Seriously, who doesn’t LOVE delicious Homemade Potato Latkes? Don’t forget to top them though with sour cream & chives; Greek yogurt & pomegranate seeds; smoked salmon, crème fraîche & caviar; or homemade applesauce.
Perk up your latkes with Spiced Apple Pear Sauce and you’ll transform your home with an aromatic sweet sensation. McIntosh apples and Bartlett pears lend sweetness while cinnamon and nutmeg offer warm spice notes. It’s easy to make and bursting with natural, juicy flavor.
Potato Latkes
Chanukah, celebrating the rededication of the Temple after the Maccabees defeated Antiochus and the Syrian army in 165 B.C.E., is a joyous occasion, a time for parties AND for latkes. Foods fried in oil symbolize the flame that miraculously burned for eight days in the great Temple of Jerusalem with just one small vial of oil. What’s with the dairy? It’s because Holofernes, the leader of Nebuchadnezzar’s Assyrian army, had become enamored of the beautiful widow Judith. She went to his tent and fed him salted cheese, after which he drank several cups of wine to quench his thirst. When he fell asleep, she cut off his head with his own sword, and brought it to Jerusalem to show his soldiers. Terrified, they fled the city. Dairy dishes eaten at Chanukah honor her heroic act. Serve you Potato Latkes with sour cream and applesauce.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 Pounds Peeled & Quartered Potatoes
2 Large Grated Onions
3 Beaten Eggs
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 Cup Corn Oil
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 1/2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Cup Matzo Meal
1/2 Cup Corn Oil For Frying
Applesauce
Sour Cream
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, fine-grate potatoes. Do not liquefy. Leave some texture. Strain to eliminate excess liquid. Don’t overdo it. Just let the water drain out. Fine-grate onions, and mix in a large-size bowl with potatoes. If you don’t have a food processor, you can grind the potatoes and onions in a meat grinder. Add eggs, baking powder, 3/4 cup corn oil, flour, kosher salt, and pepper. Mix well. Fold in matzo meal; making sure that everything is very well blended. Heat 1/2 cup corn oil in a deep skillet. Using a large kitchen spoon, spoon batter into the pan to create pancakes about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Fry on a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the underside is a deep golden brown. Turn to fry for another minute or two. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Transfer to serving platter and serve with applesauce and sour cream. Makes about 20.
Classic Hanukkah Sufganiyot
Sufganiyot is a popular Hanukkah food in the U.S. and Israel and means “jelly doughnut." They are believed to have first come from Spain and are similar to the sopaipilla. Many say, however, that the sopaipilla was actually borrowed from the Jews. Sufganiyot are widely eaten in the U.S., Israel and around the world in the weeks leading up to and including the Hanukkah holiday which commemorates the miracle of the Temple oil that lasted for eight days instead of one. Enjoy Hanukkah and eat your Sufganiyot!
INGREDIENTS
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
1/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Lukewarm Milk
2 Large Eggs Separated
2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
6 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Cup Seedless Red Raspberry Jam
4 Cups Canola Oil For Frying
Powdered Sugar For Dusting
In a large size bowl mix together the yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar and the milk. Let stand for 5 minutes for the mixture to foam. In a separate large size bowl sift the flour and add the remaining sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, softened butter and the yeast mixture. Combine and then knead the dough into a ball. Place the ball into a large size bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 2 hours. You will want the dough to double in size and the temperature should be around 80º F. With floured hands, punch down the dough. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and let sit for 10 minutes. Roll out the dough into 24 rounds using either a biscuit cutter or glass. Place 1/2 teaspoon of the jam in the center of 12 of the rounds. Place the tops onto each of the round and press the edges and seal with the egg whites. Let them sit for 30 minutes so that they can rise. Heat the canola oil so that it is about 375º F. Carefully drop a few of the doughnuts at a time into the hot oil and turn to make sure that both sides are browned. Remove from the hot oil and place on paper towels to soak up excess oil. When ready to serve dust the tops with powdered sugar. Makes 12 sufganiyot.
**If you are serving these with a milk meal then use butter and milk. If you are with a meat meal then use water and pareve margarine.
Traditional Potato Latkes
I used to eat these as a kid and oh how I loved them! Fried Potato Pancakes, called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew, are the most popular Hanukkah food. Fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple of Jerusalem. Latkes are a holiday favorite and today one can find many creative twists to the traditional latkes recipe. They include cauliflower, sweet potato, broccoli, guacamole, cheese and even tuna latkes.
INGREDIENTS
5 Potatoes
2 Onions
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
Canola Oil For Frying
Fill a large bowl with cold water so the potatoes won’t turn brown in color. Peel the potatoes and place in the cold water. When you are ready to make the latkas drain the potatoes. Place the potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade and pulse until smooth. Drain the mixture well. Pour the potato mixture into a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper and enough flour so that the mixture holds together. Pour 1 inch of the oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over a medium high heat. Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil and flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook. Fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve with applesauce. Makes 20 pancakes.
Lemon Meringue Pie
For a perfect cut before cutting each slice from a meringue topped pie, dip the knife in water and do not dry it off. This prevents the meringue from sticking to the knife. For a perfect cut before cutting each slice from a meringue topped pie, dip the knife in water and do not dry it off. This prevents the meringue from sticking to the knife. For a perfect cut before cutting each slice from a meringue topped pie, dip the knife in water and do not dry it off. This prevents the meringue from sticking to the knife.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2Cups Water
2 Juiced & Zested Lemons
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 Beaten Egg Yolks
1 Nine Inch Baked Pie Crust
4 Egg Whites
7 Tablespoons Sugar
In a medium size saucepan whisk together 1 cup of sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over a medium high heat. Make sure to stir frequently. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in the butter. In a small size bowl beat the egg yolk and then gradually whisk in ½ cup of the hot sugar mixture. Whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat and pour the filling into the baked pastry shell. Preheat the oven to 350° F. For the meringue you will need to get either a large glass or metal bowl. Whip the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the 7 tablespoons of sugar gradually. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue over the pie and make sure to seal the edges at the crust. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the meringue is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Refrigerate and serve. Serves 8
Traditional Potato Latkes
I used to eat these as a kid and oh how I loved them! Fried Potato Pancakes, called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew, are the most popular Hanukkah food. Fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple of Jerusalem. Latkes are a holiday favorite and today one can find many creative twists to the traditional latkes recipe. They include cauliflower, sweet potato, broccoli, guacamole, cheese and even tuna latkes.
INGREDIENTS
5 Potatoes
2 Onions
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Unbleached Flour
Canola Oil For Frying
Fill a large bowl with cold water so the potatoes won’t turn brown in color. Peel the potatoes and place in the cold water. When you are ready to make the latkas drain the potatoes. Place the potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade and pulse until smooth. Drain the mixture well. Pour the potato mixture into a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper and enough flour so that the mixture holds together. Pour 1 inch of the oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over a medium high heat. Carefully drop ¼ cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil and flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook. Fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve with applesauce. Makes 20 pancakes.
Hanukkah Cut-Out Cookies
With Hanukkah right around the corner it’s time to make cookies! These golden, honey flavored cut-out cookies are delicious and are a traditional Hanukkah treat. Traditional cookie cutters include a Menorah, Dreidel & Star of David.
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Softened Butter
¼ Cup Honey
1 Egg Yolk
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Decorator Icing & Sugars (Optional)
In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar. Beat until creamy. Add the honey and egg yolk. Continue beating until mixed well. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour and baking powder. Beat until combined, but don’t over mix. Divide the dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Take one half of the dough out of the refrigerator and leave the other one in to keep cold. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with decorator sugars if you want. Bake for 8 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool for 1 minute before removing from the baking sheets. Cool completely. Decorate with frosting and sugar if desired. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
