Chanukah/Hannukah/Hanukkah Desserts for Sunday

Lemon rosemary scones for
post-Thanskgiving relaxation

Happy Thursday everyone! Lizzy Bee's Bakery has been bustling with business this holiday season, making cupcakes, cookies, pies, and more! If you live in the New York City tri-state area, be sure to get your holiday orders in now!

Gingersnaps and sugar cookies
for a 1st birthday party

 In the meantime, Chanukah will soon be upon us and it's time to start getting ready to fry our desserts. Tis the season for sufganiyot, or donuts, and other delicious Chanukah treats. Follow the recipe closely and always be careful around splattering oil!

Strawberry Sufganiyot
Uri Scheft and Rinat Tzadok

Ingredients
Dough:

• 1 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoon)
• 3—4 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for surface
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup warm whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract



Mini lemon cupcakes with
delicious cream cheese frosting

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces, plus more

Frying and assembly:

• Vegetable oil (for frying; about 8 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups strawberry jam
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Special equipment: A deep-fry thermometer; piping bag, and 1/4" round tip; 2 1/2"-diameter biscuit or cookie cutter

Directions
Make the dough:

1. Combine yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer*; let stand until yeast starts to foam, about 5 minutes.
2. Whisk in egg yolks, whole egg, milk, orange zest, orange juice, brandy, if using, salt, vanilla, 2 cups flour, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Mix on low speed with dough hook until combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Add 6 tablespoons butter 1 piece at a time, mixing well between additions. (Any small lumps of butter will get worked into dough when more flour is added.)
4. Gradually add remaining 2 cups flour (you may not need all of it), mixing until mostly combined between additions, until dough is soft, smooth, and shiny—the dough will begin to pull away from the sides of bowl and climb up dough hook.
5. *If you don't have a stand mixer, you can get the same results by mixing the dough with a sturdy wooden spoon and kneading on a lightly floured surface.

Knead and proof the dough:

1. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as needed, until no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a buttered bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Cut the dough:

1. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 3/4" thick. Using a floured cutter, cut out rounds of dough, twisting cutter to release the dough (this strengthens the edges so the dough puffs when frying). Reroll scraps once.
2. Transfer rounds of dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Let rise until not quite doubled in size, 40–50 minutes.
3. If you are not ready to fry dough, refrigerate rounds up to 3 hours.

Fry the dough:

1. Fit a large heavy saucepan with thermometer; pour in vegetable oil to measure 4" and heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, fry dough until golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet and let cool slightly before filling.

Fill and finish the sufganiyot:

1. Pulse jam in a food processor until smooth (this will make it easier to pipe). Scrape jam into piping bag fitted with 1/4" tip*. Insert tip into top of sufganiyot and gently fill until jam just pokes out of hole. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
2. *If you don't have a piping bag, make a shallow hole with a toothpick, then use a plastic bag with a 1/4" opening cut diagonally from 1 corner.

Switch it up:Once you master the sufganiyot technique, you can swap in whatever preserve, pastry cream, or sugar coating you'd like.

Chocolate-Cinnamon Babkallah

Claire Saffitz

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 ounces. envelope active dry yeast
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled, plus more
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more

Filling and assembly:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• All-purpose flour (for surface)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• Granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions

Dough:

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan until warm. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in yeast; let sit until foamy, 5-10 minutes.
2. Whisk in egg yolks, vanilla, and . cup butter. Add sugar, salt, and 3 cups flour; mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until supple, smooth, and no longer shiny, 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a large buttered bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.

Filling and assembly:

1. Mix chocolate, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into three portions. Shape each into a 12"-long rope. Roll out each rope to a 12x6" rectangle about 1/8" thick. Brush with butter and top with chocolate mixture, pressing gently. Roll up to form a log; pinch seam to seal.
2. Place logs, seam side down, side by side on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch logs together at one end; braid, then pinch ends together and tuck under. Cover loosely and let sit in a warm place until 1 1/2 times larger, 1-2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush dough with egg wash; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until top is golden brown and "Babkallah" sounds hollow when bottom is tapped, 35-45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Happy baking!