Does anyone have a good Chanukah dessert recipe?? A friend asked me for one this week and I”m drawing a blank. My usual recipe sources are similarly stumped. If you have one (or more), please share!!
Dessert
Bonfire Toffee
Submitted by Robert Crowe, who got it from http://britishfood.about.com/od/festivecooking/r/parkin.htm. The website includes this description: “Bonfire toffee is the absolute treat on Bonfire night in the UK. The Treacle Toffee Recipe for Bonfire Toffee is simple, quick and easy to make but must be approached with caution; toffee gets very, very hot (up to 140 °C/ 270°) as it is boils. Treacle Toffee keeps very well stored in an airtight tin so make enough for Bonfire night and extra toffee for Christmas.”
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
- 1lb/450g dark brown sugar
- ¼ pint/120ml water
- ¼ level tsp cream of tartar
- ½cup/115g black treacle/molasses
- ½cup/115g golden syrup/corn syrup
Butter a 12″ x 4″/30cm x 10cm or 7″/18cm square tin.
In a heavy based 4-pint sauce pan dissolve the sugar and water over a low heat. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Using a sugar or toffee thermometer boil to 270°/140°C (soft crack). If you do not have a sugar or toffee thermometer – when you drop a bit of the syrup into cold water, it will solidify into threads that, when removed from the water, are flexible, not brittle. The toffee strands will bend slightly before breaking.
Once this stage is reached (about 10 minutes maximum) pour the toffee into the prepared tin and leave to cool.
Once the toffee is cold remove it from the tin and break with a toffee hammer or solid sharp object, and the toffee will crack into pieces.
Store in an airtight tin if you can resist it long enough!
Makes 1¼lb/500g toffee
Hank’s Fudge Sauce
Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “It takes a little work but it is the best chocolate sauce I have ever had. [My husband] Hank makes this every winter. He gives small jelly jars of it away as gifts. If your a chocolaholic you’ll love this!”
- 8 squares unsweetened chocolate (If you like it less sweet add a little more chocolate)
- 1/2 lb. butter
- 1 1/2 sugar
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla
Melt butter & chocolate over low heat; add sugar, milk, water and salt; Stir constantly until thick and well blended. Add vanilla.
Pour into jars.
The sauce can be frozen when cooled.
Mom’s Apple Cake
Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla
- 2 1/4 cup flour – do not sift
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chopped apple
- 2 cups chopped nuts
Mix oil and sugar. Add eggs and mix good. Add vanilla, baking soda, salt and cinnamon – mix well.
Add half of the flour and stir. Add 2nd half of the flour and stir.
Add apples and nuts and stir.
Add to greased and flour 13 x 9 pan.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (I’ve always found closer to one hour) at 350 degrees.
Holiday Muffins
Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “On the first day of school each year my quilting group “The Material Girls” and I would bake 6 different types of muffins and drop them off at the teachers’ lounges at all the schools in the district (Granted there is only one high school/middle school and two elementary schools). This was by far the teachers’ favorite!”
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 2 cups flour
- 1 large apple finely chopped
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup oil
Mix it all together. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Monster (Big) Cookies
Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “[My daughter] Maggie and her best friend, Anna Ruhland, are cookie nuts! Anna gave this recipe to Maggie when she was 10 years old. I know what your thinking…why would you want such a MONSTER recipe? Well if you have to do some serious bake sale baking or a project with a bunch of Brownie Girl Scouts it is a great recipe! Maggie thinks it’s the best!”
- 6 Eggs
- 1 pound brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 pound butter softened
- 9 cups of oatmeal
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 pound chunky peanut butter
- 12 ounces chocolate chips
- 1 pound plain M & M’s
Mix the ingredients in the order given.
Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes
Makes 12 Dozen
Note: you do not have to bake the whole batch at one time. Place extra cookie dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake. It will be good in the refrigerator for a week.
Conversions:
2 pounds = 4 2/3 cups
1 pound = 2 1/3 cups
1/2 pound = 1 1/6 cups
Maple Pumpkin or Squash Pie
Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “This recipe is from Sally Jasper, my husband Hank’s mom. The Jaspers homesteaded their farm over 140 years ago. “Jasper’s Sugar Bush” has been making Maple syrup for 4 generations.”
- 1 cup pumpkin or winter squash
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 2 eggs, beaten
Beat pumpkin or squash until smooth.
Add cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; Mix thoroughly.
Add melted butter, milk and maple syrup and mix.
Stir in eggs
Pour into 9-inch unbaked pie shell and bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees and then lower to 325 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes or until done.
You will know it is done when a clean knife blade is inserted and it comes out clean.
Aunt Catherine’s Scotch Shortbread
Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “Aunt Catherine Rehfus Riggs made these and had them on hand almost every time we went visiting. They were our favorites!”
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar – pack it tight then sift
- 2 cups sifted flour
Blend all ingredients.
Roll out on cookie sheet (ungreased).
Bake at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 degrees.
Bake about 20 minutes or until very slightly browned.
Cut into squares and let cool.
Grandma Agatha Kenny Rehfus’ Pinapple-upside-down Cake
Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- Enough canned pineapple rings to cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet, save juice from can
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 7 Tablespoons pineapple juice from the can
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pre-heat oven 350 degrees
In a cast Iron pan:
Melt butter and brown sugar. Arrange canned pineapple rings to cover bottom. (save juice)
Set aside.
Batter:
Separate the eggs. Beat the whites, then beat the yolks in a separate bowl.
Combine white sugar to the yolks. Add vanilla, pineapple juice, flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine all ingredients and pour batter over first mixture in the cast iron pan.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
When slightly cooled flip cake out onto large round platter or plate.
Buttercream Frosting
Submitted by Joyce Bayer, who writes: “[This] frosting stays soft. Unlike frostings that use powdered sugar and harden down, this doesn’t. It really helps to have a stand mixer, though, because beating it until the sugar is dissolved seems to take forever if you’re standing there holding a mixer.”
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Flavoring (such as vanilla, lemon or orange extract, or when putting it on a spice cake, I’ve used allspice)
- 1 egg white
Bring milk to a boil. Set aside until cool. Skim off top.
Cream shortening and butter together. Add sugar slowly, beating constantly. Add flavoring. Beat egg white until stiff. Add to sugar mixture. Beat well. Add cooled milk. Continue beating until all granules are gone. You cannot overbeat this frosting. It will stay soft and fluffy forever.
Rehfwitz Recipes 