Challah Fritters with Sweet Tahini Sauce

This recipe is from Faith Kramer’s just-published cookbook, “52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen.” The doughnut-hole-size fritters can be made a day ahead (without the confectioners’ sugar), wrote Faith, and refrigerated in an airtight container. Serve them at room temperature; or warm slightly on an ungreased baking sheet in an oven on low heat before serving. The sauce can be made two days ahead (without the silan); refrigerate in an airtight container.

Yield about 40

• Ingredients

  • Fritters:
    • A 1-pound loaf plain challah
    • 4 large eggs, beaten\1 cup milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
    • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Vegetable oil (for frying)
    • Confectioners’ sugar or cinnamon sugar (optional)
    • Homemade or purchased chocolate sauce, warmed (optional)
  • Sauce:
    • 1/2 cup tahini (sƟr in the jar before measuring)
    • 1/4 cup cold water, more as needed
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 3 to 4 tablespoons agave syrup
    • 2 teaspoons silan (also called date honey, date
      syrup and date molasses) (optional)

• Directions

  1. Shred challah in 1/4-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.
  2. In another large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, bananas sugar cinnamon nutmeg salt and vanilla.
  Add shredded challah; stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 20
  minutes. Stir well.
  3. With moistened hands, roll about 1 tablespoon batter into a ball. Press it together firmly and roll
  it again, squeezing to compact it into a firm ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a plate.
  Repeat with the remaining batttter.
  4. In a 12-inch wide, heavy pot, heat 1/2 inch of oil over high heat to 350 degrees (oil is ready
  when a bit of fritter batter bubbles as soon as it is added to pan, but for best results use a deep-fry or candy thermometer). Line a large plate with paper towels.
  5. Roll fritters between your hands to ensure they are compact, then gently roll them off your hand
  and into the hot oil until you have 8 to 10 in the pot, being careful not to crowd them. Adjust
  heat as needed to maintain proper temperature and prevent burning, and cook until bottoms of
  fritters are dark golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip fritters with a slotted metal spoon or tongs
  and cook until other side is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer fritters to the prepared plate using
  tongs or slotted spoon. Add oil as needed; return oil to the proper temperature between batches. (If
  desired, keep fritters warm on an ungreased baking sheet in a 250-degree oven.)
  6. Sauce: In a medium bowl, mix tahini, cold water, lemon juice, salt and 3 tablespoons
  agave syrup until very smooth (mixture will seize up but loosens as you continue to stir). Add
  more water 1 tablespoon at a time until sauce is still thick but is pourable. Taste; add more agave
  syrup, if desired. Transfer to a serving dish; drizzle with silan.
  7. Sprinkle fritters with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with tahini sauce and warmed chocolate sauce
  for dipping.