Bimuelos with Cranberry Curd and Cardamom Honey

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 2 cups)
• .75 cup granulated sugar
• .333 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 ounces), chilled and cut into 1-Tbsp. pieces
• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour (about 7 1/2 ounces), plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• .75 teaspoon plus 1 pinch of fine sea salt, divided
• .75 cup warm water (100°F to 110°F), divided
• 1.5 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying and greasing
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• .5 cup honey
• .25 teaspoon ground cardamom
• .25 cup chopped shelled raw pistachios, lightly toasted

Steps

1. Bring cranberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop and release their juices, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender. Secure lid on blender; remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Remove lid; let puree cool 10 minutes. Wipe saucepan clean.
2. Using a rubber spatula, press cooled cranberry puree through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a medium bowl; discard solids. Let cool until lukewarm, 10 to 15 minutes. Add eggs, egg yolk, and salt; whisk until well combined. Return mixture to cleaned saucepan, and heat over medium-low. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until butter is melted and curd is smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl; let cool 5 minutes. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold and firm, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
3. Stir together flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir together 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour mixture, oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, and remaining 1/4 cup warm water to yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is well combined and forms a wet, sticky, and loose dough that only slightly pulls away from sides of bowl; add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour as needed to thicken. (Dough should form a loose, sticky mound that flattens slowly within a few seconds.) Using lightly oiled hands, transfer dough to a lightly oiled medium bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
4. Stir together honey, cardamom, remaining pinch of salt, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon orange zest in a 2-cup microwavable liquid measuring cup. Microwave on HIGH until honey bubbles vigorously, 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds. Set aside.
5. Pour oil to a depth of 21/2 inches in a small Dutch oven. Heat over medium until oil reaches 360°F. Using a heatproof 2-tablespoon scoop, quickly dip scoop into hot oil to grease, scoop a portion of dough, and drop dough into hot oil. Repeat process to create 5 or 6 dough balls, greasing scoop between each dough ball. Fry dough balls, flipping once, until puffed and golden brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer bimuelos to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat process in batches using remaining dough to yield about 16 bimuelos. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
6. Using the wide end of a chopstick, poke a 1/2-inch hole into each bimuelo, moving chopstick around carefully to hollow out middle. Transfer cranberry curd to a piping bag fitted with a 1/3-inch round piping tip. Fill each hole with about 2 tablespoons curd. Pile bimuelos into a tower on a 7- or 8-inch rimmed plate. Drizzle with syrup, and sprinkle with pistachios.