Egg Kichel - Two Recipes
Egg Kichel are pareve sugar cookies made with eggs, oil and flour. The first recipe below yields a sweeter cookie that is prepared by rolling out the dough and cutting it into circles or squares prior to baking. These kichel bake up to a golden brown color, sweet and crispy, somewhat flatter than the second recipe. I came across the first recipe below at recipelink.com credited to the respected baker Marcy Goldman from her wonderful cookbook 'A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking'. Serve cookies from either recipe plain or sprinkle cooled cookies with thin layer of sifted confectioner's sugar and surround with fresh berries on a pretty plate.
The second kichel recipe is more traditional - puffier cookies made with a higher concentration of eggs - very light and not quite as sweet. This recipe comes from the Jewish cookbook 'Second Helpings Please!', Jewish Women International of Canada (Mt. Sinai Chapter).
Sweet Kichel (Marcy Goldman recipe):
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Optional: I like to add a dash of cinnamon to the batter
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs, oil and sugar until light and voluminous - about five minutes. Fold in flour, salt and baking powder.
Adding as little flour as possible, roll dough to a thickness of between 1/8 and 1/4 inch. Cut into circles, diamonds or squares. If desired, sprinkle sugar and/or sugar-cinnamon mix on top of each kichel before baking.
Transfer kichel to prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly browned - this will take anywhere from 18-25 minutes, depending on your oven. Check for doneness after 18-20 minutes. Do not overbake - kichel will firm up once cooled.
These kichel are really delicious and light enough to serve after a heavy meal. They stay fresh if stored in an airtight container lined with waxed paper or tin foil.
Traditional Egg Kichel:
Basic
recipe that yields traditional egg kichel, round pieces that are puffy and
light with hollow interior - can be topped with sugar if desired.
3 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 tbsp. sugar
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients, until very smooth. Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet about 3" apart. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes using middle rack of oven - line cookie sheet with parchment paper for best results.
Yield: 24-30 kichel
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