Ingredients
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups vegetable oil
1 cup of your favorite jam (seedless)
Powdered sugar
Directions
1) In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 tsp of sugar. Set the mixture aside for ten minutes.
2) Place flour in a large bowl. Make a small well in the center of the flour. Add eggs, yeast mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, nutmeg, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it forms into a sticky dough.
3) On a work surface dusted with flour, knead the dough until it is smooth and bounces back when poked with your finger. This should take about 8 minutes (add more flour if necessary).
4) Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
5) On the floured work surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch-round cutter or drinking glass, cut the dough into 20 rounds. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rounds rise for 15 minutes.
6) In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until it reaches 370 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, carefully slip 4 rounds into the oil. Fry the donuts on one side until golden, about 40 seconds. Turn the doughnuts over and fry until golden on other side, another 40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Dust the donuts with powdered sugar or regular sugar. Repeat in batches.
7) To fill the donut with jam, either fill a pastry bag with jam or use a ziploc bag with one corner cut out. Using a toothpick, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip or ziploc into the hole, pipe about 2 tsp of jam into each doughnut. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.
*Recipe by Shelley Neese, vice president of The Jerusalem Connection. Click here for her articles and videos.