One of my fondest childhood food memories is making bimuelos with my mom when I was little. I’ve seen them being made for Hanukah, since they are technically a fried donut, but mom and I always made them for Passover with matzo.
I actually wrote the the original recipe for Cook Kosher a few years ago and as it was then, is still a stable every single Passover! They are just so addictive, simple to make and make enjoying eating matzo for a week a little but more exciting!
So lets chat bimuelos. Traditionally a Sephardic donut and during Hanukkah, many make them with a yeasted dough that’s fried and dusted with either powdered sugar or drizzled with syrup. For the Passover version, we make them with matzo. Similar to matzo brei, where you soak the matzo and then mix it with egg and fry it. Here we made them into round donut balls, fried them and soak them in a gorgeous, thick baklava syrup, creating a gorgeous Passover mashup of baklava bimuelos.
A word on the texture, if you have ever had my classic bimuelos, you notice that the matzo mixture almost acts as a sponge, soaking up anything its covered in. The same with these bimuelos. Even though they are fried, they hold out their shape and have a spongy texture that is able to soak up the thick sweet baklava style syrup nicely.
Sephardic Passover Donuts made with Matzo and Doused in a Thick Rose Syrup and Pistachios.
- 1 1/2 cups ground matzo about 7-8 matzo
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp cardamom
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Canola or vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Ground Pistachios for garnish
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Grind matzo crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs, then in a large bowl,add ground matzo and pour in enough water to just cover matzo.
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Add w eggs, cinnamon, cardamom, sugar and salt and mix to combine. Set aside.
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Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a pot until it gets to about 360 degrees Fahrenheit. You can test the oil by placing a piece of the mixture in the oil, if it sizzles, it's ready.
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Use a cookie scoop or table spoon to round a ball shape and place in hot oil, about 3-4 at a time. Fry donuts on both sides for about4-5 minutes. When done, reserve to a paper towel lined baking sheet.
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To make the syrup, add the sugar, water, rose water and lemon juice to a small pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until sugar has dissolved and syrup has thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
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Once syrup is done, you can either add both to a large bowl and toss donuts with syrup, or you can dip the bimuelos in the syrup. Garnish with chopped pistachios.
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