Alex and Tina's supreme doughnuts

I love doughnuts but never realized how easy they are to make.

The deep-fried treats are having a moment, with gourmet doughnut shops popping up and flavours ranging from sugary sweet to decadently savoury.

Hanukkah starts on Saturday, and one of the holiday's special foods is rich, jam-filled doughnuts, so I decided to make a batch.

In my research I came across the best doughnuts ever at Toronto's Café Fiorentina. Tina Leckie and Alex Chong have created a charming space where all the food is made from scratch, including Alex's superb charcuterie and bread. Tina bakes cakes and cookies and makes memorable sandwiches and lunch-type dishes.

Tina gave me her recipe for doughnuts, though if you don't feel like making them yourself, give her a call and she'll make them for you.

Basically, great yeast doughnuts start with a brioche dough. Cake doughnuts (not my favourites) are made with a thick cake batter. A few caveats on deep frying: Use a wok with a wok ring or a deep pot.

If you fry at the right temperature, oil won't be absorbed and your treats won't be greasy.

If you don't have a stand mixer use a hand-held mixer, but you will be beating for about 15 to 20 minutes to get the right consistency. Shape leftover dough into a loaf and bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes for brioche.