The Foodie-file: Christmas Traditions, Long-Johns
Every culture has some type of deep fried donut that is a specialty of the region. In my family, you cannot have Christmas without this version. My grandmother always called these Long-Johns and so now does the whole family. I can’t imagine that was the moniker in the old country but that is how our traditional evolved and now they will forever be known as Long- Johns! These ones are lightly salted but I also make them studded with raisins and rolled in granulated sugar because that is how my dad likes them.
Long Johns
1 package dry yeast
2 cups of lukewarm water
2 tsp sugar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tsp salt
about 2 cups of flour
Add the sugar to the water in a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over and allow to stand for 10 minutes until starting to bubble. Add the ½ of the flour, salt and oil, stir together. Mix in the remainder of the flour a little at a time until you have a sticky dough that is just pulling away from the bowl – it should be quite soft and shaggy. Turn it out onto a floured board and knead it a few times to bring the dough together into a loose ball. Oil a bowl and turn the dough into the bowl turning it over to grease both side. Cover and allow to double in bulk. In a large heavy bottomed pot of deep fryer add about 3 inches of cooking oil. Heat to 400 degrees. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased board; pull the dough gently to form a rectangle about four inches across. Cut strips about a scant inch wide by 4 inches long, fry in batches draining on paper towels and lightly salting while they are still warm.
This will make about 36, they are best eaten the same day they are made but are re-heated as well.
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