What You'll Need
Scale
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons whiskey or dark rum
- 1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast
- 3 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
What You'll Do
- Grab the biggest bowl in your house, and combine the flour and salt in it. In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the milk, pumpkin, butter, olive oil, and whiskey.
- In a small bowl, stir the yeast into 1 cup warm tap water. Let the yeast bloom for about 5 minutes. Add the yeast mixture and egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir for about 5 minutes, first to combine the ingredients and then to knead the dough. (This dough is extremely sticky, so a wooden spoon will work better then hand-kneading.)
- Place the bowl of dough in a warm spot to let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Then use the wooden spoon to beat the dough back down to its original size.
- Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a large Dutch oven and set it over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat it to 375°F.
- Meanwhile, fit a wire rack into a rimmed sheet pan and line the rack with paper towels. In a medium bowl, whisk the cinnamon and sugar together. Have both of these close to your oil so you can multitask, or invite a friend to come help! Better yet, call my mom, aunt Christine, and/or cousin Dolores—they will help you!
- When the oil is ready, use a big spoon to scoop up about 3 tablespoons of dough. Use a spatula to carefully slide the dough off the spoon into the oil. Add 3 to 4 scoops at a time to the oil, taking care not to overcrowd. Cook, flipping halfway through, until the filhoses are puffy and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Use tongs or a spider strainer to transfer the filhoses to the prepared rack to drain. Toss the finished filhoses in the cinnamon sugar and set back on the rack to cool for about 5 more minutes. Transfer the cooled filhoses to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining dough, letting the oil return to temperature between batches, and swapping out the paper towels on the rack often.
- Serve the filhoses while warm. Cover with a kitchen towel on a plate and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or seal them in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To defrost, leave them on the counter for a few hours or defrost in the microwave. Toss them in fresh cinnamon sugar before serving.