The holiday season calls for hosting or attending festive get-togethers! So what should you bring to your next family get together or gathering with friends? Or perhaps you’d rather give a homemade gift rather than a store bought one. We turned to three local bakers for some ideas for Christmas and Hanukkah this year.
Hanukkah this year starts at nightfall on December 18, 2022 and ends with nightfall on December 26, 2022. The Festival of Lights would not be complete without delicious Hanukkah foods to keep the celebrations going (for all eight nights!). We turned to two local bakers for recipes that are perfect to serve during the upcoming holiday.
Ellen Glassman is sharing her Pineapple Bake Souffle recipe. Ellen has lived in Broomall for 30 years. She is the Education Director at Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid’s Mensch Making Academy and Mini Mensch Making Academy, engaging children and their families in learning and social action programs to help repair our world. Ellen is blessed with a wonderful husband of 34 years and three children: Paige, Jenna and Kyle.
Ellen’s grandparents came from Poland and Russia and Jewish customs and traditions have always been a part of her life. “This recipe was handed down by my treasured cousin Mimi and a fan favorite of my family for Hanukkah,” explained Ellen. “Pineapple Bake is often served at Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid’s Mensch Making Academy program and Mini Mensch Academy, a place where curiosity and questions are embraced.”
Photo courtesy of Ellen Glassman
Ellen’s Pineapple Bake Souffle
INGREDIENTS:
• 11⁄2 cups sugar
• 1 stick of butter
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 shakes nutmeg
• 10 slices of white bread (challah or gluten free bread may be substituted – cubed with crust on)
• 2 large cans of unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
• 8 eggs
• cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place cubed bread in a large bowl.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl (butter can be softened in microwave before mixing with sugar.)
3. Beat eggs in a separate bowl.
4. Add butter, sugar and eggs to cubed bread.
5. Fold drained pineapple into the mixture. Mix by hand.
6. Add nutmeg and lemon juice.
7. Pour in a 10″ x 12″ pan.
8. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top.
9. Bake at 350o for 55 to 60 minutes.
This can be made the night before, refrigerated and baked the next day.
Next, Cheri Sperling is sharing her Challah recipe. Cheri has lived in Broomall for 14 years with her husband and two teenage daughters. A teacher for about 20 years, Cheri taught early childhood through middle school in both traditional classrooms as well as settings for children with learning differences, and currently teaches kindergarten. She chose to share a Challah recipe because it is something special she has enjoyed making with her daughters as well as her students, and it was the first recipe she used while teaching in a Jewish school setting. Cheri explained that Challah is made to celebrate Shabbat which is the Jewish day of rest. It is also made to celebrate Jewish life cycle events and holidays. The Sperling’s favorite ingredients to add are chocolate chips, raisins or mini M&Ms.
Cheri’s Challah
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 bag yeast
• 31⁄2 cups water
• 1⁄2 cup oil
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 8 cups flour
• 4 eggs (can use egg substitute)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 tablespoons oil
• 6 tablespoons water
DIRECTIONS:
• Preheat the oven to 350o
• Add 1⁄4 cup warm water to yeast and stir, set aside
• Mix water, oil, salt, sugar and eggs
• Add yeast to main mixture
• Add 8 cups of flour one cup at a time
• Knead dough until dough feels smooth
• Grease inside of bowl
• Place the ball of dough into a bowl
• Cover bowl with wax paper or towel and place in warm area for about 60 minutes until dough doubles in size
• Dough can also be stored in the refrigerator overnight
• Sprinkle with some extra flour to prevent sticking
• Shape challah into three strands and braid together
• Can coat outside of each loaf with egg to create a shine
• Bake for 30 minutes
• Allow to cool before serving
Then we head over to Bretany Pilko’s kitchen for a perfect Christmas cookie recipe. Bretany and her husband Chris have lived in Broomall for more than 20 years and raised their two sons, Peter and Teddy here. Bretany makes plenty of baked goods during the Christmas season, but her Molasses Cookies are the biggest hit. “My sister-in-law is the cookie queen,” said Bretany. “And she even says mine are better than hers.”
Bretany’s Molasses Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
• 11⁄2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1⁄2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
• Melt butter. Add sugar, eggs and molasses. Beat well.
• In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the molasses mix. Mix well and chill 3 hours or overnight.
• Form into 1+ inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on parchment on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake at 375o F for about 8 minutes.