Holiday season is often a time to indulge in delicious foods and treats before that new year diet kicks in.
And Hanukkah is known for a number of classic dishes, including brisket, latkes and more.
As local foodie Amanda Shulman of Stay Hungree says, "Hanukkah is an 8 day excuse to go on a fried food craze."
The eight-day celebration began Sunday and runs through Monday.
Ring in the Festival of Lights with these four recipes from local foodies.
Brisket
Brisket (kirkle/iStock.com)
Cookbook author Jamie Geller shares a recipe for the Hanukkah must-have brisket on the Chabad Lubavitch of Atlantic County's website.
Chabad at the Shore is one of more than 2,500 branches of today's largest international organization involved with Jewish education and outreach programs.
Read the full recipe here.
Sufganiyot
Sufganiyot (Gomberg/iStock.com)
"Sufganiyot – jelly doughnuts – are synonymous with Chanukah," Miriam Szokovski writes with her recipe on the Chabad Lubavitch of Atlantic County's website. "Try filling them with this easy, homemade cranberry jam for a seasonal twist."
Szokovski provides a step-by-step process for making the traditional jelly-filled treats.
Read the full recipe here.
Rugelach
Rugelach (studiodr/iStock.com)
"If Rugalech Cookies were humans, they are the type of people I’d like to be friends with," Stay Hungree's Shulman writes on her blog. "They’re flexible and doughy, not overly flakey, have layer upon layer of a pure sweet interior, and are always there when you need a pick me up."
Shulman's recipe for the traditional Jewish pastry utilizes a simple dough and adds a creamy tart kick with the addition of cream cheese.
Read the full recipe here.
Latkes
Latkes (zia_shusha/iStock.com)
"You cannot have a Hannukah celebration without latkes," Shulman says on her blog. "You just can’t, its against the law. The thing about latkes is that many forget the wonders and magic that can be created within the little fritters."
On her blog Stay Hungree, Shulman shares a recipe for latkes that blends potato and parsnip into a cake and tops it with a horseradish cream.
Read the full recipe here.
Do you have a favorite Hanukkah recipe? Tell us in the comments.