Festival of the Daughters: Recipes

The seventh night of Hanukkah ushers in Chag Habanot, a special evening for many Jews around the world because it celebrates the connections between women, especially mothers and daughters. 

Chag HaBanot is a North African Jewish tradition that honours the story of Judith, a heroic Jewish widow who saved her people from the Assyrian general Holofernes. This night can also be referred to as the Festival of the Daughters, which also marks the start of the month of Tevet and is commemorated by singing, dancing, gift giving, and telling stories of Jewish heroines.

Traditional holiday foods in Jewish communities from Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco often includes sweetened couscous. Dairy foods are also served since Judith executed an enemy general after plying him with cheese to make him thirsty and wine to make him sleepy. 

The Sweetened Couscous and Fruit and Nut Couscous Cake recipes below reflect some of these customs and make great additions to any Hanukkah holiday dinner.

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Sweetened Couscous

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter plus 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup couscous

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit

1/2 cup unsalted, slivered almonds (raw or roasted)

1/2 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios (raw or roasted)

1/2 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water, optional

Garnishes (see below)

Milk or cream for serving

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Directions

1. Place the water in a small pot with 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let it sit for 4 to 5 minutes until the couscous has absorbed the water. Fluff with a fork and break up any clumps. Place couscous in a large bowl.
2. While couscous is cooking, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Stir melted butter into the couscous.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, raisins, almonds, pistachios, 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water. Mix well.
4. Pile mixture into the middle of a platter and use your hands to shape into a dome, cone, or pyramid, being careful not to compress the grains. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Decorate with selected garnishes.
5. Serve with milk or cream on the side to pour over individual bowls of the sweetened couscous.

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Garnishes: Press on or sprinkle with additional almond slivers and or pistachios, pitted date halves, raisins, chopped dried fruit, pomegranate seeds or other garnishes as desired.

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Fruit and Nut Couscous Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups whole milk

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) butter plus extra for greasing pan

2/3 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups couscous

1 1/2 cups golden or other raisins (or a mix of raisins, dried pitted cherries, dried cranberries, and or dried blueberries), divided

3/4 cup chopped unsalted almonds or walnuts (raw or roasted)

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon rose water or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 teaspoon baharat spice mix (see notes)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 large eggs

2–3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Topping (see below)

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Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Grease the top of the parchment paper and sides of the pan with butter.
3. Place milk, butter, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. 
4. Stir in couscous. 
5. Cover and remove it from the heat. Let it sit for 4 to 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and break up any clumps. Place in a large bowl.
6. Add 2/3 cup sugar, 1 cup raisins, almonds, oil, rosewater, baharat, and lemon juice. Mix well.
7. Separate the eggs. 
8. Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until more than doubled in volume, glossy and shiny white. (Do not whip into peaks.) 
9. Beat the egg yolks in a separate small bowl. 
10. Stir egg yolks into the couscous. Gently fold whipped whites into couscous in 2 batches.
11. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the mixture is firm but not hard to the touch. The edges should be brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. 
12. Place on a wire rack and let cool in the pan. Remove pan sides (if desired remove parchment paper and pan bottom) and then place on a serving platter.
13. Sprinkle powdered sugar and remaining 1/2 cup raisins on top. Decorate with dollops of the dairy topping (see below). Serve with extra topping on the side.

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Topping: Sour cream, plain or vanilla yogurt, whipped cream, or rosewater-flavoured whipped cream (whip half pint heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of rose water until soft peaks form). Plan on 2 to 3 tablespoons of topping per serving plus additional for decorating.

Notes: If you can’t find baharat use 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves.