Your guide to the Festival of Lights

(serves 2) 

By Jamie Geller, founder of Kosher Network International, and Tamar Genger MA, RD

1 apple, cored, sliced into 4 rings

2 tsp. peanut butter or almond butter

2 tsp. parve chocolate chips, melted

½ tsp. cocoa nibs and/or dessicated coconut

Glaze apple rings with peanut butter. Drizzle with chocolate. Sprinkle with cocoa nibs and/or coconut.

(serves 6) 

By Dr. Edith Eger, Holocaust survivor and author of The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life, and daughter Dr. Marianne Engle.

3 eggs

1¼ cups flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup carbonated water

Pure vanilla extract, almond extract and salt to taste

Make a smooth dough with the first four ingredients, add the rest.  Taste and adjust the flavor. Heat a pan and add a small piece of butter to melt. Put a half ladle amount of mix in the pan with the melted butter.  Swirl the pan to spread a thin round mixture.  Cook until lightly browned.  Do this for every palacsinta. Take each one and fill with filling of choice – like jam – or cover with walnuts and chocolate sauce.

By Leah Klein, founder of citylivingboston.com

Vegetable oil spray

6 tsp. vegetable oil, divided

4 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled

1 tsp. turmeric

2 small/1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

1 egg

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 180 C. In a food processor grate the potatoes. Squeeze the potatoes through a towel so that they release their starchy liquid. Set the towel and potatoes aside. Add the quartered onions to the food processor and chop finely. Add egg and turmeric and process until finely chopped. Spray two sheet pans lightly with vegetable oil and put both pans in the oven to heat for two to three minutes. 

Pour the potatoes over the onion mixture in the food processor. Sprinkle flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Process the entire thing for a few seconds at a time until mixed but not pureed. 

Drop large tablespoons full of the mixture on each hot pan. Flatten each mound with a fork. With one teaspoon of vegetable oil for each pan, drizzle a little oil on top of each latke. Put one sheet pan on the lower rack and one in the middle rack and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take out the pans and remember which spot they came from. Flip the latkes and drizzle another teaspoon of vegetable oil on top of the latkes. Swap their location in the oven and cook for 10 more minutes. 

(to serve with latkes)

1 tsp. black mustard seeds

4 medium sized apples, peeled and cubed

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. turmeric, powdered

½ lemon, juice and zest

Heat a small saucepan that has a lid over medium heat for several minutes. Add black mustard seeds and roast for three to four minutes. While the seeds are heating, peel the apples, core and cut into 1-inch cubes. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop or crackle, add the cubed apples to the saucepan. Add in the juice and zest of lemon, turmeric, honey and stir to combine. 

Turn the heat down to medium low and cover the saucepan. Cook for 10-15 minutes.

 (serves 4) 

By Miranda Hammer MS, RD, CDN and founder of Crunchyradish.com 

1 kg. apples

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 kg. pears, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 cup whole cranberries

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1½ Tbsp. finely grated ginger

3 Tbsp. maple syrup

In a large pot, bring the apples, lemon juice, pears, cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, maple syrup, and 1½ cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until apples are very soft and are falling apart, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth with small chunks remaining. Alternatively, if you prefer more of a chutney/rustic consistency, you can skip this step.

¼ cup cacao nibs

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

½ cup coconut sugar

1¾ cup sour cream

2 cups Cacao Shell Flour Pancake and Waffle Mix

1 qt. canola oil for deep frying

Cacao sugar for the top 

Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan, once warm add the coconut sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute. Using a rubber spatula, carefully stir the cream and the chocolate until it forms a smooth ganache. Let the ganache cool completely before adding the cacao nibs. In a mixing bowl with a whip attachment, combine the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, coconut sugar and sour cream. Add the Cacao Shell flour in three additions. After all the flour is in, mix together for about three minutes until the dough is smooth but a little sticky. Warm up the oil in a pot on medium heat, be careful not to burn it. Once the oil is hot take a large cookie

scoop and scoop the dough into the hot oil. When the Sufganiyot are crisp on one side, flip over and fry until the other side is done, about a minute or two. Take out of the pot and place on a plate with a paper towel to soak the leftover oil. Using a piping bag, fill the Sufganiyot with ganache and sprinkle Cacao sugar on top.