Oh, Hanukkah: Holiday celebration vibrant, serious and rife with food

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001 | 8:44 a.m.

For Jews the world over, the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, which beings Monday, commemorates a battle fought and won by a small, dedicated group of men more than 2,000 years ago.

Not willing to surrender their convictions, the Jewish Maccabees fought to take back their desecrated Jerusalem temple from their oppressor, Antochus.

The battle was fierce, but the Maccabees had been joined by a cadre of other men willing to fight for their religious convictions. Although poorly equipped, the small army of warriors triumphed and eventually won back their sacred temple.

To purify and sanctify their temple required a religious rite. Oil had to be ignited and burned continuously. With only one small vial of undesecrated oil available to fill the candelabrum it somehow managed to burn for eight days.

The tradition of lighting the special menorah (nine-cup candleholder) dates back to the time of the Maccabees triumph. On each of the eight days of Hanukkah a candle is added. The candle in the middle, the shamash, is used to light the others. One is added each night.

The "Festival of Light" is a happy holiday, with a variety of latkes (pancakes) and traditional foods, spinning games played with a dreidel (top) and small gifts. Tradition calls for a gift on each night (kids love this) and the giving of Hanukkah gelt (money).

"Although normally a happy holiday, the message of Hanukkah is very serious and relevant today," Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, the spiritual leader of Congregation Ner Tamid, said. "The Maccabees fought for religious freedom and also for freedom from terror. They wanted to be able to practice their religion without fear of forced conversion or death. They fought not only for the security of their families, but for the perpetuation of their religious ideals and traditions."

"The message of Hanukkah is especially meaningful for us at this time. As a nation we are fighting to preserve our own national traditions, religious freedom and freedom from terror."

And, the freedom to be with our families whenever we wish. Every family has its own Hanukkah traditions and foods. The following recipes reflect the sweetness of Hanukkah with Israeli jelly doughnuts, soufganiot and cookies meant to be made with the children. Kids love to participate, so let them.

Latkes are another symbol of the holiday. The oil used to fry them is symbolic of the small vial of oil that lasted eight days. Serve them with sweet applesauce and a dollop of sour cream. The cheese in the blintzes recalls another part of the Hanukkah drama when cheese was used as guile to thwart the enemy. Sweet potato latkes are a pleasant change from the usual potato latke. Serve them with the glazed apple slices for a delicious dessert. And don't miss the thin noodle latkes. The glazed apples work with them, too.

Prepare a different recipe each night. It's better than another present.

Hanukkah Cutout Cookies

1/2 c. vegetable shortening

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbs orange juice

2 c. flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Colored sugars (optional)

Blue and White Icing:

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs cream or milk

2 c. powdered sugar

2 or 3 drops of blue food coloring

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening and sugar. Beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange juice and mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and blend into the batter until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Divide the dough into two or three portions. On a generously floured board, roll out each portion 1/4 inch thick. Cut out with flour-dipped cookie cutters, place the cookies on ungreased baking sheets and, if you like, sprinkle with yellow- or orange-colored sugar.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool. Makes five to six dozen. Outline edges with blue and white icing, if you wish.

For the icing, blend the lemon juice, cream and sugar until creamy. Add additional cream if needed to thin icing. Divide the icing in half. Add food coloring to half of the icing and mix until completely blended.

Place each icing in a pastry bag (with star tip) and pipe onto cooled cookies. Makes 2 cups.

Glazed Apple Slices

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. orange marmalade

1/2 c. orange juice

6 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

In a large heavy skillet, combine the sugar, marmalade and orange juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and marmalade dissolve. Bring the syrup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, just until it begins to thicken.

Place the apple slices in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice to prevent them from discoloring. Add the apples, lemon zest and lemon juice to the syrup in the skillet and toss to coat the apples. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the apples are soft.

Transfer to a glass bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator. Serve with Sweet Potato Dessert Latkes or Romanian Noodle Latkes.

Sweet Potato Dessert Latkes

4 large sweet potatoes

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbs matzo meal or flour

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbs raisins, plumped

2 Tbs chopped dates

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Vegetable oil

Peel and wash the potatoes. Place them in cold water until ready to grate to keep from discoloring.

Grate the potatoes and drain well. Transfer them to a large bowl. Add the eggs, salt, matzo meal and sugar and blend thoroughly. Fold in the raisins, dates and walnuts.

Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet and spoon in the potato mixture. Cook about 5 minutes a side until brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with powdered sugar, sour cream or whipped cream. Makes 3 dozen.

Romanian Noodle Latkes

8 oz fine egg noodles

2 Tbs unsalted margarine

Vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 eggs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl, add the margarine and blend well. Set aside.

In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat and saute the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the onion to the noodles. Blend in the eggs and salt and pepper to taste.

In a large heavy skillet, heat 1/4 inch of the oil over medium heat. Drop the noodle mixture by tablespoons into the hot oil, flatten each spoonful with the back of the spoon to form a thin latke. Fry on both sides until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes a side. (Do not turn the latkes until the first side is golden and the top is firmly set.) Makes about 30.

Cheese Blintzes

Crepes:

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

4 Tbs oil or butter

Filling:

1 package (about 2 1/2 lbs) hoop cheese or dry cottage cheese

5 eggs

1/4 lb butter or margarine

Salt to taste

9 Tbs sugar

For the crepes: Beat eggs. Gradually sift in flour (if batter becomes too thick, thin with small amount of milk and continue sifting in flour). When all flour is absorbed, add remaining milk. Heat frying pan; butter lightly. Pour a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of batter into pan, tilting to make a thin crepe. Cook approximately 45 seconds until set and barely golden. Slide each pancake onto waxed paper (can be layered with waxed paper and another crepe). Repeat until all the batter is used.

For the filling: In an electric mixer beat all ingredients until smooth. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each crepe, folding sides in and rolling over to enclose filling. (Blintzes may be frozen at this point.)

Fry blintzes lightly in butter several minutes on each side until they are crisp and light brown. Or bake, arranging them in one layer in a shallow, buttered baking dish, brushing the tops with melted butter, in a preheated 425-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with sour cream and preserves. Yields approximately 36 blintzes.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup golden raisins to filling.

Israel Chanukah Jelly Doughnuts (Soufganiot)

Dough:

1/2 c. warm water

5 tsp dry yeast

1/3 c. plus a pinch of granulated sugar

1 c. warm milk or water

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/3 c. vegetable oil or melted vegetable shortening

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 1/4-5 c. all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, for frying

Filling:

2 c. jam or jelly of your choice, at room temperature (optional)

Granulated or confectioners sugar, for dusting (optional)

For the dough: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast and pinch of sugar. Allow the mixture to stand for a couple of minutes to allow the yeast to swell or dissolve. Stir in the remaining sugar the milk, vanilla, eggs, oil, salt and most of the flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes by hand or with a dough hook, adding more flour if needed to form a firmer dough that is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, place the bowl in a plastic bag, and seal. (If not using right away, you can refrigerate the dough at this point.) Let the dough rise for about 1 hour. Gently deflate it. (If the dough is coming out of the fridge, allow it to warm up for about 40 minutes before proceeding.)

Pinch off pieces of dough and form them into small balls, a little larger than a golf ball. Alternatively, roll the dough out to about 3/4 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds.

Cover the doughnuts with a clean tea towel and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat about 4 inches of oil in a deep fryer or a heavy Dutch oven to about 385 F. (See note).

Add the doughnuts, three or four at a time, to the hot oil and fry until the undersides are deep brown. Turn over once and finish frying the other side. The total frying time will be no more than 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Lift the doughnuts out with a slotted spoon and drain them well on paper towels.

To fill, make a small opening and spoon in jam or jelly* or shake the doughnuts lightly in a paper bag with regular or confectioners' sugar.

*Can use pastry bag filled with jelly.

Note: To test oil temperature, it is a good idea to try frying one doughnut to start with. Once the doughnut seems done, take it out and cut it open to see if the inside is cooked. Then proceed with the rest. Try to fry at a temperature at which the oil bubbles but is not so hot that you brown the doughnut before the center is cooked.

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