Bimuelos for Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah to all my readers!

Searching for fried food to make for the Jewish festival of lights holiday, Hanukkah, which began December 8 and will end on the 16th, I was surprised to find that the sweet snack called bimuelos which are very similar to the Filipino buñuelos are actually related. Although the recipes are different, they are both deep fried and served with syrup or honey or simply dusted with sugar. The tiny snacks are really really delicious drizzled with honey. It's also good with caramelized condensed milk but I prefer them with honey. I had for lunch all the bimuelos in the picture after photographing them. I couldn't resist the crispy crust and light as feather puffy honeycombed crumb.

these bimuelos have a light puffy 

honey-combed crumb and crispy crust

Bimuelos
3½ cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups warm water
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon pure orange extract, optional
light olive oil for frying
honey, orange blossom syrup, or icing sugar

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with flat beater attachment, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and extract if using and beat on medium low for 5 minutes until smooth. The dough should be loose and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and leave on the kitchen counter for 1 hour. Stir dough with a rubber spatula, cover, and leave for another half hour. 
• Heat 2 inches of oil to 375°F. Dip 2 teaspoons in the oil. Using both teaspoons, put small balls of dough into the hot oil and fry until puffed, crisp, and golden, turning them to brown evenly. Lower the heat a little to give the bimuelos time to get cooked inside before they get too brown. They should be light with irregular rather than perfectly round shapes. Serve with honey or syrup, or dust with powdered sugar.
• To make syrup: Boil 1 cup sugar, ½ tablespoon lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and half cup of water until thickened to coat a spoon. Stir in half a tablespoon of orange blossom water. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.