Bamieh Recipe: Persian Donuts With Saffron and Rosewater

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• 1 pinch saffron threads, crumbled and dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• Peanut oil or other vegetable oil, for frying

1. 1

   Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture forms a thick syrup, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add honey, rosewater, saffron water, and lemon juice to the simple syrup and simmer until well combined, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool to room temperature.

3. 3

   Make the dough. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine 1 cup water, salt, and butter, and stir to melt butter. Lower to a simmer and add the flour. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together as a ball.

4. 4

   Remove from the heat. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon to fully incorporate after each addition.

5. 5

   Fit a piping bag with a closed-star tip and fill the bag with dough.

6. 6

   Fill a large frying pan with 1 inch of oil and set over medium-low heat. Pipe 1-inch pieces of dough into the oil in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Fry bamieh, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Use a slotted spoon to remove bamieh from the pan, letting the excess oil drain off. Transfer bamieh to the sweet syrup and stir to coat. Transfer the bamieh to a fine mesh sieve to remove excess syrup, then serve.

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