Awwami Crisp Donut Balls Middle East Palestine Food

AWWAMI ("CRISP DONUT BALLS") MIDDLE EAST, PALESTINE

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, and cornstarch.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of water and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoons sugar.
• Add yeast mixture and 1 cup of water to flour and cornstarch. Beat well until smooth. (Batter should have the same consistency as pancake mix). Set aside one hour to rise.
• Heat oil in a deep-frying pan on medium to high fire.
• Dip a tablespoon in water, and pick up a small portion of the batter and drop it into the hot oil. Repeat until all the batter is used.
• Fry until light brown. Remove and dip in prepared cold attar (syrup).
• Serve while hot.

DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375. Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible.

CRISPY AND CREAMY DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
• In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.

BENS MINI DOUGHNUT BITES

Steps:

• Slowly heat the milk in a saucepan until tepid (37°C if using a thermometer). Whisk in the butter, caster sugar and the beaten eggs. Place the yeast into a bowl and and a little milk mixture to the yeast Use your hands to form a smooth paste. Transfer the yeast into the saucepan containing the milk mixture, whisking to combine.
• Sift the flour and ½ teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually pour in the milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm place to prove for approx 1 hour.
• Place remaining caster sugar in a bowl.
• Pour oil into a saucepan until one-third full. Heat over medium-high heat until 165°C.
• Spoon donut mixture into 2"/5cm round balls into the hot oil, ensuring you allow room in the pan for the balls to expand. Cook for 2 minutes then turn over, cook for another 2 minutes or until golden and cooked throughout. Remove from oil, drain on paper towel, then once they are cooled slightly, roll them in the sugar until adequately covered.
• If you are filling the doughnuts make an incision into the doughnuts and place jam (or other filling) into a small piping bag and attatch a 5mm straight-edged nozzle. Push nozzle into the centre of each donut and pipe enough jam to fill. Alternatively, place the jam, clotted cream and melted chocolate into small dipping pots and serve.
• Tip: To melt the chocolate, break into smaller pieces and place into a large bowl. put a couple of inches of water in a pan, boil the water then turn heat down to minimum. Place the bowl over the pan, ensuring the water is not touhing the base of the bowl. The Chocolate should melt after 5-7 minutes, ensure to keep stirring throughout until all lumps have disapeared and you have a lovely smooth texture.