Jelly doughnuts: How to make the ultimate Hanukkah pastry

Jelly doughnuts, also known as sufganiyot, have become a classic Hanukkah treat, one of a number of foods fried in oil that are popular on the holiday ( latkes, or potato pancakes, are another).

They’re doughnuts without a central hole, fried and stuffed with jelly or jam. In Israel, jelly doughnuts for Hanukkah are especially popular, and are sometimes filled with chocolate or halvah too. They also can be prepared in savory versions, stuffed with meat or vegetables.

The story goes that over 2,000 years ago, after the Second Temple of Jerusalem was ransacked by invaders, there was only enough oil to keep the temple candles lit for one day and night. Inexplicably, the oil burned for eight days and eight nights, a feat now celebrated as Hanukkah, the eight-day “festival of lights.” (This year, Hanukkah begins on Sunday evening, Dec. 18.)

There are two ways to fill jelly doughnuts. You