Celebrate Hanukkah with Traditional Recipes!
Hanukkah is the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. It celebrates the victory of the Maccabean Revolt and the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusalem. During the rededication, a miracle occurred that sparked the eight-day Hanukkah celebration we know today. At the rededication, the Jews only had enough oil to keep their menorah candles lit for one day. Miraculously though, the oil lasted for eight consecutive days!
To celebrate the miracle, many traditional Hanukkah dishes are made with oil. Fried foods abound during Hanukkah, symbolizing the oil of the menorah. Latkes (fried potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) are two of the most common and beloved Hanukkah treats. Follow these mouth-watering recipes to bring some Hanukkah cheer to your home!
Latke Ingredients
- 5 large potatoes
- 1 small onion
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs, matzah meal, or flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- black pepper
- canola oil
How to Make Latkes
Step 1: Grate the potatoes coarsely or finely, according to your preference. Finely grate the onion. Place the grated potatoes and onion in a paper towel and squeeze tightly until all of the liquid is absorbed. Place in a large bowl.
Step 2: Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper to the large bowl containing the potatoes and onion. Mix with hands until even.
Step 3: Heat 1-inch of oil in a large pan. For each latke, place a few spoonfuls of mixture into the pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the latkes—putting them too close together will make them soggy. Using the back of a spoon, pat down each latke to flatten it.
Step 4: Fry the latkes for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden and crisp around the edges. Repeat until you’ve finished the batter.
Step 5: Blot excess oil with paper towels and serve warm with any desired toppings.
Recipe from: The Nosher
Sufganiyot Ingredients
- 3½ cup flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- 1 egg
- 3½ tbsp unsalted butter
- 1¼ cup milk (room temperature)
- canola oil
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- filling options: strawberry or raspberry jam, Nutella, vanilla pudding
How to Make Sufganiyot
Step 1: Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix well.
Step 2: Using a mixer, mix the flour mixture on low speed and add the egg and butter. Gradually add the milk and continue mixing for 8-10 minutes until the dough is soft.
Step 3: Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).
Step 4: Once the dough has risen, place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out to ¾ inch thick. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut circles out of the dough, as close to one another as possible.
Step 5: Place dough circles on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise again for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Heat oil in a pot until it reaches 350 degrees F. Place four dough circles into the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Step 7: Remove sufganiyot from oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow to cool slightly before filling.
Step 8: Fill a piping bag with your desired filling. Using a sharp knife, make a small slit on the top the sufganiyot. Place the piping bag inside the slit and fill until you can see the filling on top.
Step 9: Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe from: The Nosher
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