Sufganiyot, or Hannukah doughnuts (Credit: Flickr user Avital Pinnick )

"Nothing about them should be intimating," says

Tommy Higuchi-Crowell, the executive chef at Kutsher's TriBeCa , a modern offshoot of the classic Jewish Catskills resort. He's referring to *sufganiyot--*the fried jelly doughnuts that are a traditional Hanukkah snack--at home. "Look, the Maccabees didn't have deep-fryers or metal-tipped pastry pipes, and they made it work."

Higuchi-Crowell has a point. The challenge of frying and filling shouldn't keep you from enjoying this delicious commemoration of the Hanukkah miracle two millennia ago, when the Temple in Jerusalem's oil--intended to last only one night--instead burned for eight. While the historical accuracy of the Maccabees' frying doughnuts in the Temple's oil may be debatable, their modern-day popularity as a Hanukkah treat isn't. In the U.S., where we have jelly doughnuts year-round, sufganiyot are perhaps only distinguishable by their smaller size. In Israel, however, sufganiyot are a seasonal specialty that's practically synonymous with the holiday: supermarkets, bakeries, and street vendors pump out piles of the stuff, in all different sizes, with fillings ranging from fruit jelly to pistachio paste to sweet cheese.

Kutsher's owner

Zach Kutsher fondly remembers sneaking still-warm grape jelly-filled specimens from the side entrance of his family's bakery as a child. "Let's just say I had the hookup," he says with a laugh.

Today, Kutsher's serves a raspberry jelly version as part of a special-edition Hanukkah dessert plate, but Higuchi-Crowell says it's simple to recreate the fried treat at home. "The only special tools you need are a thermometer and a rolling pin," he says. "And a gentle touch."

His techniques are familiar to any harried home cook: cutting dough rounds with a drinking glass, using a Ziploc in lieu of a pastry pipe and fishing the sufganiyot out of hot oil with a fork (gently, natch).

It's an appropriately familiar approach for a dish tied to Jewish tradition--and even though Higuchi-Crowell isn't a member of the tribe, he connects with his adopted cuisine, calling it "white man's soul food." For Kutsher, reviving his childhood treat is a wink-wink way to stay true to his heritage: "It's symbolic, but it's also fun," he says. "Who doesn't like a jelly doughnut?"

Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Doughnuts)

Makes about 48 doughnuts

2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes dry yeast

5 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

6 tbsp shortening or margarine

1 1/2 cup lukewarm milk or soymilk

4 cups canola oil for frying

Fruit jelly, caramel, Nutella, or any creamy filling

Sprinkle yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside until foamy (about 5 minutes).

In a bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups of flour and all other ingredients (including the foamy water) on low speed. Slowly add the second half of the flour in 1/2 cup increments until the dough is no longer sticky.

Knead the dough in the bowl for about five minutes, until the dough feels elastic. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Using an overturned drinking glass, cut rounds from the dough. Note that sufganiyot will expand by about 50 percent when fried.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, slowly heat the oil to 350 degrees. Higuchi-Crowell recommends using a wide pot to make it easier to maneuver sufganiyot in and out of the hot oil. He also cautions against heating the oil too quickly: "Steadily bringing it to the right temperature and keeping it there will ensure that you get that beautiful golden color," he says.

Working in batches to avoid crowding the pot, add the dough cutouts to the oil. Turn them over as they rise to the surface. Sufganiyot are ready when both sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon, spatula, or fork, then place on a cooling rack or towel to drain. Add more oil to the pot if necessary.

When sufganiyot have cooled enough to handle, add the filling: insert a pastry pipe or Ziploc bag twisted into a pointed tube in the bottom of the sufganiyot and fill. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional) and serve.

Note: This recipe has not been tested by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen.

RELATED

Doughnuts with Grapefruit-Vanilla Jelly

Maple Syrup-Soaked Doughnut Holes

Our Best Holiday Desserts