Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah and it will be celebrated worldwide with songs, gifts and food. Most people associate latkes or potato pancakes with this ancient holiday however there is another treat.Jelly doughnuts are also a part of this seven day festival and they are just as delicious as latkes.
The sweets or sufganiyot originated in Isreal, atlhough the treats are surprisingly Greek.The names comes from sufgan which means puffed and fried.However the word can also come from the Hebrew word for sponge which is what the pastry's texture resembles. The doughnuts can be fried as two separate pieces of dough and then attached with a smear of jam. Some make them as fried balls, injecting with the jam later on. In some ways they resemble the Lenten treats Fasnacht doughnuts which as just plain dough balls that are fried and then rolled in powdered or granulated sugar.
Sufganiyot can be varied to suit tastes. Most people prefer the traditional strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam fillings. However the treats can also be filled with custard as in South America.The doughnuts are stuffed with dulce de leche which also follows the Hanukkah theme of eating dairy (to celebrate one of the holiday's heroine, Judith, who fed wine and cheese to a Syrian general, got him drunk. She then killed him ). Chocolate and vanilla custards are also popular sufganiyot stuffings , especially in Israel. The doughnuts can also be made savory and filled with tomato and Swiss card . The dough recipe can be varied as well. Some add buttermilk to make them more like the New Orleans treat beignets.
Sufganiyot is a wonderful way of celebrating this ancient holiday . Even though the recipe is new , the doughnuts are now part of this tradition. They celebrate the Festival of Lights and the victories that accompany it.
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