Fried foods are the norm when celebrating Hanukkah and isfenğ is no exception among Sephardim – the Jewish diaspora with roots in Spain prior to the Inquisition. Isfenğ are simplified culinary cousins of sufganiyot. There's no piping bag necessary; just golf ball-sized pieces of dough stretched, formed into a ring and dipped in frying oil for about a minute each side. That's it. Its crispy thin crust gives the doughnut the flavour of fried toast when you bite into it, followed by a hint of sweetness.
