Mini Panettone yeast doughnuts

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Mini panettone doughnuts.jpg

To say that Hanukkah is my favorite holiday is an understatement! I mean, no other holiday can beat eight days of fried foods!
I used to eagerly wait the entire year for Hanukkah to come around and devour my mom's latkes and sufganiyot-Jewish jelly doughnuts. While most kids ate cold store-bought doughnuts filled with a neon industrial jelly, we ate warm yeasted doughnuts right out of the fryer, dusted with confectioners' sugar and filled with homemade strawberry jam. It was a real treat!

Nowadays, sufganiyot come in an array of flavors and toppings. In Israel, jelly doughnuts are typically sold around Hanukkah, unlike in the states where doughnuts are sold year round.
Around the same time of year, panettone which is an Italia-Milanese sweet bread loaf, is usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year.

This Hanukkah-Christmas mini panettone doughnut combo is inspired by a trip I took to northern Italy a few years ago, and although I still stay true to the classic old-fashioned jelly filled doughnut as my Hanukkah go-to, these panettone doughnuts are simply heavenly! The buttery brioche dough is studded with candied orange peel and rum-drunken dried cranberries. They're like fried clouds; golden crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The dough is a breeze to make, and you can get the kids to help you cut up the doughnuts. Watch them disappear straight out of the fryer! Once you taste a warm, freshly-made doughnut you'll be hooked, too!

Happy Hanukkah! xoxo

Mini panetonne yeast doughnuts

Makes about 30 doughnuts

Tal Shofman-Schejter

This is my go-to recipe for making different variations of doughnuts. I've been using this recipe ever since I got married and wanted to continue Mom's tradition, even when we lived oceans apart.
You can make the dough a few hours before you plan to fry them. Simply let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour (or until double in size) and place in fridge until you are ready to make the doughnuts.

Baker's notes:

  • Start by making the rum drunken cranberries as you'll need them for the dough.

  • If you don't have a deep fryer, a Dutch oven is an ideal alternative.

  • You will also need a candy/deep-fry thermometer, which can be purchased in any kitchen supply store.

  • Keep the doughnut holes and fry them in a separate batch.

Ingredients

For the candied fruits:
1/4 cup candied orange peel, cut into small dice
1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/2 cup dark Rum
2 tsp sugar

For the doughnuts:
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream, room temperature
40 gr. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg + 1 large yolk, lightly beaten
2 2/3 - 3 cups flour plus extra for rolling
Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp. 3% milk

METHOD:

Rum-drunken cranberries/cherries
In a small pot, bring dark Rum and sugar to a simmer. Add cranberries/cherries and continue simmering until the fruit absorbs all the Rum. Transfer to a small bowl and let it cool completey.

The dough
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, place yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 cup warm water. Whisk together and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

Add whipping cream, butter, egg, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 2 2/3 cups flour and beat on the lowest speed for 1 minute until combined, then beat on highest speed for 5 minutes until a smooth, soft dough (not tacky) forms. Add in more flour as needed. Add the fruits (keep 2 tablespoons of fruits for garnish) and mix for a minute more until evenly distributed.

Transfer dough into a large bowl dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap, and let dough rise until it doubles in bulk (about an hour).

In the meantime, cut 30 3-inch parchment paper squares (As each doughnut will proof on a separate parchment square). Arrange two baking sheets with the parchment squares. Have a colander and a slotted spoon ready.

Gently punch down the dough. Roll the dough out (using as little flour as needed) to a 1-cm thickness (1/2 an inch).  

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out doughnuts as close together as possible, dipping the cutter in flour before each cut. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut a hole in the center of each doughnut. (You can save the holes and fry them or just keep re-rolling scraps to make more doughnuts).

Carefully transfer each doughnut to a parchment square. The doughnuts will have time to proof uncovered during the time it takes to heat the oil.

Heat 4-5 cm. (about 2 inches) of oil in a large stockpot to 165 C/325 F, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan.

Lift a doughnut with the parchment and carefully dip it in the oil while holding the tip of the paper with your fingers, allow the doughnut to slide off of the paper. Fry doughnuts until golden brown.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a colander to drain.

In a medium bowl whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until completely smooth. Dip each doughnut in the glaze and serve. 

*This recipe was originally published in Laisha Magazine.