Four-ingredient edible dreidels: A delicious five-minute Hanukkah activity for any age
Every year, around Hanukkah, I am reminded of my time spent in Sunday school and the things we would do to prepare for the holiday. Learning songs, playing dreidel, eating piles of latkes and making arts and crafts were among some of my favorites, but there’s one thing that sticks out after all these years: making edible dreidels. When I was a kid, we made them with pretzel sticks, marshmallows, peanut butter and Hershey’s Kisses but now that I’m older and can buy my own groceries, I opt for different means of gluing the pieces together and adding my own twist to this classic activity.
Thankfully, this quick and crafty recipe can be easily tailored to suit the needs of anyone’s palate or dietary restrictions. The saltiness of the pretzel is a welcome balance to the sweetness of the marshmallow, edible “glue” and Hershey’s Kisses. Depending on what type of chocolate and glue you opt to use, you can make this simple treat with a wonderful depth of flavor. My personal preference is to use dark chocolate Hershey’s Kisses so that the bitterness adds to the sweet and salty elements, but they can be made to any individual taste.
Whether it’s a family gathering, a Sunday school class or even a temple service, taking a few minutes to make these cute, simple treats and share them with friends is something anyone can appreciate. Though this is definitely a project more tailored toward children, even as an adult, I’ve enjoyed making these — and eating them too. While they’re not exactly “playable” like a regular dreidel, they’re equally as fun for people of all ages. Using writing gel, though not necessary, gives you the ability to decorate your dreidels to make them artistic and unique before digging into this fun treat.
Total Time: 5 minutes Yield: 12 dreidels
Ingredients
For the dough:
12 pretzel sticks
12 marshmallows
4 Tbsp glue (nut butter, marshmallow fluff or frosting)
12 Hershey’s Kisses
edible writing gel (optional)
Instructions:
- Placing the marshmallow in the palm of your hand so as not to squish the sides, press one end of the pretzel stick into the center of one end of the marshmallow, and push it¾ of the way through.
- Using your “glue,” put a pea-sized amount on the flat end of a Hershey’s Kiss before placing it in the center of the other end of the marshmallow.
- Decorate with writing gel, if desired, and enjoy!
Pull-apart sufganiyot cake: The tastiest way to make jelly donuts for a crowd this Hanukkah — without your house smelling of frying
Now look, nothing — and I mean nothing — beats a perfectly fried sufganiya fresh out of hot oil, dusted with powdered sugar, still warm enough to make the jam dangerously hot. That’s peak Hanukkah right there. But if you’re feeding a crowd or just don’t want to smell your house up with hot oil, here’s a pretty fantastic baked version for you.
Fair warning: This is a rich dough that’s going to feel more like a very, very thick cake batter than bread dough when you first mix it. Between the eggs, butter and milk, you’re working with a seriously wet dough that’s going to test your patience and stick to everything it touches. But don’t panic — this is exactly what you want. All that richness is going to give you tender, pillowy sufganiyot that pull apart like clouds.
Here’s how to deal with the sticky situation: First, resist the urge to add more flour. Instead, embrace the chill — a cold dough is easier to handle. After the first rise, pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes. When shaping, keep your hands lightly oiled rather than floured. The oil prevents sticking without toughening the dough like extra flour would.
The payoff? Gorgeously golden, honeycomb-patterned pull-apart sufganiyot that look like they came from a high-end bakery. They’re tender, rich and perfect for filling with whatever your heart desires. Plus, since they’re baked, you can make a whole batch at once instead of frying in little batches while your family hovers around you like hungry seagulls.
Is it traditional? Maybe not. But neither was adding Nutella as a filling, and we all know how that turned out.
Besides, if anyone gives you grief about baking instead of frying, just remind them that the real miracle of Hanukkah was about making things last longer than expected — and these beauties will definitely stick around at least a day longer than their fried cousins.
Total Time: 3 hours Yield: Serves 8-12
Ingredients for the dough:
4 cups (560 g) all-purpose flour
8 g instant yeast (about 2 tsp)
⅓ cup (60 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp fine salt
1 cup (250 ml) milk, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
150 g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
For finishing:
large egg yolk whisked + 1 Tbsp water (for egg wash)
your favorite jam, for filling
powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Take butter, milk and eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting.
- To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt. Add milk, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and optional flavorings. Mix with dough hook on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add softened butter, piece by piece, waiting for each addition to be incorporated before adding more. Once all butter is added, knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be very soft and sticky — this is correct.
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place (75°F) for 1-1.5 hours or until doubled. For easier handling, refrigerate dough for 30 minutes after rising.
- To shape and arrange: First choose your pan setup:12×12- or 13×13-inch square cake pan (ideal), or half sheet pan with foil walls (you’ll need to create a 12×12-inch space by folding heavy-duty foil into 3-inch-high strips to form a square border inside your pan). Line your pan with parchment paper. With lightly oiled hands, divide dough into 16 pieces (74 g each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in a 4×4 grid with even spacing — they should be close enough to touch when fully risen. The foil walls or pan sides will help them rise upward instead of outward, creating perfectly fluffy, pull-apart sufganiyot. Cover loosely and let rise for 45-60 minutes until puffy. The balls should be touching and fill the space completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Gently brush risen dough with egg wash. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190°F.
- Let cool slightly for 5 minutes. Cut a small slit on each sufganiya, pipe in about 1 teaspoon of jam. Dust generously with powdered sugar. Best served warm.
Sephardi pumpkin patties: Bimuelos de kalavasa topped with syrup and chopped nuts
In the United States, pumpkin pie is almost mandatory at Thanksgiving, while pumpkin makes occasional appearances in sweet breads and sometimes a creamy soup during the fall and winter — all the way through Hanukkah. Pumpkin also holds a special place in the stomachs — and history — of Sephardic Jews. This versatile fruit is used in cakes, soups, stews, puddings, jams, pastries and pancakes — including latkes. It can be savory or sweet and baked, boiled, roasted, steamed or stuffed. And, yes, it’s a fruit much like avocados, tomatoes and squash.
Pumpkins have been around as a cultivated food for a surprisingly long time. Native Americans grew them for nearly 6,000 years before pumpkins became one of the first New World foods introduced to Europeans by Spanish explorers in the early 1500s.
During the 16th century, the Jews remaining in Iberia were nearly all conversos, converts to Christianity, with many secretly hanging onto their Judaism, often through food. During the 16th and 17th centuries, these secret Jews continued to flee Spain’s inquisition across Europe to the Ottoman Empire and throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, bringing with them their love of this new ingredient, pumpkin. As Gil Marks notes in “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food:” The presence of pumpkin in early Mediterranean dishes is usually a sign of Sephardi influence.” You can read more about the history of Sephardim and pumpkin here.
From this Sephardi influence, Italian Jews were among the first to robustly incorporate pumpkin into their cuisine, becoming known for their pumpkin-stuffed ravioli and tortellini, puddings and sweet pumpkin fritters (fritelle di zucca). Sephardim who found new homes in what is now Turkey and Greece made many pumpkin dishes, including filling flakey Ottoman pastries to make borekas de kalavasa (pumpkin in Ladino, the language of Sephardim) and deep-fried pumpkin fritters or sweet pancakes, both called bimuelos de kalavasa. There are, by the way, different versions of the name, which include bumuelos, birmuelos and, in Central America, buñuelos.
We can’t talk about pumpkins without bringing up its 21st-century status as a “super food” acclaimed for its nutrient-dense benefits. Pumpkin flesh is fat-free, and high in fiber, potassium and vitamin C. It provides antioxidants and is one of the best sources of beta carotene. All this adds up to being good for hearts, eyesight, weight control and cancer-fighting. Canned pumpkin still has these healthy benefits including 7 grams of fiber per cup, more than two slices of whole wheat bread. In fact, unlike most fruits and vegetables, nutritionally, canned pumpkin is usually as good, or even better, than the homemade puree… and a whole lot less work.
Sephardim recognize pumpkin’s importance during the fall holidays. At the traditional Sephardi Rosh Hashanah seder, one of the special seven blessings is symbolized by pumpkin (or its close relative, squash). At Sukkot, not only is pumpkin a fall crop, but the many seeds symbolize fertility and abundance. These pumpkin patties, bimuelos de kalavasa, are perfect for Hanukkah along with the deep-fried version.
So this year, for your potato latke-laden Hanukkah, let these pumpkins patties bring an easy and tasty bite of Sephardi history to the table.
Notes:
- To refrigerate or freeze, put cooked patties in an airtight container with layers separated by parchment paper. Can be refrigerated for four days or frozen for up to a month.
- To reheat, defrost slightly, just enough to separate patties. Place directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet or on top of wire cooling racks placed on a baking sheet. Heat in 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
1/4 cup granulated sugar can be used instead of maple syrup. - Date syrup (aka silan) is available at Middle Eastern and some kosher markets.
- These are best when served immediately, but the cooked patties can be kept warm in a 200°F oven on top of wire cooling racks placed on a baking sheet for up to 40 minutes.
Total Time: 30 minutes Yield: 20 3-inch patties
Ingredients
1 ½ cup all-purpose or 1:1 gluten-free flour
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp allspice
⅛ tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup maple syrup
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin (about 1 ¾ cup)
Neutral vegetable oil, for frying (sunflower or avocado are good choices)
To serve:
Honey, date syrup (silan), maple syrup and/or powdered sugar
Chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup and pumpkin until well blended and smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk or mix well until smooth.
- Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. The oil is ready when a drop of water spatters in it.
- Add a very full tablespoon (about 1/8 cup), or less to make mini appetizer-sized patties, of the batter to the hot oil. With the back of the spoon, slightly flatten and spread each patty into a circle as you add it. Cook about 3 minutes per side, flipping only once, until each patty is a deep golden brown. The patties will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Drain well on doubled paper towels or on top of a wire cooling rack placed on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet (cut open brown paper bags work, too).
- To serve, drizzle with warm honey, maple or date syrup, or sprinkle with powdered sugar, then add chopped nuts, if desired. These are best when served immediately, but the cooked patties can be kept warm in a 200°F oven on top of wire cooling racks placed on a baking sheet for up to 40 minutes.
Notes:
- To refrigerate or freeze, put cooked patties in an airtight container with layers separated by parchment paper. Can be refrigerated for four days or frozen for up to a month.
- To reheat, defrost slightly, just enough to separate patties. Place directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet or on top of wire cooling racks placed on a baking sheet. Heat in 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
1/4 cup granulated sugar can be used instead of maple syrup. - Date syrup (aka silan) is available at Middle Eastern and some kosher markets.
- These are best when served immediately, but the cooked patties can be kept warm in a 200°F oven on top of wire cooling racks placed on a baking sheet for up to 40 minutes.