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Teiglach
Teiglach (טייגלעך): little dough knots boiled in spiced honey with walnuts
Teiglach were a Lithuanian-Jewish festive sweet that travelled to Israel, and a few bakeries in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak still pile them into glistening pyramids before Rosh Hashanah. Small knots of egg dough are dropped into boiling honey with ginger and cooked until they swell, harden and turn deep golden, then tossed with walnuts and sometimes candied cherries. The result is crunchy-chewy and very sweet, eaten in small pieces with tea. The usual mistake is lifting the lid during the first 10 minutes, which lets the honey cool so the knots stay doughy. Chef's tip: shake the covered pot instead of stirring, so the knots move without collapsing.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 9 oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
For the honey syrup
- 12 ½ oz honey
- 3 ½ oz granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 ½ oz walnut halvesroughly chopped
- ¼ cup boiling water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Beat 3 eggs and 2 tbsp sunflower oil, then mix in 9 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt to a soft, smooth dough. Rest it, covered, for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Roll pieces into ropes 1 cm thick, cut into 10 cm lengths and tie each in a loose knot. Lay them on a floured tray.
Step 3: Bring 12 ½ oz honey, 3 ½ oz granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground ginger to the boil in a wide, deep pan over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 4: Drop in the knots one by one, cover and cook on a low simmer for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
10 minStep 5: Uncover and shake the pan. Simmer for another 20 minutes, turning them gently, until the knots are deep golden, puffed and sound hollow when tapped.
20 minStep 6: Stir in 3 ½ oz walnut halves, take off the heat and pour in ¼ cup boiling water carefully at arm's length, it will splutter; this stops the honey setting too hard.
2 minStep 7: Lift the teiglach onto an oiled tray with a slotted spoon, shape into a mound with wet hands once cool enough to touch, and drizzle over the remaining syrup. Keep airtight for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does teiglach take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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