Sufganiyot, Yerushalmi-Style



1/2 to 1 package yeast
"2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup lukewarm water
Oil for frying
Sugar and cinnamon, or powdered sugar, or fruit preserves

Dissolve Yeast in warm water.

While it proofs, mix dry ingredients and egg. Add yeast mixture, and blend well. Let rise until doubled, in a covered bowl.

Heat an inch of oil to 375°F. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. They will puff up, and end up in crazy shapes. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve with cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar, or fruit preserves.




Poster's Notes:
My grandmother ("Savta") was a Yerushalmit. She was born in 1910 in Jerusalem, to a family whose roots go back only to Jerusalem. (They never were in the Diaspora.) Every Chanukah, when we visited my grandmother she made these. My Mother always said that they are the precursors to Jelly donut type Sufganiyot. We used to call them "Chanukah Latkes", or "Savta's Sufganiyot". Over the years, when I've served them to friends whose families come from many different places, my friends would frequently tell me that their parents or Grandparents made similar foods for Chanukah.

Posted by Naomi Silbermintz"