Even though Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, I have already received an especially apropos Hanukkah gift, a deep fryer. Hanukkah is an eight day festival that commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks
While most people associate Hanukkah with oil, as the small bit of oil found in the temple burned for eight nights, another food connected with the festival is cheese. As the story goes, Judith lived in Bethulia, which was under siege by the cruel Assyrian leader Holofernes. Judith’s community suffered greatly under Holofernes, and her people were on the brink of starvation. Judith took initiative and went to Holofernes, and as part of her seduction she fed him cheese. Of course the cheese made him thirsty, and Judith supplied Holofernes with a constant supply of wine until he fell asleep and passed out, at which point Judith chopped of his head with his sword! Eating cheese and drinking wine at Hanukkah recalls Judith’s strength and courage.
I have to admit that I love anything fried and with cheese. An easy recipe I developed for Hanukkah combines the two. An unusual twist on the classic Israeli sofganiyot (jelly doughnut), this one’s cheese filling recalls the story of Judith’s bravery as she fed rich cheeses to Holofernes. If you are in a real hurry, you can skip making the cheese mixture and just place a half inch cube of cheese in a biscuit and seal it, and then fry.
Cheese Sofganiyot
Ingredients:
1 (10 count) package of pre-made Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup mild cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons salt
24 ounces canola oil (for frying)
1. In small bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and parsley with spoon.
2. Separate biscuits and flatten so diameter is 2 inches. Place about a tablespoon of the cheese mixture on a biscuit. Place another biscuit over top and pinch together the biscuits so cheese is fully enclosed. When all five sofganiyot are ready, an adult should place the oil in saucepan and bring to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). While waiting for oil to reach temperature, line a baking sheet with paper towels.
3. When oil is ready, use slotted spoon to lower sofganiyot into oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until the dough is cooked through and golden brown on both sides.
4. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and place on baking sheet. While still hot, sprinkle sofganiyot with a bit of salt. (Thanks to the reader who spotted the recipe error, which is now fixed!)