Latkes & Sufganiyot

B'nai Emet -> Departments -> Women's League -> Recipes -> Chanukkah

December, 2000

It is traditional to fry foods in oil for Chanukkah. The use of oil is connected to the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. For Ashkenazic Jews, it is traditional to eat latkes (potato pancakes), and for Israelis, the tradition is to eat sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts).

Potato Latkes

Yield: 18 latkes

6 large white potatoes
1 large onion
2 eggs or ½ c. egg substitute
2 egg whites
1/3 c. flour or matzah meal
1 t. baking powder
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
½ t. white pepper
Oil for frying

Peel and cut up potatoes and onion. If not using potatoes immediately, place in cold water.

Grate potatoes and onion by hand or place in food processor and process with steel blade with on-off pulsing motion. Put in a large strainer and press out liquid. Pour cold water over the potatoes and press out liquid once more. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Beat eggs and egg whites until thick. Add to potato mixture. Add flour, baking powder, and seasonings. If mixture becomes too thin, add more flour or matzah meal. Blend well.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Drop batter into hot oil and fry on each side until golden. Remove from pan and drain excess oil on paper towels.

Serve with sour cream or applesauce or jam.

Latkes may be made in advance and frozen. To freeze, place singly on baking sheet, freeze, then place in plastic bag. To reheat, defrost. Place on baking sheet singly and bake in 450-degree oven until crisp.

Variations:

Sweet latkes: omit egg and onion and add ¼ t. clove and ½ t. ginger.

Herbed latkes: omit garlic powder, add ½ t. parsley flakes, ½ t. crushed rosemary leaves, and 1/4 t. sage

Vegetable latkes: use combination of potatoes, carrots, and zucchini to make 3 cups of vegetables

Sufganiyot - Chanukkah Doughnuts

Yield: about 12 sufganiyot

1 package dry yeast (about 1 T.)
¾ c. lukewarm milk
2 T. sugar
Pinch salt
2-1/2 c. flour
2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg
2 t. cinnamon
5 t. melted butter/margarine
1 c. jam ½ c. confectioner's sugar
Oil for deep frying

Note: If you want to serve sufganiyot at a meat meal, you can replace the milk with water, and the butter/margarine with non-dairy margarine.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk (or warm water). Add sugar and salt. Set aside to rise. Sift the flour. Make a well and add yeast mixture, eggs, and cinnamon. Knead the dough and add the melted butter. Continue kneading until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough stops sticking to your hands. Let rise overnight in refrigerator covered with a towel, or else in a warm place for about one hour, until it doubles in size.

Turn out dough on a floured board and roll to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into circles with small round glass or cookie cutter into even number of rounds (approximately 24). Place a teaspoon of your favorite jam in the center of every second circle. Press a plain circle on top, and seal the edges with egg whites. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Drop four or five at a time into hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Turn doughnuts as they rise to surface and fry for one minute more. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Be sure to click here to visit the B'nai Chanukkah pages.

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