“Sufganiot” is what we call Jelly Doughnuts in Hebrew and they are by far my favorite holiday food. What could be wrong with a soft, fluffy deep fried doughnut filled with smooth and oh so good strawberry jam? nothing. Except for the fact that it’s so good you can’t stop eating them.
When I was a child I remember we used to wait until it’s almost Hanukkah and the small grocery stores across the street start selling the jelly doughnuts. I used to eat at least one big doughnut every day for about 2 weeks, taking one bite after another, anticipating that yummy encounter with the jelly in the middle. Yeah, I’m a jelly girl you see, some people don’t like it because it drips but I loved it.
Fast forward 10 years and bakeries and coffee shops started doing their own versions of jelly doughnuts. These days you can find fluffy doughnuts filled with chocolate, pistachio cream, caramel, vanilla cream, coconut cream, glazed or plain, everything goes, and everything is so darn good!
This year I decided to make some chocolate filled doughnuts for the kids, but being a responsible adult now (not as fun as you think 🙂 ) I have to think about their nutrition, and so I decide to try and bake doughnuts that would maybe resemble the ones I have a special place in my heart for.
These mini doughnuts are a great alternative, and although they don’t taste like the deep fried ones, they are delicious.
Another advantage is that you can always play around with the filling, whether it’s chocolate, chocolate chips, cookie butter, peanut butter or any other filling you like, the possibilities are endless.
- 250gr All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tbsp Dry Yeast
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg Yolk
- ¼ Cup Vegetable/ Canola Oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Whipping Cream
- ¼ Cup Lukewarm Water
- 1 Tbsp Amaretto Liquor – Optional
- Chocolate/ Nutella Spread – For Filling
- Place all the ingredients in a mixer bowl (except for the chocolate spread) and mix together on medium speed until fully incorporated. You should be getting soft and non sticky dough (if the dough is a bit sticky, use oiled hands to form a dough ball inside the bowl – so the outside of the dough is greased).
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or cling wrap and let it stand in a warm/ room temperature place for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, prepare a large baking sheet layered with parchment paper and start forming ping pong size balls from the dough.
- Place the balls on the baking sheet and now take one ball in your hand and press the middle down to create mini bowl shaped dough.
- Take ½-3/4 tsp Chocolate spread and put it in the middle of your dough bowl.
- Close the bowl shaped dough back into a ball with the filling in it and place back on the baking sheet with the “incision” on the bottom.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
- Once all balls are filled with chocolate, place the baking sheet aside and let the dough rise for 20 more minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C)
- Very gently brush your dough balls with some oil and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Do not over bake as it will be dry.
I dated a guy who’s mother made sufganiot. He was a terrible boyfriend, but his mom’s doughnuts were excellent 😉
I love that you baked these!
Look at the bright side, you got to eat good food 😉
Thanks for sharing 🙂
I love sufganiot!!! But I haven’t had one in years because of how unhealthy they are. Now that I have kids, I make a baked version as well with strawberry jam in the middle. I don’t know why I’ve never thought of doing a nutella version…brilliant! I need to make these before Chanukah ends.
Thanks! You should really give it try and tell me what you think of it 🙂