Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is the Festival of Lights, taking place over eight days somewhere between late November and late December in our modern calendar. The lighting of the menorah each night is meant to remember and honor the story of the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days in the Temple. Traditionally, children are given presents each night of Hanukkah. The celebration includes eating lots of fried food and playing with dreidels. A dreidel is a toy that is spun like a top. Depending on which symbol the dreidel lands on, the spinner gets to take part of the communal pot—usually consisting of chocolate coins, or “gelt”—or has to put some of his or her stash back in the pot.
Dreidels can be found almost everywhere, including your local discount store. These dreidels won’t spin very well (my kids tried!), but they are delicious and make for a fun activity with a delicious result.
Chocolate Marshmallow Dreidels
Ingredients:
- chocolate kisses (go crazy and use fancy kisses!)
- marshmallows
- pretzel sticks
- melted semisweet chocolate (or colored candy melts)
- melted white chocolate
Instructions:
1. Poke a small hole in the marshmallow and insert the pretzel.
2. Dip the kisses in melted chocolate, attach to the end of the marshmallow, and refrigerate until firm.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and dip the whole thing in chocolate (you can use colored candy melts here if you want).
4. Put it in the freezer for a few minutes to fully harden.
5. Melt the white chocolate and pour into a zip-top baggie. Cut off the tip and draw the Hebrew symbols on your dreidel.
6. Spin…or just eat!
The Hebrew symbols and basic rules to play dreidel can be found here.
Anyone who has been to a Hanukkah celebration or even been around Jewish friends probably knows the dreidel song. So sing along while you make your chocolate covered treats:
I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay.
And when it’s dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, then dreidel I shall play.