Traditional Chanukah Recipes

Next to Thanksgiving, Chanukah is my second-favorite holiday. It’s a festive holiday that’s all about fun. It’s also a holiday that’s rich with tradition. In a lot of families, you can’t discuss tradition without mentioning food.

When I was a child, every year my mom made potato latkes for Chanukah. Now that I’m a mom, it’s something that’s very important for me to do for my own children. Every year, I break out the potatoes, onions and oil and fry a big platter of potato latkes. I have tried many recipes, but the one I keep coming back to is from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen and it’s the Perfect Potato Pancakes.

As a special treat, I also make homemade Chunky Applesauce. When you see how easy it is, you may never buy jarred applesauce again! Although I could make a meal out of just the latkes and applesauce, I feel it’s necessary to make a main dish for my family. Sometimes it’s roasted chicken, but this year it will be brisket. Once again, I turn to the Mr. Food Test Kitchen and will make The Best Brisket Ever.

Now jelly donuts are a tradition for Chanukah, but I also love this recipe for Hanukkah Butter Cookies. It’s a simple traditional butter cookie recipe that I like to decorate with frosting in a pretty shade of blue (just doctor up the store-bought stuff with some food coloring). The kids especially love helping out with this part.

As a mom, I believe it’s my responsibility to teach my children about tradition and the importance of handing them down from generation to generation. So whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year, I wish you and your family happiness and peaceful New Year.

I would love to hear what traditions you have in your home, so please let me know!