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Hello all -- I know it's the end of Hanukkah, but just in case you
haven't had enough fried foods, here's a recipe which was very
successful in mi casa.  I think it would work beautifully for
doughnuts as well.

This is adapted from Rabbi Robert Sternberg's _The Sephardic Kitchen:
The Healthful Food and Rich Culture of the Mediterranean Jews_,
ISBN 0-06-017691-1.  This is a wonderful cookbook with many recipes
we don't even have to adapt, just follow the directions.  As a
Turkish historian I have a few quibbles with some of his background
writing, but for cooking it's unbeatable.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Bumeulos de Hanuka (Hanukkah Fritters)
[with apologies to Rabbi Sternberg if this adaptation is not up to
his own culinary standards]

Cooking time:  mixing and frying about 1 hour, plus 1-1/2 hrs. rising.
Makes 25-30 BIG fritters, many many more tiny ones (I made these for
my son's school).  In fact I would recommend starting with a half-
recipe unless you have a huge and hungry family.

1 T active dry yeast
1-1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 tsp. plus 1 c. sugar
3 c. Fearn's Rice mix (rice and soy flour blend with some leavening)
pinch salt
1-1/2 T anise or fennel seeds, or 2 T ouzo, raki, arak, anisette, or Pernod
2 eggs beaten or 1 2-egg pkg. EggBeaters
1/2 c. honey
1 c. cold water
Oil for frying, 3 inches deep

1.  Proof the yeast in water with 1 tsp. sugar till bubbly.

2.  Mix flour, 1/2 c. sugar, salt, and flavoring of your choice with
yeast mixture and let rise until doubled.

3.  During rise time, make syrup by dissolving honey and remaining sugar
in 1 c. cold water in a saucepan and boil until thick enough to coat the
back of a spoon.  Keep the syrup warm over low heat while you fry the
bumeulos.

4.  After dough has risen, heat oil to nearly smoking, and cook dough
in size of your preference up to a heaping tablespoonful. (See below)
Turn once and remove when both sides are lightly browned; drain.

5.  Serve with syrup and sesame seeds on top.

Sternberg's notes summarized:  The anise flavor is traditional; he also
suggests other flavored liqueurs or your favorite seasonings, inc.
ground cinnamon, ground cloves, freshly grated nutmeg, ground mace,
ground cardamom.

My notes:  I used Triple Sec for flavor and it was fine if not traditional.
I tried a few techniques for getting these into the oil.  The two that
worked best so far were lumps from the spoon kerplop, and the slightly
more refined use of a cookie press with the plate that had a single opening;
this technique yielded bite-size bumeulos with a pretty pattern.

I had to push the bumeulos off the bottom of the pan, where they would
tend to stick, a few seconds after putting them into the oil, then turn
them about 30 seconds later.

Happy eating and happy holidays to all!

Elizabeth
Elizabeth Frierson
Visiting Scholar
Cornell University
Department of History
450 McGraw Hall
Ithaca, NY  14853