Hanukkah Recipes: Latkes, Brisket, Sufganiyot

This year, Hanukkah began on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 8 and ends on the evening of Sunday, Dec. 16.

Observing the Festival of Lights goes hand-in-hand with making special Hanukkah foods. Before you light the menorah, make sure you have all the ingredients for some great brisket, latke, and sufganiyot. Although there are many recipes, below are a few to try during the eight nights.

Potato Latkes

Ingredients

• 3 medium/large potatoes, washed, peeled and grated
• 1 egg for every 3 potatoes
• Approximately 1/4 cup of flour per every 3 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon onion powder per every 3 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder per every 3 potatoes

Instructions

Grate potatoes, drain off excess juices, add egg(s), flour, onion and garlic powders. Mix well.

Place enough oil in a large frying pan to have approximately a half-inch of oil, or enough to cover the bottom half of the potatoes. Take a heaping soup spoon full of potato mixture and place in hot oil and flatten to make a pancake, approximately a quarter to a half-inch thick. 

At medium heat, cook approximately 4-5 minutes on each side. Use tongs to turn the latkes so oil doesn't splatter. Watch carefully as they go from being done to burnt very quickly. Remove from pan when a medium to dark golden brown.

Drain on paper towels then remove to plate.

Once they are ready to eat, try them with some apple sauce mixed with sugar & cinnamon, sour cream or just a sprinkling of salt.

Brisket

Ingredients

• 1 Brisket any size
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 can jelled cranberry sauce
• Orange juice

Instructions

Line deep baking pan with foil, and place brisket in pan.

Dice up cranberry sauce and place on top of brisket. Sprinkle onion soup mix on top of brisket. Pour in enough orange juice to cover brisket about halfway.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 until you can stick a fork in it and the fork slides out easily—about one hour per ound of meat.

Let cool and cut on the bias

Sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) from chabad.org

Ingredients

• 2 packages yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 or 5 cups flour
• 3 egg yolks
• Jelly of your choice for filling
• Powdered sugar

Instructions

Mix water, sugar, juice, and yeast. Let stand 10 minutes.

Melt margarine and add to yeast mixture. Beat in eggs and salt. Add flour, mixing and kneading by hand to form a soft dough.

Let rise 1-1/2 hours.

Roll dough 1/4 inch thick and cut circles (approximately 2 inches in diameter). Let circles rise 1/2 hour.

Deep fry at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes, turning once.

Pipe in jelly and roll in powdered sugar.