Chanukah Cookie Recipe

Jewish holidays are filled with memories of eating delicious foods. I’d love to share my family’s favorite cookie recipe. The recipe is found in Tradition in the Kitchen (North Suburban Synagogue Beth El Sisterhood, Highland Park, Illinois, 1976).

When my sons were little, they frequently helped me cut out the shapes and put the sprinkles on the dough.

Over the years, I have modified the recipe. I add an additional amount of orange juice and compensated with a bit more flour. Try the recipe and decide for yourself if any alterations need to be made.

Chanukah Cookies

1 cup sugar
½ cup Crisco (I use butter or margarine)
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking power
½ tsp salt
1 tbs orange juice
1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar and shortening (butter or margarine). Add eggs one at a time. Cream mixture well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed fixture. Add orange juice and vanilla. Mix well.(I usually refrigerate the dough for a few hours or overnight) Divide dough in fourths. Roll out on lightly floured board  ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle colored sugar or sprinkles on rolled dough. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. (I like a softer cookie so I bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes) Remove from pan immediately.

How does this recipe compare to your favorite recipe?

I wish my fellow Jews around the world a joyous Chanukah. May your Chanukah candles burn brightly and boldly as you recall the bravery of the Maccabees and the story of the miraculous oil.

This Chanukah cookie recipe was included in a prior post- “Chanukah Memories- From Childhood Through Adulthood” on my blog at www.sandrabornstein.com.

The paperback version of my newly released memoir, May This Be the Best Year of Your Life  can be purchased at Amazon while the Kindle version will be available soon.