The beginning of Hanukkah is just over a week away and you may want to celebrate with a sweet treat.
"Chopped" winner and executive chef of New York City's "Kubeh" Melanie Shurka dropped by "GMA3" recently to help celebrate the festival of lights with some delicious food.
Yeast Starter Ingredients:
2 tbsps. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp. white sugar
Donut Dough Ingredients:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
3/4 cup warm water
Gingerbread Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1/16 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tbsps. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp and 1/2 tsp. of ginger
1 1/2 tbsp. unfiltered molasses
3 tbsp. heavy cream
Yeast Starter Directions:
Put ingredients in large bowl and let activate for 10 minutes.
Donut Dough Directions:
Sift all the flour into a mixing bowl.
Add other donut dough ingredients. Break eggs and mix together with a wooden spoon.
In the center of the flour mix, pour yeast starter.
With a stand mixer, mix the dough for 6-8 minutes until it's all mixed through and the texture is smooth.
Sprinkle all purpose flour into a large bowl, place the dough in a bowl and cover with a wet towel and put in a warm area to rise for 20-30 minutes.
Knead the dough into a large round ball. Weigh out 1.8 ounce pieces and roll into balls. Put on a all purpose flour dusted sheet pan and let rise for 1 1/2 hours, covered with wet towels in a warm area.
Have the frier on 340 degrees. With a slotted spoon, place the doughnuts in oil. Cook for about three minutes, until golden brown. Then flip over with a slotted spoon and cook for about another three minutes. Then place on a paper towel.
Let doughnuts cool off for about 10 minutes.
With a sharp knife, score an "X" at the top center of each doughnut going all the way down.
Keep your fillings in a 24 ounce squeeze bottle in hot water to soften the fillings.
Fill each doughnut with a filling. When filling the doughnuts, move your wrist around and at different angles to ensure getting a generous amount in each doughnut. Also let it overflow to a small dollop at the top then set aside.
For Nutella and raspberry jam filled doughnuts: With a small strainer, put an abundant amount of powdered sugar on top of each doughnut and then with a squeeze bottle, add a small dollop on top of each doughnut so the doughnuts can be recognized for their filling.
For gingerbread filled doughnuts: Pour an abundant amount of gingerbread cream on top of the doughnut so it's pouring down the sides of the doughnut. Then add a small mountain of shredded halvah on top in the center with your fingers. Sprinkle mini gingerbread men cookies on top and a sprinkling of finely ground pistachio on top.
Garnishes and Fillings for Doughnuts
1 container of shredded halvah
Gingerbread men cookies
1/4 lb. Turkish finely ground pistachio
26.5 oz. jar of raspberry jam
26.5 oz. jar of Nutella
1 box of Confectioner's sugar
