HANUKKAH TREATS

The aroma of fried doughnuts can be detected all around Israel from November and throughout the holiday of Hanukkah. Everywhere you go around the country, there seems to be another bakery that is offering a plethora of sufganiyot with creative and eclectic colored icing, toppings and fillings.

It’s impossible for anyone to not be aware that the Festival of Lights – the holiday in which we eat fried food – is just around the corner. Hanukkah treats can be deep-fried or fried in a pan; the only important thing is that it is cooked using lots of oil.

This year, as in all previous years, I put aside any thoughts about counting calories. All year long, we can be careful about what we eat, but when Hanukkah rolls around, it’s time to put any thoughts of dieting aside and enjoy all the treats that are cooked in oil. It doesn’t matter if you’re preparing sweet or savory dishes – they are all cooked in copious amounts of oil and come out crispy and delicious. Sweet fried foods can be sprinkled with powdered sugar or dipped in fragrant syrup.

This week, I bring you three recipes for sweet Hanukkah treats. The first recipe is for fried apple fritters, known as frittelle in Italian. To make the fritters, you dip slices of apple in tempura batter, then place them in oil to fry them. They are best eaten while they’re still hot.

The second recipe is for Chebakia, which are Moroccan flower cookies that are prepared in a very unique fashion. Chebakia are sometimes made by taking strips of dough and weaving them together to form heart or flower shapes. The strips can be cut flat or jagged with a dough cutter. The recipe I’ve brought here utilizes a special metal tool with a flower design on the end. What you do is dip the flower end of the stick into the batter, and then into the hot oil, and after a few seconds, releasing the dough from the metal into the oil. The flower tool can be purchased in specialty baking stores.

The third recipe is for zalabiya, which are doughnuts that are dipped in syrup after they’ve finished cooking. These are popular Hanukkah treats that hail from Yemenite, Egyptian and Lebanese cuisine.

One of the reasons I love these doughnuts is that you can make them as small as you like, and they are so light and fluffy. You don’t need to worry about making sure they all have the same shape. In fact, that’s part of why I love making zalabiya.

These doughnuts can be topped with powdered sugar or dipped in fragrant syrup made with rosewater. You can also add sesame seeds or colorful candies sprinkled on top.

I hope you enjoy trying one (or all) of the recipes below. I would love for you to take pictures of your creations and send them to me; or send me links to your Instagram or Facebook accounts so I can enjoy seeing all the creative doughnuts and cookies you made. I promise to tag you and the special Hanukkah treats you’ve made.

APPLE FRITTERS.