On Chanukah (Hanukkah) Sephardi Jews celebrate not with latkes but with doughuts, specifically these small, rustic fritters that are serged either dusted with sugar or drizzled with honey. Bimuelos is a catchall term that can refer to a variety of small fried foods, both sweet and savoury. But on Chanukah it’s all about the doughnuts. This version adds cinnamon and cardamom to the traditional sugar topping, lending a hint of zest and spice to the sweet fritters.

Method:

• Stir together the yeast, 1 tsp of the sugar, and the warm water in a large bowl, and let sit until bubbling and frothy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together 420g (3 cups) of the flour, the remaining 50g (¼ cup) sugar, the cardamom, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir the egg yolks, milk and vanilla into the yeast mixture. Add the flour mixture in two additions, stirring until the dough begins to come together.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding up to 140g (1 cup) of flour, a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and supple, 5 to 10 minutes. (You may not need all of the flour.) The kneading can also be done in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Rub about 1 tsp of vegetable oil around the large bowl; place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat.
• Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
• Line a large plate with paper towels. Add oil to a medium saucepan until it's about 4cm (1 ½ inches) deep and set the pan over the medium heat until the temperature reaches 185°C (365°F) on a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches of five or six, pinch off walnut-size pieces of dough, roll each into a ball shape, and drop into the hot oil.
• Fry, flipping once, until puffed, golden and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate to drain.
• Make the cardamom sugar: Stir together the sugar, cardamom and cinnamon in a large bowl. Working in batches, add the warm bimuelos to the mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Extracted from: "Little Book of Jewish Sweets" (Chronicle Books)

First published in The JC December 6 2019