The Art of Jewish Cooking (15 page)

Beat the egg yolks, salt and sugar together. Stir in the cottage cheese and flour and fold in the egg whites.

Heat enough butter to cover the bottom of a skillet about ¼ inch. Drop the batter into it by the tablespoon. Fry until browned on both sides. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream and jelly. Serves 4.

Beat the eggs and add the potatoes, onion, salt, pepper and meal.

Heat half the fat or butter in a frying pan and drop the potato mixture into it by the tablespoon. Fry until browned on both sides. Keep pancakes hot until all are fried and add more fat or butter as required. Serves 8.

Combine the yeast, sugar and water. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir in 1 cup stock or milk and 1 cup buckwheat flour. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it bubbles and is double in bulk.

Beat the eggs and salt until thick. Stir in the melted fat or butter, remaining stock or milk, remaining flour and the yeast mixture.

Heat some fat or butter in a skillet and drop the batter into it by the tablespoon. Fry until lightly browned on both sides.

Serve with gravy or with melted butter and sour cream. Serves 6.

Soak the matzos in cold water until soft. Drain well and crush into a paste.

Beat the eggs and salt together. Stir in the butter or fat, the soaked matzo and matzo meal. Drop by the tablespoon into hot butter or fat and fry until browned on both sides. Serve with sour cream or stewed fruit, if prepared with butter. Serve with meat dishes if prepared with fat. Serves 2–4.

Beat together the egg yolks, salt and water. Stir in the matzo meal and fold in the egg whites.

Heat the fat to 375° and drop the batter into it by the tablespoon. Fry until browned on both sides. Drain. Serve with meat dishes or sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Serves 2–4.

Beat the egg yolks, then stir in the potatoes, onion, flour, salt, baking powder and melted butter or fat. Fold in the egg whites. This quantity makes 12 2-inch muffins.

Grease muffin tin and fill ⅔ full with the mixture. Bake in a 400° oven 25 minutes or until browned. Serve hot.

Combine the yeast, sugar and ¼ cup lukewarm water. Let stand 5 minutes.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and drop the eggs, oil, remaining water and the yeast mixture into it. Work into the flour. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl and brush the top with a little oil. Cover with a towel, set in a warm place and let rise 1 hour. Punch down, cover again and let rise until double in bulk. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Between lightly floured hands roll the dough into three strips of even length. Braid them together and place in a baking pan. Cover with a towel and let rise until double in bulk. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with the poppy seeds.

Bake in a 375° oven 50 minutes or until browned.

Makes 1 very large challah. If you wish, divide the dough in six parts and make two large loaves, or make one loaf and many small rolls. You may also bake the bread in a loaf pan.

Note:
⅛ teaspoon saffron can be dissolved in the water if you like additional flavor and color.

Beat the eggs, salt and onion together. Hold the matzos under running water, drain. Then crumble them into the eggs. Mix well.

Heat the butter or fat in a 9-inch skillet and turn the matzo mixture into it. Fry until lightly browned on both sides. Serves 1 or 2.

Hold the matzos under cold running water until softened. Place in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs and salt together and pour over the matzos. Let soak 10 minutes, then fry in the butter or fat until browned on both sides. Serves 2–4.

Beat together the eggs and salt. Stir in the broth (or milk) alternately with the matzo meal and cake meal. Add the melted fat or butter. Fill 12 greased muffin cups ⅔ full.

Bake in a 350° oven 30 minutes or until browned.

Mash the potatoes and beat in the egg yolks, salt, pepper and potato starch. Fold in the egg whites.

Melt the butter or fat in a skillet and drop the potato mixture into it by the tablespoon. Fry until browned on both sides. Serve with sour cream or applesauce. Serves 6.

Soften the yeast in the water. Scald the milk and stir in the butter, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the yeast, eggs and flour. Knead until a smooth dough is formed. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in bulk.

Divide dough in thirds and roll each piece into a 10-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedge-shaped pieces. Roll up each piece from the wide end to the point. Place on a greased baking pan and pull ends inward to make a crescent. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Brush with melted butter.

Bake in a 400° oven 15 minutes or until browned. Makes about 36.

Beat together the eggs, salt, cream and sugar. Dip the bread in the mixture.

Fry in the butter until browned on both sides. Serve with jelly, syrup or cinnamon-sugar. Serves 2.

The fragrance of the kitchen before a Jewish holiday is one of the pleasantest memories of childhood. A holiday without cakes and cookies would have been unthinkable. Strudels and honey cake were the overwhelming favorites, but every family had their own special favorites. In point of fact, Jewish cuisine does not place undue emphasis upon sweet desserts, and many meals ended with simple preparations such as fruit compote or plain sponge cake. Rich concoctions involving cream and butter,
of course, could not be served after a meat meal and this explains their general absence from Jewish cuisine.

When servings are not specified in this chapter, your family’s appetites will determine the number of helpings.

Sprinkle the apple slices with 4 tablespoons of the sugar and the brandy. Set aside.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Beat the egg, milk and melted butter together and add to the flour mixture gradually, beating until smooth.

Heat a little butter in a large skillet. The next operation must be done quickly. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the batter into the pan, place an apple slice over it and cover with more batter. Repeat until all the batter and apple slices are used up. Brown on both sides. Makes 12.

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and 3 tablespoons sugar into a bowl. Work in half of the butter. Beat the egg and milk together and add, mixing until a dough is formed. Pat onto a buttered 12 × 8-inch baking pan. Arrange the apples in rows. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and remaining sugar. Melt the remaining butter and pour over the top.

Bake in a 400° oven 35 minutes or until apples are tender. Brush with melted jelly if you want to. Cut into squares.

Cream the shortening and beat in the sugar. Add one yolk at a time, beating after each addition. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and add to batter, alternating with the milk. Beat in the vanilla.

Grease a 10-inch loaf pan and dust it lightly with flour. Pour the batter into it.

Bake in a 350° oven 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Beat the egg yolks; gradually add the sugar, beating until thick and light in color. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into egg-yolk mixture and fold in. Stir in the vanilla and fold in the egg whites. Turn into 2 8-inch layer-cake pans that have been greased and dusted with flour.

Bake in a 350° oven 20 minutes, or until browned and free from sides of pan. Cool on a cake rack.

Spread whipped cream or cooked fruit or icing or any filling of your choice between the layers of cake.

Beat the egg yolks; gradually add the sugar, beating until thick and light in color. Stir in the lemon juice and rind.