Pumpkin Pączki (Doughnuts) ‏באַניע ‏פּאָנטשקעס

Pumpkin Doughnuts

Sift together:

4 1/2 cups (18 ounces) flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend:

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin or winter squash

1/2 cup (1/4 pound) melted butter

1 cup (1/2 pound) brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

zest of one lemon

12 scrapings (1/4 teaspoon) nutmeg

3 eggs

Mix the pumpkin mixture into the flour to make a soft dough. Roll the dough out half an inch thick. Try to the extent possible to roll the dough evenly so that the doughnuts will fry evenly. Cut the doughnuts using a large cutter and make holes with a smaller cutter. I believe they actually make doughnut cutter to save you the labor of making two cuts, but I have never felt the need for one.

Heat about three cups of coconut oil (or other oil) in a cast iron dutch oven or other wide, shallow pot. Fry the doughnuts a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on brown paper or paper towels and dust with powdered sugar.

I made these donuts with the most beautiful  pumpkin in the world, this Tonda Padana Pumpkin from Maxwell Farm.   The Elizabeth Taylor of squash.

‏אַ משל פֿאַר די חנוכּה לעמפּלעך ‏

A moshl far di khanike lemplekh

"An example (or a parable) for the Chanukah menorahs"

That is, an example which is utterly irrelevant and in no way advances your argument

‏דער חנוכּה לאָמפּ

der khanike lomp the Chanukah menorah

‏באַניע

banye pumpkin

דאָס חנוכּה ליכטעלע

dos khanike likhtele Chanukah candle

לאַטקעס

latkes latkes

‏פּאָנטשקעס ‏

pontshkes doughnuts

חנוכּה קעז ‏

khanike kez Chanukah cheese

(I have seen a couple of references to something called khanike cheese, but I have no idea what it is. Anyone familiar with this?)

Our latke and pontshke video is here.

Since we filmed this episode, I have started frying the doughnuts in coconut oil.