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Every year during the week of Hanukkah, it’s our family tradition to make what we call “levivot“– fritters made from a simple batter, fried to fluffy crispy goodness, then drenched in warm flavored sugar syrup. While most Jews know levivot as the Hebrew word for latkes, the Israeli side of my family uses the word to describe any sort of little fried treat. Some Sephardic Jewish families sweeten these fritters with warm honey and call them bimuelos, or bunuelos. I call them delicious. This year, I took them to a whole new level by replacing our family’s traditional sugar syrup with a warm, rich chocolate sauce. Freshly fried, piping hot fritters dusted with powdered sugar, then drizzled with ooey gooey chocolate sauce… holy moly, who can resist?
Because traditional bimuelos are made with honey or sugar syrup, I’ve decided to call these “Hanukkah Fritters.” They’re kind of a cross between a bimuelo and a beignet. The chocolate sauce is made with semi-sweet chocolate, and can be sweetened more to taste. A hint of optional rose water in the chocolate sauce gives it a delectable aroma that really makes it special, taking it above and beyond an ordinary chocolate syrup or hot fudge. This sauce is creamy, chocolately, and decadent. I could eat it by the spoonful (and have been known to do just that!).
Be sure to fry the fritters for at least 3 minutes– if they’re browning too fast, they won’t cook all the way through. Try to serve them soon after you fry them, they’ll lose their lovely crisp exterior over time. The fritters themselves aren’t sweet. The chocolate sauce and powdered sugar give them sweetness, so don’t be afraid to pour both on liberally. Indulge yourself, it’s a holiday.
MY OTHER RECIPESChag Sameach! May your Hanukkah be filled with light, love, and lots of good eating.
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Hanukkah Fritters with Warm Chocolate Sauce
Fritter Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large bottle grapeseed or peanut oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Warm Chocolate Sauce Ingredients
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate
- 3 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp rosewater (optional)
To Make Fritters:
- In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg. Whisk the milk into the egg till well combined. Add the egg and milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork till a thick batter forms.
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Warm oil (use the whole bottle) over medium heat till hot enough for frying (around 365 degrees F). Use a metal soup spoon to scoop up each portion of batter. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. The oil should sizzle but not splatter-- if the oil pops or splatters, let it cool slightly before proceeding. Test one fritter first to see if you've got the oil temperature right. You want the oil temperature at the low end of the frying spectrum-- they take a while to cook through. -
Between each scoop of batter, dip your metal spoon into a dish of water. This will help keep the batter from sticking to the spoon. Make 4-5 fritters at a time. Keep a metal slotted spoon handy to turn the fritters as they become golden. -
Fry the fritters till golden brown on both sides. If the oil is at the right temperature, it should take about 3 minutes for the fritters to brown completely and cook all the way through. Drain fried fritters on a wire rack.
To Make Warm Chocolate Sauce
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat.
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Whisk in the sugar, butter, and salt, stirring constantly, till the butter is completely melted and mixed into the chocolate. -
Whisk in the half and half, a few tablespoonfuls at a time, stirring to combine after each addition. Whisk the sauce over medium heat till the half and half is fully incorporated. -
Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and optional rosewater. Add additional sugar or salt to taste, if desired. Chocolate will thicken as it cools. - Dust the fried fritters with powdered sugar, using a wire mesh strainer to sift the sugar.
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Pour the warm chocolate sauce over the fritters and serve. Pairs well with fresh, cold whipped cream; you can also serve fritters and sauce over vanilla ice cream to make a Hanukkah fritter sundae. 
lovely recipe! I put a bit of almondflavour and raisins in the recipe. It was really yummy. It reminded me of the Dutch oliebollen. Something that is eaten in the Netherlands around new Years. Thank you and Chanukah Sameach!
Great idea Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it.
These look delicious and I plan to try them as a Chanukah treat for my family!
What is the consistency of the fritter on the inside? I imagine it is not like a donut since it is not yeasted.
Thanks and Happy Chanukah!
Yael, if you have ever tried a beignet they have a very similar texture. They’re absolutely delicious, we look forward to them every year. Enjoy!
Just made them for the 2nd year in a row. Time to share with friends and family. So yummy!
Fabulous! Please share the link Melissa, and help spread the word about the site! 🙂
Those fritters look amazing and the chocolate sauce is to die for! I would so love to try some.
Its looks so yummy,your recipes are just amazing
Can these be made ahead of time? How should I store them? Will not make the toppings as I will have my friend make the toppings that she likes
Hi Amy, I do not recommend making these ahead, they lose their charm– they are best eaten fresh.
You are killing me. Love the addition of the rose water. This is delicious!!!
Dont forget sopapilla!
What a great recipe..really help me to make something easy and delicious..thank you..
For those of us in LA and couple other cities, the Grand Luxe has the best beignets on the planet. Comes with three different sauces.
Your recipes are just amazing…
These sound amazing! It’s been far too long since I’ve had any sort of fritters, so I’m going to have to remedy that soon with this recipe. 😀
want to eat now please 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopaipilla
This was absolutely delicious! I had a Chanukkah party and they were a hit! Thank you.
Just made these for our Chanukah party tonight. Incredible!
Thank you for the recipe!
I made sufganiyot with strawberry champagne filling and sufganiyot with a molten chocolate center and a creme anglaise iced top for the first night of Chanukah, but this is definitely worth a try for a treat later in the week.
xx
Sweet Tooth
As a Chicago guy, imagine how surprised I was to see you on the pages of the “Chicago Tribune”‘s Good Eating section! But there you were, large as life, with your recipe for bimuelos and the rose/orange water sauce! It was such an unexpected delight and surprise! Stopping by to say hello and congrats! How did the Trib ever think to contact you? I was so surprised and thrilled.
So happy you caught that Mark! The reporter contacted me for an interview… luckily, I knew all about these delish little fritters because my husband’s family has been making them for generations. It turned out to be a great piece! 🙂
Any chance of getting a GF version of fritters? Looks fabulous!
This sounds so awesome!