Hanukkah Fritters

1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
Oil for frying

Combine cottage cheese and egg, then beat until well blended.
Stir in milk.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and
sugar, if desired.
Add dry ingredients to wet ones and stir
lightly.

Drop by tablespoonsful into a deep pot of hot oil.
Fry until
brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
Drain on absorbent paper towels.
Serve
immediately with jam and sour cream.
Recipe may be doubled.

Yields about 10 fritters.

Hanukkah Nut Cake with Honey Syrup

Nut Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 cup dried dates, minced
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Oil a 9-inch pan.

The traditional way is to mix all dry ingredients on a board
using your hands, rubbing and sifting them until well mixed.
Make a
mound and put a hole in the center.
Pour oil and water in center
and make into a dough.
Kneed the dough for about 1 minute.

Alternatively, put all the dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix
well.
Add the oil and water and make a dough, kneed for 1 minute or
so.

Place dough in prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove from oven
and allow to cool.
After cake has cooked, make Honey Syrup.

Honey Syrup
1 1/2 cups honey
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated

In a pot over medium high heat cook honey, water, lemon juice
and zest.
Allow to reduce by 1/4 .

Place cake in a shallow plate and with a fork, make holes all
over the top of the cake.
Pour the warm syrup over the cake and
allow to sit 1 hour before serving.

Mandel Bread

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Grated rind of 1 orange (colored portion only)
4 1/2 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons apricot jam, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, 1 cup sugar,
oil and vanilla, orange and lemon extracts on medium speed until
well-mixed, about 1 minute.
Stir in orange rind.

In another large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups flour and baking
powder.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture
to the egg-sugar mixture and mix until a smooth, thick dough ball
forms.
Add enough additional flour, if needed, a 1/4 cup at a time,
until dough forms a ball.
Stir in nuts.

Remove dough to a generously floured board and divide the dough
into three equal balls.
Roll out one ball to form an 8-inch log.
Slice the log in half (you will now have two, 8-inch logs).
Gently
flatten each half with fingers until they are about 2 inches wide.
Place 2 tablespoons apricot jam on bottom half of the log and
spread to cover surface.
Place top over apricot filling and pinch
edges to seal in filling.
Repeat with remaining dough and apricot
jam.

In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle
over logs to cover and place on greased baking sheets.
Bake in a
preheated 325 degree F oven until lightly browned, 30 to 40
minutes.

Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees
F.

While still hot, slice logs on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.
Return slices to baking sheets and place back in oven until lightly
toasted, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove to racks and cool completely.
Store in airtight
containers.

Makes 30 pieces.

Matzo Ball Soup

Roast Chicken (recipe below)
3 quarts cold water
1 sliced carrot
2 stalks and tops of celery
2 sprigs parsley
1 small bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut chicken into pieces.
Place in large soup kettle with water.
Cover, bring slowly to boil.
Add seasonings and vegetables.
Simmer
gently for approximately 5 hours.

Strain soup and chill overnight.

Remove caked fat (fat can be used for Matzo Balls).
Reheat and
add Matzo Balls for serving.
Makes about 2 quarts soup.
Makes 7 to
9 servings.

Recipe can be extended by adding canned chicken broth.

Roast Chicken and Matzo Ball recipes follow.

Matzo Balls (For Matzo Ball Soup)
2 tablespoons fat
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon soup stock or water

NOTE: A 1 pound box of matzo meal is about 4 cups.

Mix fat and eggs.
Mix salt and matzo meal, then add to eggs.
When well mixed, add soup stock or water.
Cover bowl and
refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, then form into 1 1/2 inch
balls.
Using a 2- or 3-quart pot, fill about 1/2 full with lightly
salted water and bring to brisk boil.
Reduce heat, drop balls into
slightly bubbling water.
Cover pot and cook 30 to 40 minutes (watch
water level).

When preparing to serve, have soup at room temperature or above.
Remove Matzo Balls from water and put into soup pot.
Allow soup to
simmer about 5 minutes.
Recipe makes about 8 balls.

Roast Chicken (For Matzo Ball Soup)
1 (4 or 5 pound) chicken
1 large sliced onion
2 tablespoons melted chicken fat or margarine
1/2 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/16 teaspoon garlic powder

Quarter the chicken.
Mix the flour, spices and salt.
Rub each
piece of chicken well with the mixture.
Place the onion, celery and
fat in deep roaster (with a cover).
Place chicken pieces on top of
vegetables.
Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Turn chicken over and roast 20 minutes more.

Lower heat to 350 degrees F.
Add 3/4 cup boiling water for 5
pounds chicken.
Cover tightly and cook until tender (approximately
1 1/4 hours).

Bara Brith

1 pound mixed dried fruit, chopped
1 1/4 cups freshly-brewed tea
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 3/4 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten to blend
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Place fruit in large bowl.
Pour tea over fruit.
Add brown sugar
and mix well.
Cover and let stand at room temperature
overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Add flour, milk, egg, marmalade and cinnamon to soaked fruit
mixture.
Stir until combined.
Spoon dough into the prepared loaf
pan.
Bake until bread is brown and crusty and wooden pick inserted
near center comes out clean, about 2 hours.

Cool slightly.
(Can be prepared up to 4 days ahead.
Wrap tightly
and store at room temperature.)

North Shore Chicago Hadassah’s Lick-Your-Fingers Kugel

For those who observe the dietary laws of kashrut, this can be
made with pareve margarine instead of butter for a meat meal and
can be used either as a side noodle dish or a dessert.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup pecans, halved
1 pound wide noodles
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Pour half the butter into 12-cup mold or tube pan and swirl
around bottom and up sides.
Press brown sugar into bottom, then
press pecans into sugar.

Cook noodles in boiling water according to package directions.
Drain.

Mix noodles with eggs, remaining melted butter, cinnamon,
granulated sugar and salt.
Spoon into prepared mold.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/4 hours or until top is brown.
Let
stand 15 minutes before unmolding.
Top will become slightly hard,
like a praline.
Serve cold or at room temperature.

Yields 10 to 12 servings.