hanukkah

With Molly Yeh

Blueberry Cream Cheese Donuts

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast

¾ cup warm water

¼ cup and 1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 eggs

⅓ cup flavorless oil, like canola or vegetable, plus more for frying

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup blueberry jam powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar and give it a little stir. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the salt, flour, and remaining sugar. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil.

When the yeast is foamy, add it to the dry mixture immediately followed by the egg mixture and stir to combine. Knead, either by hand on a floured surface or with a dough hook for 7-10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary (but try not too add too much), until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Fill a large heavy pot fitted with a thermometer with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium high heat to 360º fahrenheit.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ½ inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out 3-inch circles, re-rolling scraps until the dough is used up. cover the circles with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 more minutes. Fry in batches for 1-1 ½ minutes on both sides and use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a wire rack.

To make the filling, mix together the cream cheese and blueberry jam. When the donuts are cool enough to handle, use a skinny knife to poke a hole in the sides and rotate it to create space for the filling. Use a piping bag to pipe the filling into the donuts, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.