Instructions: Place 2 cups (500 ml) flour in bowl with the salt, sugar, yeast, and vanilla. Mix well and add the oil, water, and cognac. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs and mix again. Add the remaining flour as needed until a smooth, elastic texture is obtained. Allow to rise until doubled in volume. Knead, then roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/2 inch (1 cm), cut into rounds with the rim of a cup, and allow to rise for 1 hour. Fry in deep oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and inject with jam using a piping bag, then roll in powdered sugar.

Makes 6 to 12 donuts, depending on size.

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NOTES : I was planning to do a recipe for challah (the traditional Jewish bread) to wrap up our "Cooking of Israel" week, but I received so many requests for sufganiot (the Jewish jelly donut) that I decided to do that instead. But then I asked myself "Chef, (thats better than what I used to call myself) what about your tens of thousands of adoring and admiring readers who will be disappointed, if not downright depressed, if you dont do the challah recipe like you promised?"

I decided, in my never ending quest to satisfy all of the people all of the time and to achieve TOTAL READER SATISFACTION (trumpets and cymbals here), to include a recipe for the donuts along with the challah. So here you have it, ladies and gentlemen, two recipes for the price of... none?

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