All kinds of uber-creative latke recipes appear around Hanukkah-time: apple-parsnip latkes, sweet potato-leek latkes, sweet cheesy latkes, and savory cheese and chive latkes. But the truth is, you can’t go anywhere in the world of latkes until you’ve mastered the classic potato version, says celebrity chef Jamie Geller, who likes to try the latkes, keep them warm, and then layer them with show-stopping toppings.
Hailed as the “Queen of Kosher” and the “Jewish Rachael Ray,” Geller is the co-founder of the Kosher Media Network, publisher of the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller magazine and companion website JoyofKosher.com, and author of the “Quick & Kosher” cookbook series. Geller’s online cooking videos have garnered more than half a million views.
The following two recipes for Hanukkah latkes and cookies are from “Joy of Kosher,” Geller’s new cookbook that will be published in October, and were edited by JNS.org.
Latkes with Caviar and Cream
Kosher Status: Dairy
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Yield: 20 latkes
Consider creating a latke-topping bar, so your Hanukkah party guests can mix and match or try them all. I like topping latkes with guacamole and an over-easy or poached egg, or doing Caprese latke towers with slices of mozzarella and tomato, plus a few fresh basil leaves. Oooo, and I love a smear of brie cheese topped with a dollop of jam, or blue cheese, pear, and arugula piled on top. You can go exotic or country or Brooklyn, but this super elegant cream and caviar version can only be described as super posh and simply divine.
Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
3 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil for frying
1 medium onion quartered
1/4 cup Manischewitz® Matzo Meal
1 1/4 cups crème frâiche or sour cream
Caviar, for garnish
Directions:
- Fill a large bowl with cold water. Peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters lengthwise, and place them in the bowl of cold water to prevent browning.
- Combine the eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; set aside.
- Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Put the onions and potatoes in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Transfer the mixture into the large bowl with the eggs. Add Manischewitz® Matzo Meal and mix to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop up the potato mixture and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Use the back of the measuring cup to flatten the latke. Fill the pan with as many latkes as you can, but do not let them touch. Do not overcrowd your pan, or the latkes will be soggy instead of crispy. Fry until golden brown and crispy, three to five minutes per side. Drain on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter.
- To keep latkes warm and crispy once fried, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
- To serve, place the latkes on a large serving tray and garnish each with a generous tablespoon of crème frâiche and caviar.
Quick Tip:
Remember, don’t overcrowd your pan when frying. Make sure the latkes aren’t touching and there is room around each for the edges to crisp. That’s the perfect latke: soft, fluffy, and creamy on the inside with crispy edges.
Sweet Cinnamon Latkes:
My friend Anita’s grandmother used to make her latkes with a pinch of cinnamon.
Omit the onion and the pepper, reduce the salt to a pinch, and add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar. Mix 1 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup maple syrup and serve it on the side.
Make it Pareve:
Use soy sour cream or serve with applesauce.
Cardamom-Scented Hanukkah Cookies
Kosher Status: Dairy
Prep: 10 minutes
Chill: 30 minutes
Bake: 12 minutes
Cool: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 2 minutes
Yield: About twenty-four 2-inch cookies
I really feel like a good mom when I bake with my kids, especially for the holidays. Hanukkah cookies can also be a lot of fun to make, but they’re usually so blah and one-dimensional, no one really craves them. With just one touch of cardamom, this recipe immediately transforms those bland little cookies into something super special. You don’t even need to decorate them. Just pile them on your party tray and watch them go!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Blue sugar or sprinkles, for decorating
Directions:
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and ginger in a small bowl. Beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and orange juice and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface.
- Flour your rolling pin and cookie cutters. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick on the work surface. Cut into desires shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and continue until all the dough has been used. Bake until the edges are just golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool two minutes on the baking sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until a smooth, thick but pourable consistency is reached. Drizzle the frosting on the cookies and decorate them with blue sugar or sprinkles.
Variation:
Use 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, or 3/4 of each.
Black and White Chocolate – Dipped Hanukkah Cookies:
To make Chocolate Ganache¸ bring 1 cup of heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place 4 ounces chopped milk chocolate in a small bowl and 4 ounces chopped white chocolate in another small bowl. Pour half of the warm cream into each bowl. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir with rubber spatulas to melt the chocolates. Let cool slightly before dipping your cookies. Divide the cookies into two equal batches. Dip the cookies in one batch in the milk chocolate, covering each cookie halfway; dip the cookies in a second batch in the white chocolate, dipping each cookie halfway. Sprinkle the frosted parts of the cookies with gold and silver decorating sugar.
Make it Pareve:
These are so easy to make nondairy: just sub in margarine for butter. Because it’s traditional to eat dairy delicacies on Hanukkah, and I rarely have occasion to make dairy desserts, I seize the opportunity to use butter in this recipe. But it’s a great quick cookie recipe and shouldn’t be relegated to Hanukkah—just use cookie cutters that are not holiday themed.
From the forthcoming book “JOY OF KOSHER: Fast, Fresh Family Recipes by Jamie Geller.” Copyright (c) 2013 by JamieGeller. To be published on October 15, 2013 by William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted with permission.
