Jeremy and I might write a new song, sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas: "On the first night of Chanukkah my bubbe made for me, latkes served with sour cream. On the second night of Chanukkah my bubbe made for me, an olive oil cake and latkes served with sour cream." You get the idea, even though I'm not actually singing for you (since I didn't inherit my late grandmother's vocal abilities, which she at least passed on to Jeremy!).

Chanukkah -- beginning tonight at sundown and lasting for 8 days -- is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar which, in recent years, has unfortunately sometimes tried to compete with the materialistic behemoth that Christmas has become. But its beauty is actually in the inherent simplicity of its primary tradition -- bringing light into the world each evening to celebrate a miracle.

Chanukkah honors the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by the armies of Antiochus IV. Oil was needed to keep the Eternal Flame burning, but only one day's worth of consecrated oil was available … yet the oil burned for 8 days. And so, on each night of Chanukkah a menorah -- a special candelabra that holds 9 candles: one for each night of the holiday, plus one extra to use in lighting the others -- is lit as special blessings are recited. And foods made with or, particularly, cooked in oil are eaten in keeping with the festivities.

Because I’m going to a cookie exchange tonight, I thought I would make my Sour Cream Cut-Out Cookies in the shapes of stars of David and dreidels (a small top-like toy used in a game of chance, imprinted with Hebrew letters representing the phrase “Nes Gadol Haya Sham” -- “a great miracle occurred there”). This is not only a delicious recipe that makes a dough which is really easy to work with, but it also honors the little-known tradition of eating dairy foods at Chanukkah. (It's not just a free-for-all of fried foods!) The story is told that Judith fed the captain of Antiochus' army dairy products, to make him thirsty and encourage him to drink himself into a stupor. Once he fell asleep (or, rather, passed out), she cut off his head; the leaderless army then retreated. Thankfully, the only thing you'll need to serve with these cookies is milk!

Chanukkah Sameach! (hah-noo-KAH sah-MAY-ahck = Happy Chanukkah!!!) Be sure to follow along throughout the holiday as I celebrate the culinary traditions of Chanukkah while also offering variations on the themes ….

Sour Cream Cut-Out Cookies

Dough:

1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt 1/2 cup sour cream 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2-1/2 cups flour

Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy; stir in baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix in the sour cream, egg and vanilla, then add the flour. Divide the dough in half, wrap each portion in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F. Using one portion at a time, roll the dough to 1/8" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a 2-3" cookie cutter, cut as many cookies as you can, re-rolling the dough as needed.

Place the cookies onto a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies to a rack and cool completely before frosting.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Icing:

1 pound confectioners' sugar 2 drops almond extract 3 tablespoons meringue powder (available at specialty cooking shops, like Baker's Nook in Saline) 1/3 cup warm water Food coloring, if desired Sprinkles, if desired

Using an electric mixer, combine the confectioners' sugar, extract, meringue powder and water until the icing is the consistency of marshmallow Fluff, adding a bit more water or sugar as needed. Spread onto cookies, decorating as you desire. If using sprinkles, be sure to place them onto the cookies while the icing is still wet. Let icing set completely before stacking or packaging the cookies.

Makes enough icing to frost 6 dozen cookies.

Mary Bilyeu has won or placed in more than 60 cooking contests and writes about her adventures as she tries to win prizes, feeds hungry teenagers and other loved ones, and generally just has fun in the kitchen. The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured next to the blog's title) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15, and is a wish for all her readers as they cook along with her ... may you always be happy here!

You can contact Mary at yentamary@gmail.com.