Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration, also known as the Festival of Lights. One of the most significant periods in the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah is a time full of friends, family and of course, food. You don’t have to be a culinary genius to prepare traditional holiday fare; we’ve come up with three of the easiest recipes for traditional Hanukkah treats.

Potato Latkes
No Hannukah celebration is complete without these hot potato pancakes. This recipe results in delicious and traditional potato latkes. Bonus, it’s super simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup peanut oil

Begin by straining as much moisture from potatoes as possible; cheesecloth is perhaps the most effective method of removing moisture. Once potatoes are strained, place in a medium bowl and add onion, eggs, flour and salt. Mix well. Heat the peanut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture into hot oil and press down to create pancakes that are ½ to ¼ inch thick. Brown on one side then flip and brown on the other. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

Sufganiyot
Donuts are a traditional treat for Hanukkah and this recipe is for classic Jewish sufganiyot (donuts without holes). The best part is that these donuts are much easier to make than others, so you don’t have to be a wiz in the kitchen to whip these up.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups self-rising flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 containers yogurt (8oz each) – plain or vanilla work best
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 quarts vegetable oil
  Powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, flour, sugar, yogurt, vanilla sugar and salt. Mix well then set aside for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, form dough into balls that are 1 ½ inches in diameter. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot (or deep fryer) over high heat until a temperature of 365 degrees is reached. Deep fry the dough using either a basket or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Roll the sufganiyot in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar for added sweetness.

Easy Wine-Braised Beef Brisket
Beef brisket is another food enjoyed during Hanukkah and this recipe is not only incredibly tender and tasty, it is also easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 beef brisket (3lb)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1 can beef broth (14.5oz)
• 1 can unsalted tomato sauce (8oz)
• ½ cup red wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix thyme, salt and pepper in small bowl and rub both sides of brisket with the seasoning. In a roasting pan, heat oil over medium-high heat, place brisket in pan and brown three to four minutes per side. Remove brisket from pan and set aside. Add onions to the hot roasting pan and cook until onion is semi-soft, about two minutes. Add beef broth, tomato sauce and red wine and stir well. Place brisket back into the roasting pan then cover with aluminum foil. Place in the preheated oven and bake for one hour. After one hour, remove the foil and braise brisket with juice from the roasting pan. Put aluminum foil back over the brisket and place back into the oven. Continue to bake until pan juices have thickened and beef is tender, anywhere from one to two more hours.

Gather friends and family and show off your cooking skills when you prepare these easy Hanukkah recipes. Don’t forget the applesauce and sour cream for the latkes and you can make the sufganiyot more delectable by filling with jam. Enjoy Hanukkah and celebrate the successful rebellion of the Maccabees with amazing food, wonderful friends and loving family.