulce de leche or anything else you like.