At sundown on Dec. 4, Jews around the world began celebrating Hanukkah. The holiday commemorates a miracle that took place more than 2,300 years ago in what is now Israel. The oil that should have burned for just one day in the N’er Tamid, or Eternal Light, instead lasted for eight days.

Though we all know the story of Hanukkah, many of us do not make the connection between the oil in the Eternal Light and the oil we use to prepare traditional Hanukkah treats. Here in the United States, potato latkes are the Hanukkah treats we fry in oil. But in Israel, and in my home, the treat of choice is sufganiot, or jelly doughnuts.

I confess I don’t need the motivation of Hanukkah to eat a doughnut, and certainly not one that is hot, fresh from the fryer. The heavenly cakes are my passion and, fortunately, fit snugly within my food mantra of “everything in moderation.”

While some may seek guidance in the art of jelly doughnuts from their rabbis, I turned instead to the proprietors of what all true doughnut aficionados in St. Louis recognize as the finest doughnut shop in our town, if not our nation. I speak, of course, of World’s Fair Donuts at 1904 South Vandeventer.

Peggy and Terry Clanton have owned the business for 31 years. Terry learned to make donuts from his father, who also was a baker. Peggy staffs the counter and knows most of the customers by name and preference. Indeed, she begins getting their orders ready before they’ve even walked through the rickety screen door.

“Two glazed and a coffee, no cream,” she says as she places the order on the counter for the man who is walking through the door. He is followed a moment later by an elderly gentleman. “Will it be 6 or 12, John?” she asks. To the next customer, she asks, “Are you feeling any better today?”

Terry told me that their doughnuts are fried in pure vegetable shortening.

They use only raspberry jelly to fill their doughnuts because, according to Peggy, “raspberry jelly has the best flavor for doughnuts.”

“Do you know the secret behind successfully eating a jelly doughnut?” Peggy asks me. “Bite into the side where the filling was injected. That way, the filling won’t end up all over your clothes.”

The jelly doughnuts at World’s Fair Donuts are topped with vanilla icing.

They are light and chewy and taste just the way a great doughnut should taste. I bought a box of a dozen to take back to my office. Just as I was leaving, Peggy ducked behind a rack and came out carrying a chocolate long john.

“Here,” she said. “This one’s still hot. You have to eat this one on your way back to work!”

I did. Pure ambrosia, I thought with the first bite.

Although the prospect of creating and frying your own doughnuts may seem daunting at first, I promise you can do it, and it’s well worth your effort.

Set forth below are three jelly doughnut recipes arranged according to degree of difficulty.

Sufganiot- Baking Powder Method

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

14 cups filtered apple juice

1/4 cup canola oil, plus additional oil for frying

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

About 3 tbsp. red currant jelly

About 1 cup granulated sugar for rolling doughnuts

Combine flour, baking powder and 2 tbsp. sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs, apple juice, oil, and nutmeg. Mix just until ingredients are blended. Line a baking pan with paper towels and set next to stove. Line another baking pan with waxed paper and mound 1 cup of granulated sugar in the center. Set aside.

In a deep pan, heat 1-inch of oil until a drop of water sizzles when added. Using a large serving spoon or 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop pieces of dough into hot oil. Fry dough over medium heat, 2-3 minutes on each side, until doughnuts are golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts from hot oil onto prepared pan to drain.

When doughnuts are cool enough to handle, use a piping bag to squeeze jelly into the sides of the donuts. Immediately roll filled donuts in granulated sugar and serve.

Yield: 12-14 sufganiot

Sufganiot — Baking Powder/Baking Soda Method

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

16 ounces plain, whole milk yogurt

4 tsp. orange liqueur

Canola oil for frying

Confectioner’s sugar for topping or

Melted chocolate for topping

In a large bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, and liqueur. Using a wooden spoon, add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, mixing until just combined.

Pour 2 inches of oil into a large deep skillet. Heat oil until a drop of water sizzles. Fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with batter and carefully place in hot oil. Fry doughnuts until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

When cool enough to handle, place doughnuts on a serving platter and dust with confectioner’s sugar or spread lightly with melted chocolate.

Yield: 12-18 sufganiot

Sufganiot — Yeast Method

1 cup warm milk

Pinch of sugar

1 package or 2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

3-3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

About 3 tbsp. red currant jelly

About 1 cup granulated sugar

Place milk and sugar into bowl. Sprinkle yeast over mixture, stir, and allow to sit 5-10 minutes until foamy. Add sugar and butter and mix together. Add salt, nutmeg, and 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until smooth. Add 1 cup of flour and stir. Continue adding flour in small amounts, stirring after each addition until dough becomes too stiff to stir.

Lightly flour counter and turn dough out onto counter. Sprinkle lightly with flour and knead, adding small amounts of flour to keep dough from sticking. When dough is smooth and no longer sticky, place into a lightly oiled bowl. Turn dough to coat all sides with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2- inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds of dough, placing them on sheets of waxed paper. Gather dough scraps, re-roll, and cut again. Place these cut-outs on waxed paper. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rounds rise for 30-45 minutes.

In a large kettle or deep fryer, heat oil to a temperature of 375 degrees. Fry doughnuts for 2-3 minutes, turning after they have risen to the top, and cooking until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to a rack set over a baking pan to cool.

Line a baking pan with wax paper and mound granulated sugar in center. When doughnuts are cool enough to handle, use a piping bag to squeeze jelly into one side of the doughnuts. Immediately roll doughnuts in sugar and serve.

Yield: Approximately 1 dozen sufganiot

Margi Lenga Kahn, mother of five and grandmother of one, is the Community Relations Coordinator for the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in University City. She also teaches cooking at the Kitchen Conservatory and in private homes. Cooking is a labor of love for Margi, who enjoys creating culinary delights for family and friends. Please send comments and suggestions to [email protected].