TBT From Bubbe’s Kitchen — Honey Balls and Ginger Candy
Teyglach is a treat traditionally found on the holiday tables of Lithuanian Jews. Image by Flickr
Teiglach (Honey Balls)
4 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cup flour plus a bit more as needed
2 cups sugar
1½ cups honey
½ cup sugar
½ cup toasted walnuts
1) Beat the eggs with the sugar and oil. Sift the flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix the flour into the eggs and knead to make a soft dough. Do not add to much flour. The dough should be quite sticky.
2) Allow the dough to rest, refrigerated, for several hours or overnight. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into four parts. Roll each into a rope and cut each rope into small pieces. Allow the dough-balls to dry out for about one hour.
3) Bring the sugar and honey to a boil in a large pot. Add the dough balls and cover. Cook over low heat for about ten minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and cook until golden on both sides.
4) Grind the sugar and walnuts together to make walnut sugar. Sprinkle half the walnut sugar on a large platter. When the teygelekh are done, pour 3/4 cup hot water into pot. With a slotted spoon, remove the golden teygelekh, and lay them on the sugared platter. Sprinkle the remaining walnut sugar on top.
Ingberlach (Ginger Candy)
Remaining syrup from cooking the teygelekh
4 cups assorted dried fruits (apricots, prunes, raisins, dates, figs) and nuts
1/3 or ½ cup fresh grated ginger
1) Cut up the dried fruits. Add chopped nuts to make four cups. Add the nuts and fruits to the remaining syrup along with the grated ginger, and cook on the lowest heat, stirring constantly, until it is quite thick. Pour onto a moistened board and allow to cool.
2) When the candy is cool enough to handle, form it into small balls.
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Rukhl Schaechter is the editor of the Yiddish Forward (Forverts). She and Eve Jochnowitz host the Forward’s Yiddish cooking series Eat in Good Health.
