Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, begins at sundown Tuesday. The first candle in the menorah is lit on the first night of the eight-day celebration, and the practice continues until all eight candles (plus the middle candle, the shamas) are ablaze, giving us light and warmth against the late autumn darkness.
It is tradition to feast on foods fried in oil during Hanukkah because of the miracle that occurred in 165 B.C. A band of brothers called the Maccabees — Judah, John, Simon, Eleazar and Jonathan, the sons of Mattathias of Modin — refused to worship Hellenic idols. Soon, the Maccabees were leading a resistance movement, and they fiercely battled to recapture their temple.
The Eternal Light in the temple did not have enough oil to stay lit. But a miracle occurred and the lamp remained lit for eight days, which gave the Jewish people enough time to search for more oil.
Latkes of all sorts, especially potato latkes, are the traditional treats for Hanukkah. I’ve given you recipes for latkes in the past and you can find recipes online or in numerous cookbooks. Since many of us give or attend holiday parties, I thought it a good idea — and a sweet one — to give you recipes for Hanukkah desserts.
Just in time for Hanukkah, I received a copy of A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman ($17.95, Broadway Books, paperback). The book was published in 1998, but this is the first paperback edition.
Goldman, who lives in Montreal, is the creator of BetterBaking.com., an online magazine with recipes for those who love to bake. I visited the site and it’s a gem. The book is a treasure of classic and modern sweet and savory recipes for every Jewish holiday and occasion. It is also chock full of goodies everyone can enjoy during the year.
Here are recipes for a sweet Hanukkah from A Treasury of Jewish Baking.
Kids’ Hanukkah Cookies
Ingredients:
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 drops each lemon, orange and almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup half-and-half, milk or water
1 to 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Sugar or colored sprinkles
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening with the sugar. Blend in the eggs, vanilla and other extracts. Fold in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix, gradually adding the half-and-half to make a firm but rollable dough. Chill the dough for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough about 1/4-inch thick and cut it into rounds or, if you have them, use Hanukkah cookie cutters to make holiday shapes.
Brush the cookies with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar (regular or coarse, plain or colored) or colored sprinkles. Leave the cookies plain if you will be icing them after baking.
Bake on the prepared sheets until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
Makes 3 to 4 dozen.
Note from Phyllis: Parchment paper can be found in gourmet and kitchenware shops such as Fante’s. It is also available at Pathmark. You can find Hanukkah cookie cutters in kitchenware shops and synagogue gift shops. Obviously, Goldman is not from Philly; everybody here knows sprinkles are jimmies.
Decorative Icing for Hanukkah Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water, to make a spreadable glaze
Food color, to taste
Flavor extracts, such as white vanilla or almond
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and water to make a smooth glaze. Stir in the food coloring for the desired tint and add a few drops of either almond extract or white vanilla extract to flavor the glaze. Cover with plastic wrap if not using right away and store at room temperature. Stir again before using. This will keep for three or four days.
Note from Phyllis: For each color, prepare a separate bowl. Goldman says brown vanilla extract will work, but it will discolor the icing a bit.
Hanukkah Gelt Double Fudge Chocolate Layer Cake
For the cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1-1/2 cups warm, flat cola
For the chocolate icing:
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter or unsalted margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup water, cola or half-and-half
For the topping:
Colored sprinkles
20 to 30 chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil
Miniature decorative plastic dreidels
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease two 9-inch layer pans and line them with parchment paper circles.
In a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar and oil. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine until the mixture is well blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Fold them into the wet mix, drizzling in the cola as the mixture blends. If using an electric mixer, use the slow speed and mix for about three minutes, scraping the sides and bottom once to incorporate all the ingredients. This is a thin batter.
Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
To make the icing, in a bowl cream together the melted chocolate, shortening, butter and vanilla with the cocoa and 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. Add the remaining confectioners’ sugar and whip on high speed, adding a bit of water, cola or half-and-half to get a light, fluffy consistency. If you’re not frosting the cake right away, re-whip before using, adding more warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve the right consistency.
To decorate the cake, place one layer on a cardboard circle. Ice it with about 1/2 inch of frosting. Cover with the second layer and ice the sides first, then the top. Coat the sides with colored sprinkles. Garnish the bottom edge with gold-foil-covered coins. Garnish the top with the coins as well, making any arrangement you want. Place a couple of miniature dreidels in the center if you wish.
Serves 12 to 16.
