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Happy Hanukkah! This year, Hanukkah comes on the tail-end of Thanksgiving, but we wanted to celebrate it properly! The Festival of Lights starts on November 28 and lasts until December 6. While food is not the main point of the celebration, it does make every day feel like a celebration! So today, we have some wonderful recipes for all of Hanukkah and beyond.
Dinners
Noodle Kugel
Thank you The Mom 100 for the recipe!
Ingredients
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8 Tbsp unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
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1 cup raisins
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Grated zest and strained juice of 1 orange
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1 package 12 oz. wide egg noodles
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6 large eggs
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2 cups cottage cheese
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2 cups sour cream
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2 cups whole milk
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½ cup sugar
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1 tsp ground cinnamon
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1 tsp pure vanilla extract
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½ tsp kosher salt
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. Combine the raisins and orange juice and set them aside to soak. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
3. Whisk the orange zest, eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add the soaked raisins and up to 1 tablespoon of any remaining juice.
4. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot. Add the butter in pieces and toss until it’s melted. Add the cottage cheese mixture and stir gently until it’s well combined. Transfer the noodles to the prepared pan.
5. Bake the kugel until it’s a bit bubbly around the edges, well set, and browned. This should take 1 hour and 15 minutes. Broil it for 1-2 minutes.
6. Transfer the kugel to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Jewish Brisket
Thank you The Mom 100 for the recipe!
Ingredients
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1 tsp olive oil
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2 tsp minced garlic
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1 tsp dried thyme
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¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
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1 first-cut beef brisket (4-5 pounds)
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2 cups chopped onions
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4 large carrots (peeled and thickly sliced)
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3 bay leaves
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3 Tbsp tomato paste
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1 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
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1 can crushed tomatoes in juice or puréed
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1 cup red wine
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2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
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1 tsp kosher salt
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Place the olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. Rub the mixture all over.
3. Place the brisket fat side up in a large casserole or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Toss in the onions, carrots, and bay leaves. If you’re using the tomato paste, blend it into the broth then pour it over the meat and vegetables. Then pour the crushed tomatoes and red wine on top. The liquid should cover the meat and most of the vegetables. Cover the casserole and bake the brisket until the meat is very tender about 3 – 3 ½ hours.
4. If you’re serving the brisket the next day, let it cool then put the entire casserole in the refrigerator. About an hour before serving, skim off any hardened fat, then take out the meat and cut off any excess fat from the top of the meat. Slice the brisket across the grain then neatly return the sliced meat to the cooking liquid. Reheat the brisket on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in a preheated 325°F oven, until everything is warmed through and the cooking liquid has reduced and thickened up a bit, about 30 minutes in the oven, maybe less on the stovetop. Adjust seasonings as needed.
5. If you are serving the brisket right away, remove the meat from the casserole and let it rest on a platter, loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let the cooking liquid and vegetables sit for about 15 minutes then spoon off any fat that has accumulated. Place the casserole over medium-high heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces a bit, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Slice the meat neatly across the grain, return it to the pot, and remove and discard the bay leaves.
6. You can serve the brisket in the casserole or transfer it to a large shallow bowl. Remove and discard the bay leaves and sprinkle the parsley on top of the brisket, if desired.
Matzo Ball Soup with Chicken Meatballs
Thank you FoodieCrush for the recipe!
Ingredients
Chicken Broth:
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1 4-pound kosher chicken
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1 leek (white part only)
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1 head of garlic (cut in half crosswise)
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5 carrots (chopped)
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5 ribs celery (chopped)
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1 onion (cut in half crosswise)
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20 sprigs Italian parsley
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20 sprigs fresh thyme on a stem
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1 + ½ Tbsp black peppercorns
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2 Tbsp kosher salt
Meatballs:
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1 pound ground kosher chicken
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½ onion (minced)
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1 egg (beaten)
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¼ cup chopped parsley
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½ cup matzo meal
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Kosher salt and pepper
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1 tbsp canola oil
Matzo Ball:
Soup:
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3 cups egg free noodles
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4 carrots (sliced)
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⅛ cup parsley or dill
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4 quarts chicken broth or stock
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Chicken meatballs
Directions
Chicken Broth:
1. Place the chicken and all the vegetables and spices in a large stockpot. Cover with 6 quarts of water.
2. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and reduce it to a simmer for 4-5 hours. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.
3. Strain the pot and discard the vegetables. Chicken meat can be refrigerated and saved for another use. Skim the broth and chill for 8 hours or overnight. Remove the fat from the surface, skim the broth again, reheat, and simmer for the soup.
Meatballs:
1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients until just combined.
2. Form the meatballs in ½” balls. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add the oil. Cook them in oil and turn them frequently, 3-4 minutes in total. Set aside.
Matzo Balls:
1. Follow the package directions and add chopped parsley or dill if desired. Keep warm until served.
Soup:
1. In a large stockpot, bring the chicken stock to a boil and cook the pasta and carrots for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, add chicken meatballs, and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the meatballs are warmed through.
2. Place the matzo balls in bowls and ladle the soup, carrots, noodles, and chicken meatballs. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Desserts
Chocolate Banana Bread Babka
Thank you Pure Wow for the recipe!
Ingredients
Dough:
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⅔ cup whole milk
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2 + ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
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¾ cup whole-wheat flour
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⅓ cup light brown sugar
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2 tsp instant yeast
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½ tsp kosher salt
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½ tsp ground cinnamon
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2 medium ripe bananas (mashed)
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1 large egg
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1 large egg yolk
Filling:
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½ cup heavy cream
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6 Tbsp unsalted butter
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½ cup light brown sugar
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5 oz. bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
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1 + ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Streusel:
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½ cup all-purpose flour
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¼ cup light brown sugar
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2 Tbsp cocoa powder
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½ tsp kosher salt
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5 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
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1 medium ripe banana (finely chopped)
Directions
1. In a small pot, heat the milk over medium heat until it’s just warm to the touch — about 2 minutes. Check the temperature with a thermometer. It should be around 95°F. If needed, let it cool before proceeding.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt, and cinnamon at a low speed to combine.
3. Add the warm milk, mashed bananas, and eggs. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes more. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It should look noticeably puffy.
4. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a medium pot, combine the heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, chocolate, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate and butter are melted and the sugar is dissolved — about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let it cool to a spreadable consistency.
5. Start making the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir with a silicone spatula until the mixture forms moist crumbs. Gently stir in the banana pieces.
6. When the dough has risen, lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 14 x 18 inches.
7. Dollop the filling all over the dough and then use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer across the dough all the way to the edges. Sprinkle three-quarters of the streusel evenly over the filling.
8. Starting on one of the short sides, roll the dough into a tight spiraled log. Use a bench scraper or a knife to cut the log n half lengthwise. Twist the two halves together and then transfer to the prepared loaf pan.
9. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until it looks noticeably puffy, 35-40 minutes.
10. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaf pan until it’s browned on the surface and appears fully set all the way through.
11. Let the loaf cool inside the pan for 20 minutes, then unmold it onto the wire rack and cool completely before slicing and serving.
Mini Black and White Cookies
Thank you Food 52 for the recipe!
Ingredients
Cookies:
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1 + ¼ cups all-purpose flour
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½ tsp baking soda
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½ tsp salt
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⅓ cup buttermilk
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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6 Tbsp unsalted butter
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½ cup granulated sugar
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1 large egg
Icing
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1 + ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
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1 Tbsp light corn syrup
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2 tsp lemon juice
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½ tsp vanilla extract
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2 Tbsp water
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⅛ tsp kosher salt
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6 Tbsp cocoa powder
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¼ tsp instant espresso powder
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until they’re creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and egg and mix until they’re well combined. Scrape down the bowl.
4. Alternate adding in the flour mixture and the buttermilk in 3 additions. Mix until just combined.
5. Use a tablespoon measure or a pastry bag to portion the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes or until the tops spring back when pressed gently and the cookies are a light golden brown around the edges. Cool completely.
6. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the icing by whisking the confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and water together until they’re very smooth. Place half of the mixture into another bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder until they’re very smooth. Add a few drops of water to the chocolate icing until it is a spreadable consistency. The icing should be thin enough that it’s easily spreadable, but not runny.
7. Flip the cooled cookies so their flat sides are up. Use an offset spatula or knife to spread the vanilla icing on half of the cookies then spread the chocolate icing on the other half.
8. Let the icing set for a few minutes, then dig in!
We are so ready to celebrate with all these delicious meals and desserts! Are you celebrating Hanukkah this year? Comment below!
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