Gourmet sufganiyot (Hanukkah doughnuts)
Chef Ran Shmueli presents new ideas for making sufganiyot: They don't have to be big nor do they have to be sweet
Sweet doughnut dough
Ingredients:
10 cups (2 lb/1 kg) self raising flour
4 tablespoons (25 grams) dry yeast
20 tablespoons (90 grams) sugar
Peel from one lemon
3 eggs
2 tablespoons rum
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup oil
Pinch of salt
Preparation:
In a mixer bowl melt the yeast, salt and sugar in the warm milk. As soon as it begins to bubble, add the oil, rum and eggs.
Add 8 cups (750 grams) flour and lemon peel. Mix until you get a soft consistent dough.
Take the dough out of the bowl and knead by hand using the remaining 2 cups (250 grams) of flour.
Roll the dough into a smooth ball. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a towel and place it on top of the refrigerator (or some other warm place) to let rise. After the dough has doubled its volume, take it out and knead by hand again.
Roll out the dough until 1/4 inch thick, cut dough into small rounds and roll into balls. Place the dough on a flat surface, cover with a towel and leave to rise for a second time. When the balls have doubled their volume, fry them in hot oil on both sides until golden brown. After taking them out of the oil fill the doughnuts using a pastry bag and tip.
Savory doughnut dough
Ingredients:
10 cups (2 lb/1 kg) self raising flour
4 tablespoons (25 grams) dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup oil
Pinch of salt
Gourmet sufganiya (PR Photo)
Preparation:
In a mixer bowl melt the yeast, salt and sugar in the warm milk. As soon as it begins to bubble add the oil and eggs.
Add 8 cups (750 grams) flour and mix until you get smooth and consistent dough
Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it by hand with the remaining 2 cups (250 grams) of flour. Roll into small balls and put back in the bowl, cover with a towel and place on top of the refrigerator (or some other warm place) and let rise. When the dough has doubled its volume, take it out and knead it again by hand.
Roll out the dough until 1/4 inch thick, cover in a towel and leave to rise for a second time. When the balls have doubled their volume, fry them in hot oil on both sides until golden brown.
Mascarpone and wild berry filling
Ingredients:
1 packet Mascarpone cheese
4 tablespoons of fresh or frozen raspberries
4 tablespoons sugar
Preparation:
Soak the raspberries in 4 tablespoons of sugar for two hours. Mash the fruit with a spoon. Lightly whip the Mascarpone cheese and fold in the fruit puree.
Halva and pistachio filling
Ingredients:
1 container cream
8 tablespoons stringy halva
Roasted and grounded pistachio nuts
Preparation:
Whip the cream. Crumble in 4 tablespoons of halva strings and mix.
Fold in the pistachio nuts.
Fill the doughnuts, sprinkle a little of the filling over the doughnuts and stick on some halva strings for decoration.
White chocolate ganache and chestnuts
Ingredients:
1 container cream
200 grams white chocolate
1/2 jar chestnut puree (you can find this at supermarkets in the jam area)
Preparation:
How to make the gnash: Carefully heat the cream (do not boil). Remove from heat, add squares of white chocolate and mix until melted. Cool for at least 12 hours.
Mix the ganache in a mixer until fluffy.
Fold in the chestnut puree and fill the doughnuts.
Savory fillings
The savory doughnuts can't be filled with a pastry bag and tip; therefore you will have to make little "pitas" from the dough. Place the filling in the center of one pita and cover it with another before frying.
Champignon and goat cheese filling
Ingredients:
1 basket champignon mushrooms
1/2 finely chopped onion
Little bit of butter for frying
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup milk
Salt, pepper
2 tablespoons hard, grated goat cheese (Parmesan cheese can also be used)
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a frying pan and steam champignons together for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour while mixing it until it disappears into the mixture. Pour in the milk in one go. Mix and bring to boil.
After it thickens, remove from heat, add flavoring to taste and sprinkle the grated cheese. Cool and fill.
Roquefort and nut filling
Ingredients:
1 glass milk
1 tablespoon flour
1.7 tablespoons butter
Salt, white pepper
Grated Roquefort cheese to taste (there are different types of blue cheeses of varying strengths).
4 tablespoons of roasted and grounded nuts (walnuts, pecan, hazel nuts)
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add flour and whisk until boiling (be careful not to burn it). When the flour has melted in the butter, add the cold milk in while mixing briskly.
Bring to boil again and remove from heat.
Add the Roquefort cheese, nuts and seasoning. Cool and fill.
