Try These Hanukkah Recipes During the Festival of Lights

This year, Hanukkah begins 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 latke, brisket 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
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

Instructions

• Grate potatoes.
• Add egg(s), flour, onion and garlic powders.
• Mix well.
• Place enough oil to cover the bottom half of the potatoes in a large frying pan.
• Take a heaping soupspoon full of potato mixture and place in hot oil and flatten to make a pancake, approximately a quarter to a half-inch thick. 
• Cook on medium heat and watch carefully as they go from being done to burnt very quickly. 
• At medium heat, cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side. 
• Remove from pan when a medium to dark golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels then remove to plate. 
• Best to use tongs to turn the latkes, so oil doesn't splatter. 

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.
• 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° F until you can stick a fork in it and the fork slides out easily.
• Cook approximately 1 hour per pound.
• 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 to 1.5 hours.
• Roll dough 1/4 inch thick and cut circles (approximately 2 inches).
• Let circles rise 30 minutes.
• Deep fry at 400° F about 3 minutes, turning once.
• Pipe in jelly and roll in powdered sugar.

TELL US: What are your favorite things to eat during Hanukkah? Do you have any special or traditional Hanukkah recipes in your family?
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