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How about some Hanukkah inspiration from Hawaii? This year, I’m bringing the holiday some aloha spirit from my vacation favorites — purple-fleshed yams (ube) and malasadas, doughnuts inspired by Portuguese immigrants.
They come together in Hawaiian-style doughnuts with ube filling, a dairy-free island spin on sufganiyot. Toss in granulated sugar or stuff with yam filling or pineapple, guava or other tropical-flavored jam. (Get my jam recipe here: tinyurl.com/donuts-sweet-potato.)
You can find purple yams or purple sweet potatoes (both work just fine) in some supermarkets and in produce and Asian stores. Make and refrigerate the filling up to 3 days ahead of time. Use at room temperature. Choose canned coconut cream for cooking (not for cocktails) found in the Asian foods or alternative milk aisle. Stir well before using. One can (13-15 oz.) is enough for both recipes.
Hawaiian-Style Doughnuts with Ube Filling
Makes 12-16 doughnuts
- ¾ cup coconut cream
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil, plus more for frying and as needed
- 2 Tbs. warm water (110 degrees)
- 1 tsp. plus 4 Tbs. sugar, plus more for coating doughnuts
- 2¼ tsp. (1 pkg.) active dry yeast
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus as needed
- 1 tsp. salt
- Ube Filling, optional (see below)
Heat coconut cream and oil in a saucepan on medium-low, stirring until just simmering. Cool until just lukewarm.
Combine water, 1 tsp. sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy.
Beat eggs and 4 Tbs. sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 5 minutes until lemon-colored (or whisk by hand). Add the coconut cream–oil mixture in three batches, whisking or beating between additions. Stir in yeast mixture.
In a separate bowl, stir together flours and salt. Use a wooden spoon to slowly mix dry ingredients into wet. Mix, adding water or all-purpose flour by the tablespoon if needed, until a rough ball of soft and sticky dough forms.
Oil a large bowl. Dust work surface with all-purpose flour. Flour hands and scrape out dough. Knead 10 minutes until smooth with some resistance, but still soft and slightly sticky. If necessary, add flour or water while kneading. Use a dough scraper to transfer dough to the bowl, and turn in the oiled bowl to coat. Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.
Oil a 10-x13-inch baking sheet. Flour hands. Turn out dough on floured work surface. Knead for 2 minutes, then rest dough for 5-10 minutes. Use a floured rolling pin and roll out dough into a half-inch-thick rectangle.
Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles as close together as possible. (Reroll and recut scraps.) Transfer rounds to the baking sheet with spatula. Cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Heat 3 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a wide, tall pot. (For best results, use a deep-fry or candy thermometer. Otherwise, heat oil until a teaspoon of dough sizzles immediately and bubbles form around it. If the dough browns immediately, the oil is too hot. If the bubbles don’t form immediately, it is too cold.) Fry 1 doughnut until golden brown (50 to 80 seconds per side) and remove with a slotted spoon, draining on paper towels. Cool slightly, then check if it’s cooked inside. Adjust timing as necessary for subsequent doughnuts. Fry in batches, returning oil to 350 degrees between each batch. Add oil as necessary.
Once cool, toss doughnuts in sugar. Serve or fill.
To fill, lay the doughnut flat. Use a skewer to poke a hole in the middle of the top. Rotate skewer to make 1-2-inch cavity. Use a pastry bag with a wide tip to fill. Squeeze more filling on top of the cavity to cover. Alternately, use a small spoon to fill or slice doughnut in half horizontally and spread filling between layers.
Ube Filling: Bake 1 lb. of purple yams or purple sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes until softened. Cool. Boil ½ cup sugar with ¼ cup water until sugar is dissolved and liquid is reduced by half. Cool. Scoop out flesh into a bowl and mash, then stir in sugar syrup. Add ¼ cup coconut cream. Purée in a blender until smooth. Add coconut cream by the tablespoon if too thick to pipe.