Lemon-Poppy Seed Bimuelos

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 10 to 12 bimuelos
  • Total: 45 min
  • Active: 45 min
Sufganiyot aren’t the only fried desserts that are traditionally served on Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights. The holiday tables of many Sephardic Jews include bimuelos, rustic Sephardic doughnuts that are fried until deep golden brown and topped with honey or sugar. The dough can be plain or flavored like this one with lemon zest and poppy seeds, and there’s no rising time needed, so it can be fried immediately. This version of the fritters is tossed in lemon sugar, which adds to their lovely crispy texture.
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Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 1/3 cups sugar

Zest of 2 lemons

2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

4 teaspoons poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

Directions

Special equipment:
a deep-frying thermometer
  1. Pour 2 inches of oil into a wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Attach a deep-frying thermometer to the inside of the pot and heat the oil over medium to 365 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towel and set nearby.
  2. Combine 1 cup of the sugar and half of the lemon zest in a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until the mixture is fragrant and the zest is distributed evenly. Set aside.
  3. Whisk the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, salt and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Add the milk, vanilla, egg and remaining lemon zest and whisk until the batter is smooth.
  4. Working in batches, carefully drop a scant 1/4 cup of batter at a time into the oil and fry, flipping halfway through and adjusting the heat if needed to keep the oil at 350 degrees F, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes total. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the bimuelos onto the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter.
  5. Stir the lemon sugar to break up any clumps that may have formed. While the bimuelos are still hot, toss them in the lemon sugar until evenly coated. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

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