On Hanukkah it’s traditional to eat oily foods (such as latkes and doughnuts) to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Temple menorah lasting for eight days. Looking for recipes, tips, menus, and more for your Chanukah celebration? You’ve come to the right place! Happy Chanukah and bon appetit!
Traditional Hanukkah Potato Latkes
By Miriam Szokovski
Meat/Dairy: Pareve
Time: 30-60 Minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Health & Allergies: Vegetarian, Dairy-Free
Ingredients:
½ an onion
2 tbsp. oil
3 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1.5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
2 eggs
¼ cup flour
Oil for frying
Directions:
- Dice the onion and sauté it in 2 tbsp. oil and 1 tsp. salt until golden.
- Grate the potatoes (by hand or in a food processor). Immediately transfer the grated potato to a bowl of cold water.
- Place the eggs, flour, fried onion and 2 tsp. salt in a separate bowl. Drain the grated potato well, add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix immediately.
- Heat 2-4 tbsp. of oil in a frying pan, over medium heat. Test the oil by dropping a tiny bit of the mixture into the pan. When the oil sizzles upon contact, it is ready.
- For uniform latkes, use a 1/4 or 1/8 cup measuring cup. Scoop the batter and gently drop it into the oil. Press down gently with the back of the measuring cup to flatten. Fry 2-3 minutes until golden, then flip the latkes and fry 1-2 minutes on the second side. Repeat until all the mixture has been fried. (You will need to add more oil to the pan every couple of batches.)
The Best Donut Hack That Will Save You Tons of Valuable Time
By Miriam Szokovski
Meat/Dairy: Pareve
Time: > 60 Minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Health & Allergies: Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free
Ingredients
Rhodes frozen dinner rolls (or similar)
Oil for frying
Jam for filling (or filling of your choice)
Confectioners sugar for topping (or topping of your choice)
Directions
- Allow dough to defrost and rise according to the instructions on the back of the bag.
- Heat oil (in a pot or deep fryer) to 350°F (180°C).
- Fry doughnuts for a minute or two on each side, until the outside is golden and the center is cooked through.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and set on a cooling rack or a plate lined with paper towels.
- Allow doughnuts to cool. Use a knife to poke a hole from the side into the center, fill with jam or filling of your choice. Click here for more detailed directions showing how to fill your doughnuts.
- Top with powdered sugar.
Traditional Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts)
Meat/Dairy: Dairy
Time: > 60 Minutes
Difficulty: Complex
Health & Allergies: Nut-Free
Ingredients
3 cups white bread flour + more for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 envelope dry active yeast (2½ tsp)
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
2 tbsp sugar + 2-3 more cups for coating the donuts
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 jar preserves/jelly of choice
vegetable oil for frying
cinnamon (optional for coating doughnuts)
Equipment: candy thermometer that you can clamp to the inside of your pot
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp of warm milk and 2 tbsp of sugar. Add the dry active yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a mixer, combine 3 cups flour and 1 tsp salt. Add yeast mix to the flour. Add the eggs and butter to the flour mixture. Mix the ingredients until they come together into a crumbly mix.
- Mix in the rest of the milk, 1 tbsp at a time until the dough sticks together in a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth. (You can do this in a mixer fitted with a dough hook as well.) Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Punch down the risen dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, gradually roll out the dough to about ½” thick. When rolling dough, let it rest periodically to relax the dough and make it easier to roll out.
- Cut out 3-4″ rounds with a lightly floured biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Re-roll the scraps to make more rounds.
- Place the doughnuts on lightly floured baking sheets that are lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart, and cover lightly with a dry towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Heat a deep, heavy pot filled 3″ high with vegetable oil to 350º.
- Transfer the risen doughnuts to the pot and fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden and puffed. About 1-2 minutes each side.
- Prepare a plate with 2-3 cups of mixed sugar and cinnamon.
- Lift the doughnuts from the oil using a slotted spoon and blot briefly on a paper towel-lined plate. While donuts are still hot, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar (tongs are a good tool for holding the donuts). Set donuts aside.
- Fill a pastry bag (1/4” round tip), squeeze bottle or zip-top bag with the corner cut off with jelly preserves. Insert the tip into the end of each doughnut and pipe approximately 1-2 tbsp of preserves into them and serve.
Dreidel-Shaped Chanukah Wontons
Meat/Dairy: Pareve
Time: > 60 Minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Health & Allergies: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free
Ingredients
2 small onions, finely diced
2-3 tbsp. oil
salt
40 wonton wrappers
oil for frying
Directions
- Sauté the onions until golden.
- Use a dreidel cookie cutter to cut dreidels out of the wonton wrappers.
- Place a teaspoon of the onion mixture in the center of half the dreidel cut-outs.
- Dip your fingers in water and wet the edges, then carefully place a second dreidel cut out on top, and press down gently to seal.
- Heat oil in a shallow frying pan and fry briefly on each side until golden. Serve with the dipping condiment of your choice.
- Optional: take the remaining dough from the wonton wrappers (the outside of each dreidel). Add more oil to the frying pan, heat, and then toss in handfuls of the dough. Use tongs to turn the dough so it is evenly golden. Remove and immediately toss with a mixture of salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Repeat until all excess dough has been used. Serve for people to snack on or dip into soup.
For more recipes, tips and menus, visit chabadplano.org.