Kichel (Jewish Bow Tie Cookies)
This traditional Jewish cookie was a staple at Jewish bakeries. This easy to make recipe will take you back to your childhood.
Ingredients
Kichel Dough
- 190 grams all purpose flour (1½ cups plus 1 Tablespoon)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 76 grams vegetable oil (⅓ cup plus 1 Tablespoon)
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
Sugar Coating
- 150 grams sugar, divided (¾ cup)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In mixer with paddle attachment, combine eggs, egg yolk, oil and vanilla. Mix on low speed until fully combined, 30-60 seconds. With mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients in three stages until fully combined. You may have to stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. Continue beating for 15-20 minutes to develop the gluten, stopping every 5 minutes or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The dough will be very sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Liberally spread approximately ¼ cup sugar on parchment paper set on countertop. (You can do this directly on the countertop, but it makes for a much easier cleanup to do it on parchment paper.) Use a rubber spatula or bowl scraper to scoop the sticky dough onto the top of the sugar. Liberally spread an additional ¼ cup of sugar on top of the mound of dough. Roll dough to approximately ¼ inch thick, using a bench scraper to guide the dough to create and maintain a rectangle, approximately 7 inches by 12 inches. Continue to coat the dough using as much of the remaining sugar as necessary (top and bottom) while rolling out the dough.
- With a pizza cutter or a knife, cut rectangles, 1 inch by 2 inches. (Make 1 inch cuts along the side of the dough that is 7 inches, and make 2 inch cuts along the side of the dough that is 12 inches.) Twist each rectangle in the middle. Place on prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart from each other. Bake 25-30 minutes until the edges and bottoms are deep golden brown. Allow to cool completely, leaving them out at room temperature for several hours.
Notes
- For puffier Kichel, bake on the bottom third of the oven.
- Kichel will stay fresh for at least several days stored in an airtight container. They also freeze very well.
Nutrition
Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
