* You may need more or less vegetable oil. It depends on the size of the pan you will be frying the donuts in. * All ingredients for the dough should be at room temperature. 1. Heat the milk (to approximately 40°C). Add the yeast. Stir, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let stand for 15-20 minutes. The yeast should become frothy. 2. In a large bowl: mix the dissolved yeast with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add 3 egg yolks and 350 g of pumpkin puree. Mix. Sift in half of the flour. Mix. Add 0.5 teaspoon of salt and mix. Then gradually add the remaining flour, kneading the dough well (you can do this by hand or with a mixer with a dough hook attachment). Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. 3. Add 2.5 tablespoons of softened butter to the dough. Knead the dough well again. Cover the bowl with the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise. The time depends on the room temperature, from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. The dough should double in volume. 4. Place the dough on a floured surface. Roll it out to a thickness of approximately 1 inch. Cut out circles. Tie each circle with cotton butcher's twine string, giving it a pumpkin shape. Place the finished pumpkins on a floured tray and cover with a clean, dry towel to prevent the dough from drying out. 5. In a bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, and, if using, 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice. 6. Prepare a large plate lined with paper towels for placing the donuts after frying. Place scissors and the bowl with sugar and cinnamon next to it. 7. Prepare a large plate lined with parchment paper for the finished pumpkins. 8. Over high heat: heat the oil in a deep pan or pot. (The oil is hot enough if, when you dip a wooden spoon into it, bubbles form around the spoon.) Reduce the heat to medium. Fry the donuts on both sides until golden brown. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool slightly, cut and remove the strings. Roll donuts in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Repeat with all the donuts. 9. Optionally, decorate the donuts with cinnamon sticks. *** COFEE-FLAVORED CREAM Ingredients: white chocolate - 100 g, cream - 200 g, instant coffee - 2 tablespoons, butter - 2 tablespoons, spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg) - to taste. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring continuously until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Do not boil! Strain the resulting mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Whip with a mixer. Put the cream into a pastry bag. Make indentations in the donuts and fill them with the cream. ***

   The butter should be at room temperature! DOUGH: 1. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. 2. Add butter at room temperature and rub into the flour until crumbly. 3. Add egg and kefir, knead gently until a smooth dough forms. 4. Wrap and chill for 30–60 minutes. FILLING: 1. Finely dice the chicken and onion (about ¼ inch pieces). 2. Finely dice fresh dill, parsley and cilantro if using. 3. Peel, wash and grate the potato. 4. Mix with salt, pepper, cumin, and optional herbs or fat. 5. Keep it raw — it will cook inside the pastry. ASSEMBLE: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). 2. Roll dough into a log, cut into 16 equal pieces. 3. Roll each piece into a thin circle. 4. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of one circle. Cover with the second circle. Pinch the edges of the circles with your hands or with a fork. (OR Fold into triangle or square shapes, sealing edges well.) Make a hole in the center. 6. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. 7. Brush tops with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 8. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. TIPS: - Don’t overfill — they may burst during baking. - You can freeze assembled samsa before baking — bake from frozen, adding \~10 extra minutes.