Traditional Hanukkah Desserts: Easy Recipes for the Festive Season

Festivals are a time of indulgence, family gatherings, and enjoying traditions. While Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration of light and resilience, the culinary aspect adds sweetness to its charm. Often referred to as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah comes with the irresistible pull of traditional desserts. These sweets may be deeply rooted in Jewish heritage, but their flavors cross borders, making them a great addition to festive tables across the world.

From fried doughnuts to buttery cookies, Hanukkah desserts offer a combination of textures and scents that echo happiness. For the Indian food lover, these sweets will give you the chance to experience different flavors while having something familiar in the rich ingredients. Here's a set of seven traditional Hanukkah sweets that are easy to follow at home so you can have the festive feel of Hanukkah in your kitchen.

Sufganiyot - Jelly Doughnuts

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 packet dry yeast
• ¾ cup warm milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Oil for frying
• Jam or jelly for filling
• Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

• In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, and yeast. Add the warm milk, egg, and butter gradually to create a dough.
• Knead the dough until it gets smooth. Cover and leave it for an hour so that it rises.
• Roll out the dough to ½-inch thickness and cut into circles with a cutter. Let these rise for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil and fry doughnuts until golden brown. Drain on paper towels
• Inject jam into the middle using a piping bag. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Rugelach - Crescent Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• ½ cup jam (apricot or raspberry)

Method:

• Beat cream cheese and butter till fluffy. Add flour to form dough. Chill for one hour.
• Divide dough into four parts, roll out into circles, and spread with jam
• Spread sugar, cinnamon, and nuts over the jam. Cut circle into 12 wedges
• Roll each wedge from the wide end, forming crescents.
• Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until golden.

Latkes with Applesauce

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup matzo meal or breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying
• Store-bought applesauce

Method:

• Grate potatoes and onion, squeeze to extract liquid.
• Mix grated contents with eggs and matzo meal. Season with salt.
• Form into small patties and fry in oil, until golden and crispy. Serve with a dollop of applesauce on top.

Babka - Chocolate Swirl Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 packet dry yeast
• ¾ cup warm milk
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup chocolate spread

Method:

• Combine yeast with warm milk and sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Combine the yeast mixture with flour, eggs, and butter to form a dough. Let it rise for 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough into a rectangle, spread with chocolate, and roll it up tightly.
• Slice the roll in half lengthwise, twist the halves, and place in a greased loaf pan.
• Preheat oven to 180°C. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Mandelbrot - Twice-Baked Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup chopped almonds

Method:

• Mix flour, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Add eggs, oil, and almond extract to form a dough.
• Fold in chopped almonds. Shape the dough into logs and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
• Cut the logs into cookies and bake again for 10 minutes until crispy.

Hamantaschen - Triangle-Filled Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup fruit preserves or chocolate spread

Method:

• Beat butter, sugar, and egg until creamy. Add flour and baking powder to form a dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough and cut into circles. Place a dollop of filling in the centre of each circle.
• Pinch three sides to form a triangle.
• Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes until golden.

Gelt-Inspired Chocolate Coins

Ingredients:

• 200 grams dark chocolate
• Edible gold dust

Method:

• Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. Pour it into round silicone molds.
• Let the chocolate set slightly, then sprinkle edible gold dust on top.
• Allow them to chill in the fridge till fully set. Remove and use as edible Hanukkah gelt.