Hanukkah
251 recipes found
Vegan Latkes
You don’t need to use an egg substitute like flax seeds or aquafaba to make excellent vegan latkes. The key is to use flour to bind the potato strands together, then leave the latkes alone in the pan as they cook thoroughly on the first side before flipping them. (Too much flipping can cause them to fall apart.) Once the latkes form a golden-brown crust on the first side, carefully turn them over to finish cooking. For the crispiest result, you can add the potato starch lost in squeezing back into the batter (see the Tip for details). It does add an extra step and 15 minutes to the process, but it’s easy and worth it for latkes lovers who live for the crunch.
Kasha Varnishkes (Buckwheat, Bow Ties and Onions)
In the 1880s, this simple yet beloved dish of buckwheat (kasha), onion and bow tie noodles (varnishkes) came to New York’s Lower East Side with Eastern European Jewish immigrants. At the time, it was made with homemade egg noodles that were rolled out, cut into squares and painstakingly pinched into bow ties. Nowadays, store-bought bow tie egg noodles are traditional, but any hardy pasta, like gemelli or fusilli, will also work well. Lola Landa, chef and owner of Kafe Jerusalem in Lviv, Ukraine, suggests using European-style whole buckwheat groats for this dish. (The more broken-up varieties tend to get mushy unless toasted first with beaten egg.) What really makes this dish, however, are the onions. While Ms. Landa deep-fries thin slices of onion, I prefer to caramelize them in a skillet. To really gild the lily, add mushrooms before tossing everything together.
Ginger Cheesecake Cookies
Three types of ginger — ground, fresh and crystallized — run through these flavorful cookies with a secret. Hidden inside is a creamy cheesecake filling that readily complements and tempers their spicy bite. Skip the crystallized ginger, if you like, but it really makes them pop, as does a finish in brightly colored sanding sugar. If you have only regular white sugar, they’ll still be stunning.
Matcha-Black Sesame Shortbreads
Toasty black sesame and bittersweet matcha come together in this not-too-sweet holiday cookie. The two doughs are pressed and rolled together to make an impressive slice-and-bake shortbread that’s also a cinch to prepare ahead. Make and freeze the logs whenever you like in advance of the holidays, then simply thaw and bake for effortless hosting.
Rum-Buttered Almond Cookies
Nutty, buttery and a bit boozy, these festive cookies come together in minutes, making them perfect for holiday baking. (They also happen to be gluten-free.) Reminiscent of the almond flavor and pillowy texture of an Italian pignoli cookie, this recipe calls for brushing them with rum-infused butter twice — once before baking and another round when hot from the oven — which imbues them with even more warmth and richness.
Holiday Rocky Road
Rocky road might be synonymous with ice cream in the United States, but, in Australia and Britain, it’s a fudgelike candy made by stirring any assortment of marshmallows, dried fruit and nuts into melted chocolate. (In Australia, gummy candies also feature.) This recipe relies on the subtle aroma of speculoos cookies, spice drops and pumpkin pie spice to evoke the holidays. You can also use it as a guide to utilize leftovers from gingerbread house decorating: Swap the cookies for broken gingerbread and the marshmallows and gumdrops for any chewy candy.
Lemon-Turmeric Crinkle Cookies
Delivering warmth from turmeric and brightness from lemon zest, these golden crinkled cookies feel (and look) like sunbeams breaking through clouds. Imagine powdered doughnuts run through with Fruit Loops cereal milk on a Saturday morning. In fact, these soft, crisp-edged cookies are lovely for breakfast, but don’t restrict their bright, sunny disposition to a specific time of day: Pair them with a glass of milk or cup of herbal tea, whether as an afternoon pick-me-up or a not-too-sweet finish to any meal.
Cheese Sambousek
These crescent-shaped pocket pastries from Rachel Harary Gindi, a home cook living in Los Angeles are popular in one form or another throughout the Middle East and India. Cooks will find, of course, many variations from all over. This Syrian Jewish version from Aleppo creates the dough using flour and smeed, a fine semolina often also used in Middle Eastern cookies, which is not essential but adds a pleasing texture to the tongue. Some Syrian Jews add several kinds of cheese including feta to the cheese mix. Make this dish your own, as this recipe does with the use of nigella seeds. Topping the sambousek with sesame seeds or (nontraditional) nigella seeds adds a slight complexity to the taste of this mild, homey snack. Though you could certainly brush the tops of the sambousek with water and sprinkle with the seeds, for efficiency you can do as Poopa Dweck, author of “Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews” (Ecco, 2007), instructed: “Dip the dough ball or formed sambousek into sesame seeds before baking. The seeds will stick onto the dough.”
Maritozzi (Sweet Cream Buns)
Soft and stuffed with cream, these buttery buns also have a smear of jam for an additional pop of sweetness in this version of the traditional Italian treat. Maritozzi are a variation of quaresimali, Roman breads made with almond flour and sweetened with honey and dried fruit. Maritozzi are usually made without dried fruit and they’re small, the size of your cupped hand, distinct with their generous filling of cream. Sold in bakeries across Rome, and increasingly around the world, they’re a fun project to make at home too since the steps can be done ahead of time and in stages. This version is tangy with buttermilk and spiced with a hint of nutmeg. They are best enjoyed soon after assembly and can be finished with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar for a bit of extra flair.
Sugared Doughnuts
Made from a delicate yet sturdy brioche dough with rich pats of good butter folded in, these doughnuts are soft with almost feathery middles and a delicious deep golden-brown crust. This recipe begins by letting part of the yeasty dough sit for 20 minutes in what’s known among bakers as a pre-ferment. This simple step, along with full-fat buttermilk, gives the doughnuts a lovely tang, and fresh grated nutmeg adds a hint of spice. Like most yeasted doughs, this recipe will require some time on your part, but the steps can be done ahead of time and in stages. These doughnuts are best had while warm, and a quick toss in granulated sugar delivers crunch with every bite.
Rainbow Rave Cookies
This recipe is adapted from “Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook” by Sohla El-Waylly and is originally titled Lisa Frank Cookies. It earns that name by being a big sucker punch of sugary nostalgia. A trio of extracts (pure vanilla, imitation vanilla and almond) is key to giving these cookies the aura of that prepackaged baked good you might’ve tucked into your lunchbox as a kid, but they’re better because you’re making them fresh. Best of all, they come together in a snap, stirred up in one bowl and baked on the same day. You can throw a rainbow rave for your mouth almost instantly.
Gingerbread Blondies
With the chewy texture of the best fudgy brownie and all the festive flavors of your favorite gingerbread cookies, these spicy bars make a bold statement for the holidays. Browning the butter gives them a deep, caramelized flavor, which rounds out the warming brown sugar and fragrant spices. The white chocolate drizzle on top is purely for looks, so feel free to leave it out if you’re short on time. These bars taste just as good without it.
Matcha Latte Cookies
This is a matcha latte in cookie form. Atop the chewy, Grinch-green cookie sits a cloud of ermine icing, an old-fashioned boiled-milk frosting (like the kind you might find in midcentury American baking and grocery-store cupcakes), whose sugared lightness balances out the more intense, bittersweet base. Out of the oven, these cookies might look puffy, but as they cool on their pans, they will continue to cook and deflate, becoming their truest chewiest selves. If you want to skip the frosting, a little powdered sugar is a lovely, snowy finish.
Lemon Butter Curls
Delicate but sturdy, these lemon butter shortbreads are perfect for a casual afternoon treat or relaxed holiday cookie. A combination of butter, egg yolks and a bit of cornstarch ensures a texture that melts in your mouth. Lemon zest adds a bright sparkle, and a light glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar lends a tart finish. Make these into curls as shown or pipe them into any shape you prefer: Rings, squiggle or pushing the dough through a cookie press can all be fun. You also can roll and shape the dough by hand instead of piping or pressing it.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
These spiced and spicy cookies, chocolaty and brimming with molten marshmallow, are a terrific treat to keep you warm in the colder months. The dough itself is imbued with cinnamon and a bit of ground cayenne, a combination commonly found in Mexican hot chocolate that also gives these cookies a flavor reminiscent of the holidays — and a slight kick when you least expect it. The marshmallowy interior provides a wonderful chew and maintains a pillowy soft texture, even after a few days in an airtight container. Make sure to freeze the marshmallows fully to give the cookies their hallmark ripple of white peeking through their sparkly chocolate exterior. (Otherwise, the marshmallows will dissolve into the cookies as they bake.)
Technicolor Cookies
Cookies artfully decorated with royal icing are a holiday classic, but their fine details and beautiful colors can take hours to achieve. Not with these gorgeous cookies. Once the icing is made and stained, it takes only a few minutes to decorate. The icing is simply poured over the cookies, a technique inspired by the one used to pour swirly colors of mirror glaze over smooth cakes. (For a quicker alternative to royal icing, simply dip or drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate.) No two cookies will be the same, and that’s a big part of the charm. Underneath the exterior is a crisp, satisfying shortbread flavored with heaps of bright orange zest and quintessential winter spices.
Spiced Holiday Punch for Everyone
Start with a spiced, citrus base, made with lemon peels muddled with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, star anise, black peppercorns and tea leaves. Then, make a holiday drink your way. If you choose to spike it, reach for a favorite spirited bottle. Gin leans your drink refreshingly botanical, while whiskey feels a bit boozier and plays nicely off the base’s warming spices. If you want to make a nonalcoholic drink, simply add soda water, tonic and, if you like, a few dashes of Angostura bitters. (Note that, while the bitters lend a nice layer of flavor and depth, they do contain a small amount of alcohol, so if you’re abstaining just leave them out.) The point here is to make a drink you want to drink — and for your friend, partner, cousin or parent to make the drink they want to drink.
Neapolitan Checkerboard Cookies
This recipe combines the classic flavors of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla — reminiscent of Neapolitan ice cream — all in one bite. While the assembly may seem daunting at first, it can be a fun project, and the end result is graphic and delicious. In making a perfect checkerboard pattern, you’ll inevitably have some scraps. Roll them into a log, which can then be sliced and baked into marbled shortbreads.
Braised Chicken Thighs With Sweet Potatoes and Dates
This colorful meal is based on tsimmes, the classic Ashkenazi dish of sweet potatoes, carrots and dried fruit (and sometimes meat) typically served on Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish holidays. This version includes boneless, skinless chicken thighs and spices, and lets everything simmer together in a Dutch oven until fragrant and silky. It’s a festive one-pot meal that’s sweet, savory and a little tangy from some orange juice used for braising.
Roasted Beef Tenderloin
A whole beef tenderloin is a splurge, an ideal party centerpiece for Christmas or any other holiday, that tastes as good hot as it does at room temperature. It also looks impressive, especially if it’s evenly rosy through the center and nicely browned on the outside. To achieve that, a combination of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and sugar is mixed with butter to slather all over the meat. It helps create a caramelized yet delicate deep-brown crust without the hassle of searing and gives the mild meat a more complex savory flavor. So does a classic creamy horseradish sauce. This cut would also be delicious with herby chimichurri or a rich béarnaise and goes with just about any holiday side dish. An untrimmed beef tenderloin costs a lot less than one that comes peeled and tied. Follow the tip to prepare it yourself and use the trimmings to make stock.
Vegan Raw Fudge
This five minute Raw Fudge recipe only takes 3 healthy ingredients, no cooking, no baking and only 1 hour to completely set and be ready to eat!
Six Barrel Soda Co. Classic Tonic Syrup
This Tonic Syrup recipe is zesty and citrusy with a gentle bitterness and it’s not overly sweet. It’s made with sugar, lemon juice, lemongrass, zest & quinine.
Honey Roasted Pear with Yogurt Mousse & Granola
Our roasted pears, simply brushed with honey and dusted with lemon verbena, becomes even juicier, with the honey enhancing its natural succulent flavor, the lemon verbena brightening up the flavors, and the final result just melting in your mouth. We then whipped up a yogurt mousse with only 3 simple ingredients: greek yogurt, egg white, and honey. It's light and fluffy, absolutely high in protein, and most importantly, tastes more indulgent than it actually is. Top it off with granola, and you've got yourself a dish. Have it for breakfast, have it for dessert, whatever suits you. It's appropriate for any time of the day.
Hungry Girl Mac & Cheese
This easy & delicious hungry girl mac and cheese recipe is done under 10 minutes! It is topped with prosciutto, crispy chorizo, & tons of cracked black pepper!