Hanukkah Gelt Cookies

These Hanukkah Gelt Cookies are made with a simple sweet dough including irresistible cookie butter and stamped with a chocolate coin. The symbolic Menorah makes these cookies a wonderful treat for the Jewish holiday.

Prep Time15

Cook Time11

Chill2

Total Time2 26

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: Hanukkah desserts, Hanukkah gelt cookies, Jewish cookies

Servings: cookies

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar , divided
1/2 cup light brown sugar , packed
1 large egg
3/4 cup creamy Biscoff cookie butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
34 Hanukkah gelt chocolate coins , unwrapped

Instructions

Place the unwrapped chocolate coins on a plate and chill in the freezer until ready to use.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add in the egg and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the cookie butter and vanilla extract; mix until combined.
Add the dry mixture and blend until combined with no dry patches, scraping down the sides as needed.
Using a cookie scoop, add 1 tablespoon-sized dollops of the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheets close together, but not touching.
Cover the trays with plastic wrap and place the tray in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl.
Roll the dough between your hands to form 1-inch balls. Roll in the sugar and place them on parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-11 minutes until they puff up and just start to crack on the tops.
Remove from oven and immediately take a chilled chocolate coin and press it down in the center of each cookie until it sticks (with the menorah facing out so you can see it.)
Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack, let cool, and enjoy!

Notes

Use peanut butter instead. The Biscoff cookie butter can be replaced with commercial creamy peanut butter, if preferred, but note that it can change the consistency of the cookie a bit and they may or may not spread the same amount.

Where to buy Hanukkah gelt. If you're lucky enough, some stores will carry Hanukkah gelt in November and December, depending when the 8 days of Hanukkah fall during the month. They're usually sold in mesh pouches, which resemble money bags, or little boxes. If not, Amazon sells Hanukkah gelt online in different packaging, different sizes, and quantities. For these cookies, you'll need 34 small chocolate coins.

Chill the dough. After forming the dough balls, it’s important to chill them in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Chilled dough is easier to work with and helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.

Do not flatten the dough balls. When you scoop and roll the dough, do not flatten it on the baking sheet. These cookies will naturally spread themselves.

Work fast. Quickly press a chocolate coin into the center of each cookie right when they come out of the oven. You’ll want to do it before the cookies cool, or the coin won’t adhere properly.

Nutrition