HOLIDAY COOKIES : Preserving a Hannukah Tradition

When I lived on a ranch in Topanga Canyon with my husband and five children, I was always baking. Our three young sons would rush home from school to help finish making cookies with me so that they could eat them right out of the oven. Often during Hanukkah, their friends would invite themselves over knowing that there would be cookie dough to roll out, bake and eat.

Our two daughters were in charge of designing and making aprons. They’d use water colors and crayons, then give the aprons away as Hanukkah gifts or wear them while baking.

I think cooking together and telling stories about Hanukkah is the best way to get children interested in preserving and creating tradition. As a young child, I loved visiting my Aunt Betty during Hanukkah and helping her cook and bake.

These days, when my grandchildren come to visit, we always spend part of the time baking. When Ariella, one of our grandchildren, was only 2, she stood on a kitchen chair and mixed together flour, sugar and butter in her own bowl. There was more flour on her body than in the bowl. Another year, she kept peeking through the window of the oven asking, “How soon will they be ready to eat, Gramma?”

Cooking helps teach children how to follow directions, how to measure and weigh ingredients, how to tell time and many other useful skills. Small children are remarkably adept at rolling dough into balls and using their imagination to decorate the cookies. For Hannukah, I bring out a box of special cookie cutters--stars, dreidels, menorahs and other shapes--that I have collected over the years.

For Hannukah this year we are having a cookie exchange. Everyone will bring home-baked cookies to enjoy as part of dessert after the latke dinner. Then boxes and tins of these cookies will be exchanged as take-home gifts, wrapped in blue-and-white paper and tied with ribbons. Of course, the name of the baker and recipe will be enclosed in each package.

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

These are a treat for peanut lovers--they get peanut butter and crunchy peanuts. Practically foolproof, they’re a cinch for little helpers.

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Cream butter with peanut butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, gradually adding 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Blend in vanilla extract and flour. Stir in peanuts and mix well. Shape into small balls. Place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees 12 minutes, or until brown on the bottom.

While hot, roll in extra powdered sugar. If desired, re-roll cookies, when cool, in more powdered sugar.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Each serving contains about:

83 calories; 30 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.24 gram fiber.

APRICOT HOLIDAY COOKIES

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons orange juice

Grated peel of 1/2 orange

1/4 cup apricot preserves

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream together butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Beat in egg. Add orange juice and peel and apricot preserves. Mix well.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until dough comes together.

Drop rounded teaspoons of batter, about 2 inches apart, onto foil-lined, greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees until cookies are brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

69 calories; 48 mg sodium; 13 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.04 gram fiber.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

More flavorful than the usual shortbread--and only four ingredients. These are perfect for kids to bake in the kitchen with mom. Cut in small rounds and wrap in gold and silver foil to resemble Hanukkah gelt or decorate with Blue and White Icing.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

Beat butter and sugar until creamy in bowl. Add vanilla, then gradually beat in flour, blending thoroughly. Gather dough into ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Divide dough in 4 parts. Working with 1 part at a time, roll out dough about 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees until firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Each cookie, without icing, contains about:

103 calories; 55 mg sodium; 14 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

BLUE AND WHITE ICING

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon whipping cream, milk or mocha mix

2 cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 drops blue food coloring

Blend lemon juice, whipping cream and powdered sugar in bowl until creamy. Add additional whipping cream if needed to thin icing. Divide icing in half. Add food coloring to half of icing and mix until completely blended. Place each icing in a pastry bag (with star tip) and pipe onto cooled cookies.

Makes about 2 cups.

Each teaspoon contains about:

10 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0 fiber.

HANUKKAH FRYING PAN COOKIES (Soofganyot)

Foods fried in oil are a Hanukkah must. Grown-ups should take over the actual frying, but there’s plenty left for kids to do.

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

Grated peel of 1 lemon

Pinch salt

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Oil

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream butter and 1 cup sugar in bowl until light and fluffy. Add lemon peel and salt. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Sift together flour and baking powder in separate bowl. Fold into butter mixture to make dough.

Heat enough oil for frying in deep frying pan to 360 degrees. Shape dough into small balls and drop about 8 at a time into hot oil. Fry 3 minutes. Turn with slotted spoon and let dough fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 more minutes.

Lift out cookies with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon, and while cookies are still warm roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

61 calories; 25 mg sodium; 16 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

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Kitchen Tips

Cookie Tips for Little Chefs

1. Measure all ingredients and arrange them in the order they’re used in the recipe before starting.

2. Always preheat the oven 15 minutes before baking.

3. Wrap unused cookie dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or freeze until needed.

4. If crisp cookies become soft, place on baking sheet and re-bake 3 to 4 minutes.

5. If you don’t have a rolling pin, work with small pieces of dough and press it out with the palm of your hand or use a bottle instead of rolling pin.