If you’re not familiar with “teiglach” a Rosh Hashanah classic, then I’m happy to share with you this ridiculously delicious confection. “Teig” in Yiddish means dough, and “lach” at the end of the word normally signifies small. Hence teiglach, “little small dough balls,” soaked in sweet honey syrup, mixed with almonds and dried fruits piled in little or large mounds.
This is a fun project to do with kids, and don’t be limited in the ingredients you choose to add to these sweet treats. Get creative by adding sprinkles, toasted coconut flakes and even drizzle them with chocolate or caramel. Make this a new family tradition, to be shared year after year.
L’Shanah Tova U’Metukah, Have a good and sweet New Year!
TEIGLACH
Ingredients:
3 eggs
3 tablespoons. oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups dried fruit and almonds (I used coconut, dried cranberries, raisins, apricots and apples. If you do not eat nuts, substitute extra dried fruit and sunflower seeds.)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups wildflower honey (any honey will do)
Zest of orange (section 2 inches long, ½ inch wide)
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Do not skip the orange zest or ginger in this recipe. The syrup is tooth-tingling sweet, and the orange and ginger help cut through that, providing fresh undertones and making it more palatable.
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, oil and vanilla and beat with a fork or whisk until combined. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and baking powder.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until well combined.
4. Knead with your hands for a few minutes until dough is smooth and shiny. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Roll out small balls of dough into long ½-inch wide snakes and cut into 1/3-inch pieces Roll dough pieces briefly in your hands to make balls and place them on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. (You can either fry or bake the dough. To fry, drop the pieces into hot oil until they puff up and turn golden). Cool completely or freeze for later use.
6. Combine sugar, honey, orange zest, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and bring slowly to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the teiglach balls, almonds and dried fruits to the honey mixture and stir to coat well.
7. Let the mixture cool for 4–5 minutes, then gently spoon into cupcake wrappers or place in a pie plate or individual tart tins stacked to form a pyramid.
8. Sprinkle with coconut and drizzle with chocolate, if desired, and let cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Lucia Schnitzer and her husband, Ken, own Pomelo (a full-service restaurant), Luci’s at The Orchard and Splurge (a candy and ice cream shop), all at The Orchard Phx, 7100 N 12th Street, Phoenix. They also own Luci’s Healthy Marketplace, 1590 E Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, which they opened in 2009 in Lucia’s honor after her successful battle with breast cancer.
Photo by Matthew Strauss
