Cooking with Judy: Baking some fun into Hanukkah celebrations

Just when we thought there was nothing new under the sun, enter the piñata cake.

You dig a hole in the cake, fill the inside with your favorite sweets, close the hole back up, and when you slice into it, the sweets come cascading out.

Surprise!

Melissa Goldman, a lifetime member of Fullerton’s Temple Beth Tikvah who grew up in Brea, wants to turn this candy waterfall on its ear for Hanukkah, which begins Sunday, Nov. 28. She’ll stuff a challah, the braided Jewish egg braid, the same way. But instead of braiding the challah, she’ll shape it into a dreidel, the ubiquitous Hanukkah spinning toy.

“After the challah is baked and cooled, you cut out a hole in the end, and gently pull out some of the inside and make a tunnel, pour the candy in, and put the plug back in, and no one will know. It works really great if you can use a stem. For Halloween I made a pumpkin challah and used a cinnamon stick as the stem. A dreidel has a stem too, so in this case the stem should stick back in easily.”

Goldman, a full-time licensed clinical social worker and grief counselor and mother of two, ages 6 and 4, started experimenting with challahs during the pandemic.

“Making bread scared me,” she admitted, “but we were home doing nothing, so I made pita one day and then got hooked making challah, taking classes online. I follow Mandylicious and the Challah Prince.”

After tweaking various online recipes, Goldman settled on one that’s quick and easy.

“It makes a medium-size loaf and is a great recipe for beginners or working moms,” she said. “I don’t have a lot of time, and I’m done in 90 minutes. The instant yeast makes a difference, because you don’t have to proof it. I swear by using a scale and measuring out the strands. My newest trick is if I’m making a braided challah, I’ll coat one of the strands all over with sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning and then braid it. When you pull it apart, the seeds are in the inside also.”

Goldman has fond memories growing up celebrating holidays with her family.

“I was usually the only Jew in my class,” she recalled, “and my dad would come to school and explain what Hanukkah was to the class, and I would be so proud.”

Most Jewish children are excited to receive a present each of the eight nights of the holiday.

“My husband and I are getting away from big gifts every night. My parents go to Big Lots and buy toys for Toys For Tots and take them to the fire station. This year my kids are going with them. We’re going to give them fun adventures; it’s not all about gifts,” she said.

“With our big family they end of getting plenty of gifts – they’re blessed that way – but I bought these Hanukkah banners with pouches in them, and we’ll put a little something in for each night, like a Chapstick or a dollar or a Hanukkah sweet treat or something each night,” she said. “We found Golden Dreidel in Tustin has the best selection of everything for Hanukkah.”

Fullerton’s Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook.” Her website is cookingjewish.com.

MELISSA GOLDMAN’S FAST AND EASY CHALLAH

“I like to knead the last five minutes by hand. I find it very meditative,” Goldman noted.

Ingredients:

• 3 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 1 yolk
• Egg wash

Method:

1. Put all ingredients except egg wash in mixer bowl. Mix with dough hook on medium speed 10 minutes or until dough is uniformly mixed, slightly tacky and smooth. If dough is too loose, add a little flour. If too stiff, add a little water.

2. Oil a large bowl all over, place dough in it and cover with a tea towel. Put in warm place to rise 30 minutes.

3. Shape dough in shape of your choice. For traditional challah, divide into 3 strands and braid. Brush with egg wash and let rise 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Bake about 30 minutes or until dough reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees.