Hanukah Cooking And Kitchen Tips For Your Festival Of Lights

During Hanukah, oil-based cooking is a central tradition for those celebrating the Jewish 'Festival of Lights." Food writer and cookbook author Jake Cohen shares tips and recipes for your holiday festivities.

HANUKKAH MARBLE-GLAZED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

These are my response to Christmas cookies, since we can’t let the goyim have all the fun. There’s a larger conversation to be had about the holiday industrial complex and our part in hyping up Hanukkah like it’s Jewish Christmas, which no matter how delicious these cookies are, it’s not. But the story of the Maccabees is very much worth celebrating, allowing conversations about our history in overcoming oppression and in fighting for our right to exist. And as long as we’re talking about our past and how it impacts our present and future, we might as well nosh on some shortbreads shaped like Stars of David, menorahs, and dreidels. The wow factor is in the marbled glaze, which uses an easy technique of lightly swirling in food coloring before coating your cookies. They’re so good, Santa might even drop by while you light the menorah.

Makes: about 2 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling and setting time

Cook Time: 15 minutes

For the Dough

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

21/2 cups (338g) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the Glaze

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon vodka

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Blue food coloring

Directions

1. For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (though this dough can easily be made by hand), cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the motor running, add the egg and mix until incorporated, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and almond extracts with the salt and mix to incorporate.
2. Add the flour and baking powder and mix on low until a smooth dough forms. Transfer the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Chill for 1 hour.
3. After 30 minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
4. Remove the top sheet of parchment from the dough and cut out cookies using 21/2-inch Hanukkah cookie cutters. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared sheet pans, spacing them 1 inch apart from one another. Reroll the scraps between the parchment and repeat, chilling again as needed if the dough becomes too soft.
5. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking time, for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool completely on the pans.
6. Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, half-and-half, vodka, almond extract, and salt until smooth. Drip a few drops of food coloring on top of the glaze, then swirl with the tip of a paring knife for a marbled effect. (For more distinct marbling for all the cookies, divide the glaze between two bowls before swirling in the food coloring.)
7. Dip the cooled cookies into the glaze, letting any excess drip off, then place on a wire rack to set for 15 minutes before serving (the vodka will evaporate, leaving a matte finish and no booze!). Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.