“For me, Hesed has never been just a job — it’s my family. I preserve Jewish traditions by keeping my family’s Jewish recipes and sharing them with others.”

— Alyona Bunina
Head of the family club at the JDC-supported Hesed Nefesh social welfare center in Poltava, Ukraine

Ingredients for Tieglach

Dough:

  1. 3 eggs
  2. 1 ½—2 tbsp. vodka, cognac, or whiskey
  3. 1 pinch of salt
  4. 2—2 ½ cups flour
  5. Vegetable oil, for deep-frying


Syrup:

  1. 7/8 cup (200 grams) honey
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. Cinnamon, to taste
  4. Nutmeg, to taste

Instructions for Tieglach

  1. Mix eggs, vodka or other liquor, and salt.
  2. Gradually add in flour and knead the dough.
  3. Wrap the dough in foil and let sit for 30 minutes.
  4. Make thin ropes of dough, then pinch small pieces from the dough and roll them into balls.
  5. Pour vegetable oil into a deep saucepan, and heat well. Dip balls of dough into the hot oil and fry, stirring until golden-brown. Take out the fried balls, and put them on a paper towel to drain the oil.
  6. When the balls are ready, it’s time to make the syrup. In a saucepan, mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then add honey. Put over medium heat, and stir slowly until the sugar melts.
  7. Dip the fried balls into the syrup, mix well, and remove from the saucepan with a slotted spoon. Spread on parchment paper greased with butter. Lay the balls out in a pyramid shape, or create any shape you want (It’s easier to do this with wet hands)!
  8. When the fried dough cools, cut into cookies.