Recipe: Recipes for Jewish Cookies - Spicy Star Cookies, Hanukkah Honey and Spice Cookies, and Mandelbrot for Bella

Zimsterne (Spicy Star Cookies)

1/4 cup Margarine
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
3 cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Juice

Cream the margarine, honey, sugar and eggs together in a bowl until smooth and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide the dough into thirds. Flatten each one into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight until firm.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut out the dough with a star cookie cutter and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in a 375 F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Note: These Zimsterne have approximately three quarters teaspoon of sugar per serving.

Makes 60

Hanukkah Honey and Spice Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For royal icing:
2 egg whites
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large mixer bowl, cream margarine and brown sugar; beat in honey and egg until well combined.

In a small bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to honey mixture. Beat on low speed until well blended. Cover dough. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.

Grease cookie sheets; set aside.

Working quickly with one-fourth of the dough at a time, roll out on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, including a dreidel, menorah or star. Using a spatula, place on prepared cookie sheets l inch apart. Reroll and cut scraps.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 7 minutes, or until done. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare royal icing: In a large mixer bowl, combine egg whites, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and salt. Beat on high speed until mixture holds soft peaks. Makes about 2 cups.

Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing around edges, using a pastry bag fitted with tube.

Yield: About 4 dozen.

Mandelbrot
Source: Edna Weisberger
"My son's favorite cookie in the world. He has me bake a massive batch of these cookies for him once a year so he can wrap them in foil and freeze them so he can eat them year round! In place of chocolate syrup you can fold in chocolate chips, nuts or other goodies to suit your taste." Original recipe yield: 3 -12 inch loaves.

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest (optional)
3/4 cup chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into an electric mixer's mixing bowl and mix well; blend eggs and 1/2 cup oil into mixture. Pour orange juice and orange zest into mixture; mix well. When the mixture becomes very thick take the mixing bowl out of the mixer and continue stirring with a wooden spoon (at this point the mixture is so thick that it could damage an electric mixer).

Separate dough into thirds. Roll (or spread with your hands) each chunk of dough into a rectangular shape. Sprinkle the chocolate syrup onto the center of each rectangle. Fold the sides of each rectangle into the center to form a loaf shape. Work with the loaf until there is no longer a crease that could break open while baking. Each roll will be approximately 12 inches long. Brush the outside of each roll lightly with oil. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of the rolls.

Bake on a nonstick cookie pan for 20 minutes. This is a firm, cake-like cookie. If you would rather a crispier cookie toast the cookie another 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cooled cut the loaves to form semi-circle shaped cookies.