Best Hanukkah recipes 2018: How to make potato Latkes, Challah and Sufganiyot

After all, food is an integral part of Hanukkah

Hanukkah is here, which means spending time with family and eating copious amounts of really good food.

This year, the annual Jewish holiday begins on December 2 and runs for eight days until 10 December.

The Standard spoke to Dr Maria Diemling, Reader in Jewish-Christian Relations, based at Canterbury Christ Church University who explained: “The historical context [of Hanukkah] is the struggle between tradition and assimilation, a recurrent theme in Jewish history.

“According to Jewish tradition, it celebrates a miracle: inside the Temple, the Maccabees found enough consecrated oil to light the eternal flame in the Temple for a single day but miraculously the oil lasted for eight days, long enough to produce new oil.

“This is the reason why Hanukkah is celebrated over eight days.”

Fried foods are an integral part of Hanukkah celebrations as it refers to the oil of the miracle.

Here, cook Ali Alt shares her top three recipes for Hanukkah: Sufganiyot, Challah and Latkes.

Ali Alt

Ingredients

250g ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups sunflower oil, for deep frying

icing sugar, for dusting

Cranberry Jam

200g light muscovado sugar

100ml orange juice

250g cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk ricotta, vanilla, sugar and eggs until all incorporated.

2. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Fold with a rubber spatula until completely mixed through (cover with cling film and refrigerate if making beforehand).

3. Heat about 5 cups of oil in a medium sauce pot, over medium to medium high-heat. Heat oil to about 315*F (190*C).

4. Meanwhile, make the cranberry jam. Tip the sugar and orange juice into a pan, then bring to the boil. Stir in cranberries, then simmer until tender but still holding their shape - this will take about 5 minutes if using frozen cranberries or 8-10 minutes if using fresh. The sauce will thicken as it cools. This will keep in the fridge for 1 week. On the day, bring to room temperature before serving.

5. Back to the doughnuts, set out a wire rack and cover it with a paper towel or two.

6. Grease your hands or a scooper with some sunflower oil.

7. Scoop out some dough and make about 1-inch balls. Lay them on the parchment paper while waiting to be fried.

8. Fry doughnut balls in batches for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.

9. To serve, take out the cooked doughnut balls and place them on a paper towel. After they are cooled for a couple of minutes, dust them with powder sugar.

Ingredients

500g challah (1 loaf), in chunks

170g evaporated milk (1 small can)

300ml whole milk

5 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1.5 tsp. baking powder

pinch table salt, to taste

80g dark chocolate, cubed

80g milk chocolate, cubed

1 tbsp. icing sugar, for dusting

Brandy Cream

200ml whipping cream

100g mascarpone

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. brandy (if you like…)

Ali Alt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355/Gas 4

2. Lightly grease an oven-proof dish

3. Tear the bread into chunks and place in a large mixing bowl

4. In another bowl, mix together the evaporated milk, half and half, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and salt

5. Pour the mixture over the bread chunks and let stand for 10mins

6. Fold in the chocolate, then spoon the mixture into the prepared dish. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until lightly golden.

7. Meanwhile, make the brandy cream, by whisking all the ingredients together

8. To serve, cool for about 5mins, dollop on the brandy cream and away you go. Heaven.

Ingredients

Turkey Hash:

1.5kg turkey, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 red onions, finely chopped

2 garlic gloves, crushed

2 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. child powder

1 tbsp. tatar

1 preserved lemon, roughly chopped

60g coriander, roughly chopped

20g parsley, roughly chopped

1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses

sea salt (to taste)

ground pepper (to taste)

Sweet Potato Latkes:

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled

4 white onions, grated

3 eggs, beaten

3 tbsp. ras al hanout

60g coriander, finely chopped

1 cup matzo meal (or corn flower)

3 tbsp. olive oil, for frying

sea salt (to taste)

ground black pepper (to taste)

yoghurt (to serve)

Ali Alt

Method

1. First, the turkey harsh. Heat the olive oil in the pan over medium-heat and add the onions and garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes until the onions soften.

2. Add the minced turkey to the pan and season with salt & pepper. Use a wooden spoon to break up the mince and remove and lumps. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the turkey begins to brown.

3. Stir in the cumin, chill powder, zatar, and pomegranate molasses. Raise the heat to medium-high and continue to stir. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

4. Add the chopped preserved lemons and coriander, taste and add salt or pepper if required. Cook for a further minute.

5. Leave to one side in the pan, ready to reheat, whilst you crack on with the latkes.

6. Preheat the oven to 200*c.

7. Line baking sheets with paper towels.

8. Grate the peeled sweet potatoes and onions (separately) by hand or with a food processor.

9. Bundle the grated sweet potato in the centre of a clean towel or cheese cloth; wrap the shreds up with the cloth, to form a ball, twisting the cloth to secure the bundle. Squeeze to remove excess liquid. Then place in a clean bowl.

10. Add the grated onion to the shredded potato, and stir in the matzo meal, ras al hanout, eggs and coriander (leaving a tbsp to garnish). Mix thoroughly and season.

11. If you are making ahead, now is the time to cover with cling film and refrigerate. Alternatively, leave to rest for 10-15 minutes.

12. Heat the oil in the pan (to come half-way up the latke). Heat slowly over a medium heat until it simmers.

13. Spoon about 1 heaped tablespoon of the potato mixture (per patty) into the hot oil and flatten each patty with a fork.

14. Remove the cooked latkes from the oil, place on the lined baking sheets and leave in the preheated oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.

15. To serve, place all the latkes on a platter, top with piles of hash, garnish with coriander and dollops of yoghurt.

You can find more of Ali's recipes on her website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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