My mom made kichels, not necessarily for Hanukah. She didn’t like cooking, but actually was good at baking, although she wouldn’t admit it. Dessert was part of our family dinner meal, and since store bought cake was expensive and considered a special treat, my mom would very often make some kind of cake to be eaten that night. When she was “out of everything”, she would make kichels because the ingredients were always in the pantry. I remember them being both soft and crispy at the same time. They would melt in your mouth before you even had a chance to chew them or even realize they were on your tongue - nothing like the hard, thick kichels you see in bakeries and restaurants today. Thanks for posting this recipe. I would guess that most people would never think about making kichels at home, and yet there are easy to do.
Submitted by lsussman@earthlink.net
They really are easy to make and, as you say, they are so crispy — yet soft — they melt on the tongue. The ones in the bakery are dry as dust. Way too thick. I was surprised to see them called kichels when I was a kid, because they are so different than the ones my Mom made. Now that I am thinking about her kichels again, I also remember that some of them developed air bubbles, which is amazing given how thin they are. I used to like to pop the air bubbles as I ate these. I might make some of these again today. It’s dark and rainy and a good day to cook.