Teiglach, One Way

Teiglach (pronounced tayg'-lach), one of my favorite comfort foods from childhood, is a traditional Jewish sweet. Its description in many recipes online ("knotted balls of dough boiled in a honey syrup") doesn't do it justice: It is simply delicious. We used to get it at the bakery once a year at Rosh Hashana, but after moving west, it was hard to come by.*

A few years ago, I began experimenting with different recipes before coming up with the teiglach in my memory.


Dough:
3 large eggs, lightly beaten (or 2 large eggs & 2 T vegetable oil)
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, preferable unbleached

Syrup:
1 cup honey
½ cup sugar
½ to 1 tsp ground ginger

Optional: 1 cup coarsely chopped (almost whole) hazelnuts, walnuts, blanched almonds or cashews; ⅓ to ½ cup minced candied fruit (maraschino cherries)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease a large baking sheet. Oil a large plate or second baking sheet.

To make the dough:
Combine the eggs, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft, workable dough. Place on a lightly floured surface and, using floured hands, knead until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

Roll the dough into ⅓-inch-thick ropes. Cut into ⅓-inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball. (It is okay that the dough pieces are not smooth, as this will allow the honey to seep inside.)

Arrange the dough pieces in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, shaking the pan occasionally, until very lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

To make the syrup:
Stir the honey, sugar, and ginger in a large saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the dough pieces and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes. Add the nuts and fruit, if desired, and cook until the syrup is a deep brown and the dough pieces sound hollow when tapped, about 10 additional minutes.

Pour the teiglach onto the oiled plate or baking sheet and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Using wet hands, shape into 2- to 3-inch mounds or shape into 1 large mound and cut into pieces Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.


*Update: You can get teiglach and other authentic Jewish sweets through mail order from the Delancey Dessert Company in New York.