As our collective holiday season reaches its climax, it's a great time to consider a few of the traditions that make it so enjoyable. In our Jewish community, this is the time of year when a tasty annual practice comes to the fore: the baking of Jewish holiday cookies. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino can attest, our Jewish friends have some nice things in store.
For instance, one old Hanukah standby is sufganiyot, which is so good it's popular year-round. We're talking about a jelly filled donut, cooked in oil. If you’re an adept baker of bread, you will find this recipe a snap. You use a sweet yeasty bread dough, which rises several times, which you cut into rounds. Let them rise again, then fry in oil. After you have drained the puffed up donuts and let them cool down, all you need to do is fill a pastry bag with jelly and squirt it into the middle of the donut. Dust with powdered sugar and make a big bunch because all your friends are going to devour them.
Now one cookie that we’ve munched on many times is rugelach. It’s usually seen as a crescent-shaped pastry or just a short rolled pastry. It has its origins in middle Europe, and is probably quite ancient. What we’re talking about is a roll-up cookie with a sweet filling. Classically, the dough is made with sour cream. To make the crescent shape, the dough is cut into triangle shapes, then filled with any one of a long list of treats:cinnamon, walnuts raisins, poppy seeds, chocolate or marzipan, to name a few. You roll the filled dough into a crescent and then bake them in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes.
One Jewish cookie that closely resembles an Italian specialty is Mandelbrot. It is a holiday staple, and people can be pardoned to thinking it has an uncanny resemblance to biscotti. Chances are both cookies have an ancient common ancestor and drifted apart back in the mists of time. In both cases a sweet dough is shaped into a broad loaf and then baked. The loaf is cut into the familiar small slabs and baked again. Because the Mandelbrot dough is moister, it stays a little softer in the middle. The "Mandel" part of the name is Yiddish for almond, an ingredient also common to biscotti. To achieve variety any number of additional ingredients can be added: dried fruit, almonds, cinnamon, or chocolate chips are popular choices.
And it’s made for dunking, although purists argue that the Mandelbrot should be dipped only in tea, but we think you should try whatever hot drink your heart desires. With a nice hot cup of coffee, it’s perfect.
Al grew up in a Presbyterian family, and they would always make sugar cookies for Christmas. And that is something you’ll also find in a Jewish household.You use an easy to make dough that’s rolled out quite thin and then cut into shapes. Christians go for Christmas trees, angels and stars, and Jewish people go for Star of David, menorahs, and dreidels. We went on-line and were delighted to see that Hanukah-themed cookie cutters are easy to find and very inexpensive.
I remember that our Christmas sugar cookies usually have some sort of sprinkles on them. But Hanukah sugar cookies are at their best when iced. Blue and white Royal Icing, is a purpose-designed sugary concoction is just the ticket here. You blend whipped egg whites with confectioners sugar, and add a coloring. Pipe it onto your cookies with a pastry bag and small circular tip, and you'll be good to go. The recipe is below.
And may we say, to our faithful listeners out there, Happy Hanukah, Merry
Christmas and Joyful Holidays to one and all.
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
3 ounces pasteurized egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Process:
In large bowl of stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy. Add confectioners' sugar gradually and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and mixture is shiny. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired. For immediate use, transfer icing to pastry bag or heavy duty storage bag and pipe as desired. If using storage bag, just clip the corner, aim and squeeze. And you can store royal icing in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
