Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies

Happy Chanukah! We’re in the first of eight days (and nights) of celebration, presents, and food.

Note for the SEO gods: I mean the holiday with a transliterated name that has at least 13 spellings in English, including Chanuka; Chanukah; Channukkah; Channukah; Hanukah; Hannukah; Hanukkah; Hanuka; Hanukka; Hanaka; Haneka; Hanika; and even Khanukkah.

Chanukah is a minor Jewish holiday. Its proximity to Christmas, though, makes it a “must celebrate” tradition for Jewish families living in cultures where Christmas is all around at this time of year. And I do love Chanukah, no matter how religiously insignificant it is.

The holiday celebrates the Maccabees, a band of feisty Jews in ancient times. It commemorates their military victory over oppressors who had mistreated them and defiled their temple. Chanukah also celebrates a miracle that supposedly happened after that victory. When the Maccabees went back into the temple they relit the extinguished eternal light. However they only had one day’s worth of oil. Miraculously, their one-day supply lasted for eight days. Today we celebrate by lighting a menorah or eight-branched candlestick and reciting blessings for eight nights.  

As with every Jewish holiday, food is at the center. The traditional ingredient symbolizing Chanukah is oil, in recognition of the oil used to light the eternal light. While latkes, doughnuts, and other deep-fried foods are the ones most commonly associated with the holiday, these Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies do the job without all the mess.

When I originally posted it, this recipe was part of a food blogging event called (ironically in my case) “Christmas Week.” I celebrated the holiday season with four sweet recipes this week, including another Chanukah cookie – with Gelt! Details about Christmas Week, including the giveaway, follow the recipe for Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies.

These cookies are non-dairy or pareve and not too sweet. My friend Bob had what he called a “moment of hesitation” when I offered him one. He said, “It looked like too much of a health food cookie.” Then he tasted it. As he finished the cookie, Bob announced that its looks were deceiving.

I had to laugh. I’d never thought of these Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies as health food. Far from it. To me, they are reminiscent of biscotti, except in a different shape.

These cookies, studded with pistachios and chocolate, are simple to make. After mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquids in another, you combine them, create a log, chill it and cut the cookies. The optional step of rolling the log in more pistachios and chocolate is either gilding the lily or a perfect final step, depending on your perspective. I always opt for more. Enough said.

In any event, they are scrumptious and a perfect cookie for dunking in coffee, tea or hot chocolate. 

Print Recipe

Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies Yum

A slice-and-bake cookie filled with pistachios and bittersweet chocolate.

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted pistachio meats (5 ounces)
• 1 + 2 tablespoons cup all purpose flour (5 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (1 ounce)
• 2 pinches kosher or fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil + a bit extra for brushing on before the optional coating
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 each cup roasted pistachios and semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate finely chopped or mini chips Optional outside coating for the cookie roll

Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Servings Ingredients 1 cup roasted pistachio meats (5 ounces) 1 + 2 tablespoons cup all purpose flour (5 ounces) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (1 ounce) 2 pinches kosher or fine sea salt 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil + a bit extra for brushing on before the optional coating 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 each cup roasted pistachios and semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate finely chopped or mini chips Optional outside coating for the cookie roll

Instructions

1. Grind the pistachios in a food processor to a medium-fine, pebbly consistency. Combine the ground pistachio meats, flour, baking powder, chopped chocolate and salt in a small bowl and mix them thoroughly with a large fork.
2. In a larger bowl, combine the olive oil, egg, vanilla and sugar. Mix them to combine.

   
3. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ones, and mix with a large fork until well combined. The mixture will be like pebbly sand.

   
4. Press it into a lump and put it on a piece of parchment paper. Using the parchment to help roll the dough, make it into a log 12 inches long.

   
5. If using the optional outside coating, brush the extra oil over the log and roll it in the pistachio and chocolate mixture. Press that mixture into the roll slightly, to hold it in place, and roll the parchment paper over the log. Don't be afraid to use your hand to roll the log or to press in the coating, which doesn't stick unless you apply pressure by rolling it.

   
6. Chill the log in the freezer for about one hour. It should be firm to the touch, and well chilled.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
8. With a sharp knife, cut the chilled log into 1/2 inch thick pieces (24 total) and lay them out on 2 rimmed cookie sheets lined with parchment or silicone. It's easiest if you cut the log in half, then cut each half into half again, followed by cutting each of those quarters into thirds. The cookies will not be perfectly shaped, but you can press them back into roundish shapes if they get too odd-looking after you slice them.
9. Bake the cookies for about 13-15 minutes, rotating the pans from front-to-back and switching their places on the oven racks about halfway through to promote even baking. As they bake, the cookies will rise slightly, but if they were well chilled, they should not spread out much.
10. Remove the cookies to wire racks and cool them thoroughly before serving.

    

Recipe Notes

The best olive oil to use for these cookies is one that is on the sweet, rather than peppery, side. Sometimes the label will describe the oil's features (similar to the label on some wine bottles.) Otherwise smell and taste it.
I use Trader Joe's dry roasted and unsalted pistachios. For an even more roasted flavor, I roast them for an additional 5 minutes at 325 degrees F. before chopping them in the food processor. That step is totally optional. It just deepens and enhances the roasted flavor.
Prep time does not include freezing the cookie mixture.
Finely chopped chocolate works much better than mini chips for the coating because the chips make it somewhat difficult to cut the log into slices.
I use a ruler to make sure the log is about 12 inches long, but you can estimate if you prefer. The exact length is not crucial, as long as the slices once cut are each about 1/2 inch thick.

Share this Recipe

Participants for Christmas Week:

Cravings of a Lunatic

Desserts Required

Poet in the Pantry

The Redhead Baker

Pineapple and Coconut

All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Cooking on the Front Burner

The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Crumb: A Food Blog

The Bitter Side of Sweet

Amee’s Savory Dish

Comfortably Domestic

Food Done Light

Farm Fresh Feasts

Flour On My Face

Mother Would Know

Food Lust People Love

My Catholic Kitchen

Daily Appetite

Try Anything Once Culinary

That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Savory Experiments

Cooking In Stilettos

Food Babbles

Mind Over Batter

Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Big Bear’s Wife

Everyday Southwest

From Gate to Plate

Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Savoring Italy

Dixie Chik Cooks

The Tomato Tart

Aloha Flavor

CopyKat Recipes

Recipes from Day 1 of Christmas Week! Please visit all our talented participants:

Pistachio Brittle from Cravings of a Lunatic

Coconut Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake from Desserts Required

Peppermint Bark from Poet in the Pantry

Eggnog Pound Cake from The Redhead Baker

Quince, Cranberry and Persimmon Crisps from Pineapple and Coconut

Chocolate Fruit ‘n Nut Bites from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Fancy Chocolate Covered Marshallows from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake from Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Marzipan Fruits from The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Eggnog Truffles from Crumb: A Food Blog

Peppermint Fudge from The Bitter Side of Sweet

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Amee’s Savory Dish

Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Glaze from Comfortably Domestic

Christmas Sweets and Treats from Food Done Light

Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix from Farm Fresh Feasts

Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies from Mother Would Know

Coconut Pralines from Food Lust People Love

Blueberry Overnight Sweet Rolls from My Catholic Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies from Daily Appetite

Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps from Try Anything Once Culinary

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Dark Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Cups from Savory Experiments

Bourbon Soaked Eggnog Cake from Cooking In Stilettos

Ginger Snap Cocktail from Food Babbles

Coquito Cinnamon Roll Bundt from Mind Over Batter

No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Big Bear’s Wife

Easy Cream Cheese Cookies from Everyday Southwest

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from From Gate to Plate

Molasses Ginger Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Apricot Spice Biscotti from Savoring Italy 

Christmas Week Amazon Gift Card Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada. Giveaway will run from December 7, 2015 to December 26, 2015. Winners must be 18 years of age. Winners will be notified by email. Winners will be asked a skill testing question.

a Rafflecopter giveaway