It’s all about the oil! Chanukah recipes from all over the world all focus on the oil to commemorate the miracle that took place in the Temple. Ashkenazi Jews fry potato pancakes (latkes), while Sephardic Jews fry sweet pastries, and Israelis make jelly-filled doughnuts (sufganiyot).
B’teyavon ! Enjoy!
Grate or shred potatoes and onions. Place them in a large colander over a bowl.
Squeeze and press as much liquid as you can into the bowl.
Add eggs, black pepper and matzah meal. Salt to taste.
To form the latke, use a large spoon; place the mixture in a deep skillet of hot oil.
As mixture sits, drain liquid as needed, before continuing to fry the latkes.
Fry until golden brown on both sides; dry on paper towel. Eat as soon as possible, with applesauce or sour cream.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 ½ cups flour, sugar, milk powder, yeast, and salt.
Stir in melted butter and then hot water; mix in the eggs.
Beat the batter until it is well combined and smooth, either by hand or with a mixer (add flour as needed to make soft dough).
Scrape down the dough; then cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place about ½ to 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead about 2 -3 minutes or until smooth. Let the dough rest, covered for 5 minutes. Roll it out to a 3/8 to ½ inch thickness.
Cut out 2 inch diameter circles.
Place the dough circles on a very lightly floured cookie sheet with space between them, let rise until almost doubled in size (approx. 30 minutes).
Put enough oil into a large and 2-inch deep saucepan; heat the oil until moderately hot.
Gently drop a few of the doughnuts into the oil, not crowding the pan.
Fry 1 ½ - 2 minutes on each side, until puffed and golden brown and cooked completely through.
Drain well on paper towels. Fill each doughnut with jam, using a pastry tube or create a slit to insert jam. Sprinkle with sugar.
Syrup
Batter
First prepare the syrup so it has plenty of time to cool.
Put the sugar, water, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon in a 2-quart saucepan.
Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring only until sugar dissolves.
Lower the heat and boil the syrup uncovered and undisturbed for 15 minutes.
If using rose water, stir in during the last minute of boiling.
Remove syrup from the heat and set aside to cool; refrigerate covered until fully cold (can be made several days in advance).
Batter- mix yeast and sugar with the warm water in a mixer bowl of food processor, let the mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes or until frothy.
Add the flour and salt and mix until very smooth and creamy, like very thick cream.
Cover the bowl, loosely, and let the batter rise for 45 -60 minutes.
Beat the risen batter by hand for 2-3 minutes and let it rise for another 10. It will be very elastic.
Put enough oil into a deep fry pan. Heat the oil until very hot. Give the batter a quick stir to deflate any large bubbles.
Scoop some of the mixture into a pastry bag or a sturdy baggie with a small hole made in a corner or use a plastic bottle with a nozzle.
Squeeze out the batter in a narrow strip or squiggle a coil into the hot oil; make designs or overlapping squiggles, keeping the shape open and lacy looking.
Fry until golden brown and crunchy, 1 ½ - 2 minutes per side.
Repeat, stirring before use to deflate large bubbles.
Briefly drain on paper towels before dropping into the cooled syrup, Drain excess syrup back into the bowl.
Pile on a large platter, can stay loosely covered at room temperature for a day or two. Do not refrigerate.
Lightly coat a 9 inch square baking pan or dish coated with oil.
Put sesame seeds into an ungreased 10 inch skillet, preferably non-stick, stir over medium heat approx. 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned and aromatic. Transfer to a bowl.
Put the honey, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger into the skillet and mix well with a wooden spoon. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture comes to a full boil, stir vigorously. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the sesame seeds until well mixed. Quickly turn out the hot mixture into the greased pan. Using wet hands press the candy into an even layer.
Cool candy until solid, but still lukewarm. Use a sharp knife to cut into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
