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Bumuelos in red wine sauce

Time1 hour 20 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
Bumuelos in red wine sauce
(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
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These little round balls of choux-like pastry fried in oil prepared by Jews of Greece and Turkey, are much easier to make than sufganiyot. (the Jewish cousin of the jelly doughnut, made of yeast dough, deep-fried and filled with jam, jelly, dulce de leche and even Nutella chocolate spread). Serve them with a red wine syrup; prepare the syrup in advance, but make the batter at the last minute. Then enjoy the party.

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Red wine sauce

1

In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the sugar, red wine, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the liquid thickens to a honey-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the sauce will harden. Remove from heat, strain out the cinnamon sticks and cloves and set the sauce aside in a warm place. If not using right away, cool the sauce and then cover; rewarm the sauce before using.

Bumuelos and final assembly

1

In a medium saucepan, heat the water, butter, sugar and salt over high heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

2

While the water is coming to a boil, place the flour in the bowl of a mixer or in a large bowl. Using the beater attachment or electric mixer, beat in the boiling liquid mixture over low speed. Continue mixing on low speed until a soft dough comes together in a single mass, leaving the side of the bowl.

3

With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue adding eggs until the dough is soft but thick and sticky; depending on the dough, you many not need to add the fourth egg. Set the dough aside.

4

Fill a wide pot to a depth of 1 1/2 inches with oil. Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted reads 350 degrees.

5

Using a medium ice cream scoop or 2 soup spoons, take a heaping tablespoon of dough, form a coarse ball and slip it into the hot oil. (If the ball is difficult to form, beat additional flour into the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Fry 1 or 2 test bumuelos until puffed and golden brown (this will take about 7 minutes). They should puff to the size of ping-pong balls and have the light, fluffy consistency of good doughnuts.

6

Continue to fry 4 to 5 balls at a time until golden brown. (The second and third batch will always be better than the first.) Remove the fried balls to a paper towel-lined plate and dust with powdered sugar. Set aside until all of the dough is fried; this makes 14 to 16 bumuelos.

7

To serve, spoon 3 tablespoons of warm sauce onto each serving plate. Place 2 to 3 bumuelos on each plate and serve immediately.

Phyllis Glazer is a food writer living in Tel Aviv, and Miriyam Glazer is a rabbi and professor at the American Jewish University in L.A. They are the authors of “The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking.”

Phyllis Glazer is a food writer living in Tel Aviv, and Miriyam Glazer is a rabbi and professor at the American Jewish University in L.A. They are the authors of “The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking.”