Teiglach is a traditional Jewish dessert typically eaten during the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the festival of the Jewish New Year. It consists of fried balls of dough that have been soaked in syrup and their sweetness is said to ensure a sweet New Year. Teiglach also are served on other celebratory occasions and are especially common at Jewish weddings.
The recipe for teiglach likely descends from a dessert popular in ancient Rome. The Romans would fry strips of dough and coat them in a thin, honeyed syrup. That dish was called vermiculos. There is written evidence of Franco-German Rabbis preparing a similar dish, which at the time they called verimlish. That dish was likely the direct ancestor of teiglach.
Recipe Servings: 12
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 eggs
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra to dust work surface
- Oil, as needed for frying
Syrup:
Directions
- Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk in the salt and baking powder until fully incorporated.
- Stir in the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Knead the dough for 3 minutes or until smooth.
- Roll the dough out until it is evenly ⅓-inch thick. Cut the dough in a grid creating 1-inch squares of dough. Roll each square into a ball.
- Heat an inch of oil to 375°F in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add the dough balls and fry until golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Make sure to keep the dough balls moving in the oil so they cook on all sides.
- Remove the dough balls from the oil and drain on a pad of paper towels.
- Grease a large serving bowl using nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the honey, sugar, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase the temperature to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the fried dough balls to the greased bowl. Cover in syrup and stir until evenly coated. Let cool.
- Sprinkle the teiglach with chopped walnuts, if using, and serve.
For Dough:
For Syrup:
Recipe introduction and directions © Copyright 2016-2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.