Fun Chanukkah Snacks

CHOCOLATE PRETZELS MAGEN DAVID

INGREDIENTS

• 6 salted pretzel sticks
• Melted dark chocolate to coat the pretzels
• optional: dye-free blue and white sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dip a pretzel stick in melted chocolate until fully coated. Place it on a parchment lined flat surface such as a baking sheet.  Make sure the baking sheet can fit in your refrigerator or freezer.
2. Repeat with five more pretzel sticks and as each is dipped in the chocolate place them in a Star of David shape (a triangle and then an upside down trianle on top).  Use a spoon to add more chocolate to the pretzels if exposed.  You can add additional chocolate to the spots where the pretzels overlap to act as extra “glue” to help them stay together well.
3. Sprinkle just the top side with blue and white sprinkles if desired.  You could also crush up freeze dried bananas and blueberries instead of sprinkles.
4. This makes one Star of David.  Repeat the recipe to make more stars.  Once finished, place the baking sheet in your refrigerator or freezer to allow the chocolate to set/harden.  Leave it in the refrigerator for an hour or the freezer for 20 minutes.  Remove each star from the parchment paper and place on a serving tray.  Enjoy at room temperature.

NOTES

To melt the chocolate you can use a double boiler or place the chocolate in a microwave safe container and microwave on high for 2 minutes.  Stir until smooth and creamy. 

Dreidel Snacks & Sandwiches

These Dreidel Shaped Snacks can really be made with anything…apples and dates, Larabars, and even sandwiches!

INGREDIENTS

• Pear or apple
• Larabar or any soft granola bar
• soft pitted Medjool dates
• pretzel sticks for the dreidel top
• melted vegan chocolate for Hebrew letters
• dreidel sandwiches: bread, raspberry chia jam, homemade creamy raw almond butter, blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use any of the above ingredients and cut them into the shape of a dreidel.
2. For the pears, slice them top down and they naturally make the shape of a dreidel. Save small slices of pear to make the dreidel’s top and Hebrew letters.
3. For the dates, squeeze the smaller side into a point and stick half a pretzel stick into the other side.
4. For the Larabars, cut each bar into two dreidel shapes. Then stick a small piece of a pretzel stick into the top of the Larabar dreidel. Use a chopstick to write the hebrew letters on the Larabar.  Dip the tip of the chopstick in melted chocolate and used it like a pen.
5. For the dreidel sandwiches, stack two pieces of bread and then cut them into dreidel shapes with a knife. Then add the almond butter and raspberry chia jam and make a sandwich.  On the top, arrange the blueberries in the Hebrew letters that appear on the dreidel.  Save the scrap pieces of bread and make mini sandwiches too.

Recipes by Eating by Elaine

Frankly Hanukkah Hot Dog Menorah

Ingredients:

• 2 packages Abeles & Heymann franks
• 1 package/roll of frozen puff pastry dough
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• Sesame seeds for topping
• Ketchup/spicy brown mustard for flames
• Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Directions:

Let the dough thaw slightly on the counter or in a microwave on its recommended setting, just enough to loosen the dough from the plastic backing. Cut eight franks in half as your candles. Use another five uncut franks for the base, shamash and “arms” of the menorah. (It’s highly recommended to prepare some extra, especially if there are hungry children nearby—or perhaps impatient cooks—who may want to eat the menorah before presentation time.) With a clean, non-serrated knife, slice thin strips (I went with ½-inch strips) of the dough. My roll of puff pastry was about 10 inches wide, and a ½-inch x 10-inch strip was enough to wind around one uncut frank. The shorter “candle” franks used a strip measuring about ½-inch x 5 inches.

Take your puff pastry strips and wind them at an angle around the franks, and set them down on the parchment paper so that the loose ends are underneath. This helps keep the dough in place while baking. Repeat this process until you have all eight “candles” made and all five “support” franks neatly wound in dough.

Assemble your menorah as shown in the photo, or in whatever Chanukah-style design you like best!

Brush your project with the slightly beaten egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds along the top (or a mixture of sesame, poppy or minced onion for an “everything bagel”-style topping).

Place in preheated 400° oven for about 15 minutes or until the puff pastry is dark golden brown.

Using ketchup or your favorite mustard, squeeze droplets onto the parchment paper where your flames should be. Using a toothpick, drag a bit of the ketchup or mustard into an upward-pointing flame shape.

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