Casey Simonoff’s Hanukkah Cookies
Ingredients
¼ cup butter (room temperature)
½ cup sugar (part white sugar, part brown sugar)
1¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon good vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (room temperature)
Directions
Add flour, baking powder and salt to a bowl and set aside. Cream butter and sugars in mixer until blended. Add egg and vanilla until combined. Slowly incorporate flour mixture to wet ingredients until a ball of dough forms.
This recipe can easily be doubled and does not need refrigeration before rolling.
Roll out dough on floured surface and have fun with different cookie cutters.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 9 minutes (ovens will vary).
Icing: A colored icing glaze is fun for kids to "paint" onto cookies and perfect for sprinkles and sugar to stick. Simply mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk and food coloring.
No-Fry Potato Latkas
From the “Healthy Helpings” cookbook by Norene Gillitz
Ingredients
4 teaspoons canola or olive oil, divided
4–5 medium Idaho potatoes (2 pounds)
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic, if desired
1 tablespoon fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
1 egg and 2 egg whites (or 2 eggs), lightly beaten
¼ cup flour (white or whole wheat)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1. Place oven racks on the lowest and middle positions in your oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Spray each baking sheet lightly with non-stick spray, then brush each baking sheet with 1 teaspoon of oil. (This provides a crispy exterior to the latka.)
2. Peel potatoes or scrub them well if you don’t want to peel them. Grate potatoes. (The processor does this quickly.) Transfer them to another bowl. Use the processor to finely mince onion, garlic and dill. Add potatoes, eggs/egg whites and remaining two teaspoons of oil to the processor. Mix using quick on/off turns. Add remaining ingredients and mix briefly. If overprocessed, potatoes will be too fine.
3. Drop mixture by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the back of the spoon to form latkas. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or until bottoms are nicely browned and crispy. Turn latkas over. Transfer pan from the upper rack to the lower rack and vice versa. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes longer, or until brown. Best when served immediately.
Yield: 2 dozen medium latkas or 6 dozen minis. Serve with homemade applesauce. Great with tzatziki, low-fat sour cream or yogurt topped with minced lox (smoked salmon) and chives. Latkas freeze well.
Nutritional information: 36 calories per medium latka, 1 g fat (0.1 g saturated), 9 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 92 mg sodium, 143 mg potassium, trace iron, less than 1 g fiber, 10 mg calcium.
Note: To fry latkas instead of baking them, don’t add oil to the latka mixture. Use a non-stick skillet and fry latkas in a little oil, about 2 teaspoons per batch. Drain on paper towels to absorb oil.
Latkas may be made a day in advance. When cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. To save oven space, stand them upright snugly in a loaf pan.
For No-Fry Sweet Potato Latkas: Prepare No-Fry Potato Latkas but use 1 large sweet potato, 2 Idaho potatoes and 2 eggs plus 2 egg whites (or 3 eggs).
For more ideas about gifts, decorating, where to eat and what to do, check out our complete Atlanta Holiday Guide.
