Grandma Nina’s Doughnuts for Hanukkah (Sufganiyot shel Savta Nina)

Hanukkah would be incomplete without its iconic doughnuts - sufganiyot. Traditionally enjoyed right after lighting the menorah candles, especially on the first night of the festival, these doughnuts symbolize the miracle of oil. Today, Israeli bakeries offer endless varieties of sufganiyot, from the classic raspberry jam-filled ones to extravagant creations topped with edible art. Paired with a hot, aromatic coffee, these doughnuts can brighten anyone’s day. And the calories? They don’t count on Shabbat and Jewish holidays!

Despite the fancy options available today, my heart still belongs to the plain, sugar-coated doughnuts my grandma Nina used to make. Simple, warm, and mouthwatering, they carry the unmistakable aroma of home and love.

When I think of my grandma, I picture her in the kitchen, wearing an old apron dusted with flour, her hands busy with dough or oil. Her tiny kitchen, with a round wooden table at its center, was always filled with the scent of rising dough, fresh rolls, blintzes, or other delicious treats. The dishes, however, were always my grandfather Nahum’s job, a fair trade for the 3–4 course meals we enjoyed.

My grandparents lived just a few minutes from my school, and every day I would walk to their house for lunch. I would often do my homework there, and stay until my parents came home from work. One of my favorite desserts was Grandma Nina’s doughnuts - warm, fluffy, and coated in crunchy sugar. We enjoyed them not only during Hanukkah but year-round, blissfully unaware of modern dietary concerns.

Grandma’s dough for sufganiyot was soft and thin, and she would fry them in a large pan of bubbling oil. Simple and delicious, her doughnuts remain my ultimate comfort food to this day - a symbol of love and tradition.

Grandma Nina’s Sufganiyot Recipe

Ingredients:

• 200g of mayonnaise 

• 2 eggs

• 50g melted butter

• 1 liter of whole 6% milk

• ¾ pack of frozen yeast 

• 2 kg of white flour

• 4 tablespoons of sugar

• ¼ tablespoon of salt

• 1 liter of more vegetable oil 

• Sugar or sugar powder for coating

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until smooth. The dough must be pretty liquid. Cover with a cloth and let it rise for an hour.  

2. After the dough has risen, gently make small buns and place them on a towel. Let them rise again. 

3. Prepare a tray lined with paper towels and another one with sugar. 

4. Preheat vegetable oil in a large pot. Gently place buns in boiling oil (if you like, you can make holes in buns). Turn over with a fork until they are pink in color. Do not overfry! 

5. Take the doughnuts out to the large plate lined with the paper towels to absorb oil, then dip the doughnuts into sugar while they are still warm.