JELLY DONUTS FOR CHANUKAH

Every year since my kids left home, I vow not to make jelly donuts, and every year (sometimes just in the nick of time before Chanukah ends), I scurry to get them made.  I guess there's just nothing that says Chanukah like freshly fried jelly donuts.  That fresh, wonderful quality doesn't last long - hours really, and so this year I invited a few friends for  a light lunch, and then finished off with these treats.  The remainder of the donuts I gave away to a few families with children.  Poor hubby - no donuts for him this year...

Makes 24 small donuts

3-1/4 cups (423 grams) all-purpose flour, measured by fluffing, scooping and leveling, plus more for sprinkling the work surface
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (17 grams) instant yeast (rapid-rise)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry milk + 1 cup warm water OR 1 cup warm milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature

2 12-ounce jars seedless raspberry jam
Sugar for sprinkling
Canola or peanut oil for frying

If using milk instead of the dry milk/water combination, place the milk in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove the skin that has formed across the top of the mil, and add the butter. Pour the milk mixture into a container and place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to bring the temperature down to about 105-110 degrees F.

Combine 2-1/4 (293 grams) cups flour, yeast, sugar and dry milk, if using, in a mixer bowl. Add the water (or milk mixture), butter, egg and egg yolk, and beat on low speed for 3 minutes.

Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. It should be firm enough to come together in a ball, but sticky enough that it will stick to your fingers if you push you fingers down into the dough. (Don’t take the dough out of the bowl – I’ve only done that to demonstrate the texture.)

Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in volume. To test, flour your finger and poke it down into the dough gently. If the indentation remains, the dough has doubled.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead the dough for a few minutes, as follows:

Press with the heal of the hand          

                                                          

 Roll the dough up towards you

Press down with the heal of the hand again


Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter (we like small ones- maybe 1-5/8-inch round).

Cover the donuts with a cotton dish towel, and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour (this time when you poke one, it should spring back)

Heat oil in a deep fryer or in a pot ( I used a Delonghi deep fryer – not rotary type).

If using a regular pot, the oil should be about 3" deep.






Fry the doughnuts for about 2 minutes, flip them over and cook for 2 more minutes. They should be well browned on both sides.

Drain them on paper towels briefly and then immediately roll in sugar.

Fit a pastry bag with Bismarck tip if you have one, or use a 1/8-inch round pastry tube. To fill the bag with the jam., place the bag in a large glass and turn down the top of the bag for stability, and then spoon in the jam.

                Bismarck Tip                                              

                                 

Stick the tube into the side of the doughnut and fill the doughnut with jam. I like to tip the tube side to side while squeezing in the jam to make sure that plenty of jam gets inside.

Serve the donuts as soon as possible. They should be eaten within 4-8 hours and cannot be frozen.