Sufganiyot are bliss at Bliss Baked Goods in Edmonton

By Regan Lipes

(AJNews) – Shakespeare claims that a rose by any other name will still smell as sweet, and I contend that a sufganiyah, no matter if you call it a ponchik, gefüllte krapfen, or just a good old jelly donut, will always induce instant smiles and salivation. Yes, it is that magical time of year once again: a marvelous time when Edmonton’s Jewish families take solace in the fact that they will not have to fight for parking at their local mall, parents clumsily flip through radio stations in the car to avoid the earworm of seasonal carols, and everyone rushes to the phone to call Bliss Baked Goods to place their order for sufganiyot to enjoy with their loved ones during Chanukah.

The fully kosher, dairy-free, nut-free establishment has been a pillar of the Edmonton Jewish community for the past twenty-five years and continues to go strong! Sufganiyot-season brings out the customers in droves, and not only the Jewish patrons. Non-Jewish regulars at Bliss also eagerly await December to get their hands on one, or all three delectable flavors the family-owned business has for sale. There is, of course, the classic sufganiyah with strawberry jam, but their talented bakers and pastry decorators also have a custard filling and a chocolate mousse option to tantalize the tastebuds.

For any kid that ever confidently boasted they could eat more sufganiyot than their siblings, it might be interesting to know how many of these coveted goodies get lovingly fried up according to the Bliss family’s time-honoured recipe each Chanukah-season.  This year Bliss will be serving up and sending out the door many thousands of sufganiyot! If that sounds like a lot of baking: it is!

Preparations for Bliss’ annual frenzy begin an entire month prior to the first sufganiyah making its was way into a happy belly. Staff must source and order all the kosher ingredients to produce enough sufganiyot to feed demand: and the demand grows every year.  For anyone who has ever visited the cozy and fragrantly welcoming shoppe, it is astronomical to think of thousands of sufganiyot being baked there in one month on top of the extensive selection of other offerings at Bliss Baked Goods.

“Sufganiyot gained renown in Israel in the 1920s, when trade union Histadrut advocated for the production of the difficult-to-make sufganiyot over rudimentary latkes, to provide enough work for their laborers,” according to Sasha Rogelberg of Jewish News. Well, the work at Bliss Baked Goods may be a labor of love, but it is a team effort that always means all hands, on deck. It is not just frying and filling, but the kneading and mixing, sifting and sorting, with at least two donut decorators putting the finishing touches on each tasty treat at any given time: all this, amidst the regular bakery business that keeps staff on their toes normally. But after so many years, this does not equate to too many cooks in the kitchen because with so much expert practice: the team is a well-oiled machine.

Of course, when it comes time for Chabad Lubavitch of Edmonton’s annual menorah lighting at the Provincial Legislature, things really heat up in the kitchen as enough sufganiyot are fried to feed the hundreds of revelers who attend. Certainly, anybody stopping by the shoppe on their way home to grab a quick sufganiyah nibble will leave smiling and satisfied, but for larger orders it is recommended that these be placed ahead of time to ensure quantity in addition to quality.

All holiday puns and cliches aside, Bliss Baked Goods’ sufganiyot are an iconic punctuation to the Edmonton Jewish calendar year. No Jewish event would be complete without some good nosh, and you would be hard pressed to find an official community gathering without proud Bliss representation. Bliss Baked Goods supports its local Jewish community and its kosher needs; the final touches on local Chanukah dining tables would not be fully finished absent a bountiful box of Bliss’ signature sufganiyot. I know that I will be placing our family order right away. So, as I burn the midnight oil frying up enough latkes to satiate voracious appetites, I will be confident that Bliss has us taken care of, and delectable deserts are set and ready to go!

And for those of you who are too busy to make latkes for your family and friends, don’t worry – Bliss’ delicious latkes can be pre-ordered for Chanukah at the same time. Call them today at 780-453-0101.

Regan Lipes is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter