Ingredients
Neutral oil, for brushing
6 oz. dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
2 dried apricots, cut into thin strips (optional)
1 tbsp. slivered almonds (optional)
1 tsp. gold sprinkles or white sparkling sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. coarse Himalayan sea salt (optional)
Preparation
Step 1Lightly brush a nonstick 24-cup or 2 (12-cup) mini cupcake pans with oil. Step 2In a small heatproof bowl, microwave chocolate in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth (or use a double-boiler). Step 3Pour 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate into each prepared cup, tapping pan to evenly distribute chocolate. Sprinkle with desired toppings, if using. Refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes. Step 4Turn pan upside down onto a cutting board. Tap back of cups to remove gelt. Serve immediately or wrap in foil.
It doesn’t stop with gelt. Our homemade rugelach is just what you might want with a butter crust wrapped around a jammy or chocolate filling of walnuts. Hamentashen (a personal favorite) is associated with Purim, which comes weeks after Hanukkah’s end BUT is such a pretty cookie to eat with tea. Jelly donut lovers included—you will be nonstop eating sufganiyot fresh off the fryer. Brief history of geltBesides the cute story of chocolate money, gelt actually means “money” in German. In Eastern Europe, it was given to workers as an “extra tip” at the year’s end.How to make geltIt’s quite simple and requires a tool that you more than likely have at home. I used mini cupcake or muffin tins to make the small coins. The key is to grease each one so it’s easier to extract later. Brush neutral oil in the pans, pour 1 to 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate in the bottom, tap the pans to level the chocolate, and chill. Keep them plain or use any toppings, from sprinkles to edible gold dust, crushed almonds or pistachios, sea salt, cocoa nibs, dried fruit, etc. If you want a more traditional look, you could buy special molds that have patterns associated with the Jewish holiday. What else to serve during HanukkahAfter chocolate coins and challah rolls, we live for some really hearty braised brisket and noodle kugel. We also LOVE matzo ball soup, with or without chicken. And our latkes are coming in hot with sour cream or applesauce on the side. Did you make this recipe? How did it go?
