Ketchup Sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts)

Sufganiyot are the jelly-filled doughnuts traditionally enjoyed during Hanukkah.  Our recipe is one the whole family can help out with.  And thanks to our younger son's obsession with ketchup, we have now established that it is in fact possible to make ketchup-filled sufganiyot.  Whether or not this is advisable depends on your desire for deep-fried ketchup balls.  The trick is to fill the doughnuts before frying so the ketchup is sealed inside.

For the rest of the family, we filled our sufganiyot with blackberry preserves, strawberry preserves and nutella.   Although nutella is no more traditional than ketchup as a filling, it was everyone's hands-down favorite.   Ketchup.  Nutella.  A new Hanukkah tradition is born.

Sufganiyot

Ingredients

1        cup           whole milk
2        Tbs           granulated sugar
1        tsp            salt
2 1/2  tsp            active dry yeast
4        Tbs           warm water
3 1/2   cups         unbleached A.P. flour
                           (plus more for dusting)
10       cups         vegetable oil
 2                        eggs
                           powdered sugar
                          fillings of your choice      

Procedure

1. Bring milk to a simmer, add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.  Remove from heat to cool to lukewarm.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water, stir until creamy, then let stand until foamy.
3. In stand mixer with a dough hook, combine flour, 2 Tbs oil, eggs, milk and yeast mixture.  Mix on medium-high until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
4. Coat ball of dough on all sides with flour in a large mixing bowl, then cover with a towel and leave somewhere warm to rise. 
5. When dough is doubled in size (which took our dough about 45 minutes), roll out on a floured surface to 1/2" thick.  Cut out 2" circles -- we used a 1/4 cup measuring cup because we couldn't find our biscuit cutter.
6. On one circle, create a depression with your finger and add 1 tsp of filling.  Place another circle of dough on top and pinch the edges all around.  Your circle will stretch out a bit, which is the idea.  Create a good seal all around, then press your cutter firmly on your doughnut to cut out a 2" circle.  Now the sides will be very well sealed.  Set on a silpat-lined sheet pan and use up rest of the dough.  You can re-roll out the scraps to make more doughnuts, and will end up with 20 or more doughnuts.
7. Cover the doughnuts and let rise 30 minutes.
8. While doughnuts are rising, heat your oil in a deep sauce pan.  The oil will only be about 3" high, which prevents your kids from getting burned from splattering oil.  When oil reaches 375 degrees, start frying the doughnuts.  We do one or two at a time.  They will immediately puff up and start browning.  Use a slotted spoon to keep them under the oil and flip them to brown evenly on both sides.  Remove to paper towels to dry.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (not the ketchup-filled doughnuts) and eat.

Thanks to all of you who sent in suggestions for the ketchup sufganiyot.  Leo is eternally grateful.