It’s just not Hanukkah in a Sephardic home without bimuelos, which are sweet, donut-like fritters. Like Hanukkah itself, there are many different spelling variations of the name including bumuelos, birmuelos, burmuelos and, in Latin America, buñuelos. During Passover, the flour in bimuelos is replaced with matzah meal, making them a dessert that rises to the unleavened occasion.
Because Hanukkah often falls close to Thanksgiving, I often find myself making bumuelos de kalavasa (“pumpkin” in Ladino). In fact, pumpkin has long been a favorite ingredient in Sephardic cooking.
These one-bowl, easy-to-make bimuelos de kalavasa double in size without any yeast. I’ve added the Syrian flavors of allspice and coriander along with the cinnamon of sweeter Turkish and Greek versions.
When you drop the batter in the oil, don’t worry about the shape. They are meant to be a free-form and individualistic. Bimielos are best served warm, drizzled with warm honey, maple syrup or silan (date syrup), or dusted with a healthy coating of confectioner’s sugar.
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Notes:
- This recipe calls for canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- The fried bimuelos can be kept warm in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes on top of the wire cooling racks on the baking sheets.
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