Pre-Christmas Chanukkah Dinner

Remember back when I mentioned my two best girlfriends were coming to town?  Well, they since have both come and sadly, gone.  While I had good intentions of making dinner for both, when my childhood bestie was in, traffic was so horrendous, by the time I got home from work, there was not a chance of us waiting another 45 minutes for me to whip together dinner.  We opted for our favorite Italian place.

However, this past weekend when my BFF arrived for a Pre-Christmas Weekend in NYC, I made sure there was dinner on the table.  Dinner by request, in fact.  Not only did we spend the day in the City, but upon arriving home, we broke out the China for a fancy-schmancy dinner.  And not just any dinner: a Pre-Christmas Chanukkah Dinner.

Complete with chicken soup and matzah balls, brisket, sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli, I’d say dinner was a hit.  And – to top it off, Funfetti Whoopie Pies!  I think we were all in heaven. 

Below you’ll find the recipe for the sweet potatoes – my grandmother’s recipe – so sweet, so delicious.  You’ll also find the Funfetti Whoopie Pies recipe, which was something special for my BFF (once my mother offered to make her a birthday cake and all she wanted was Funfetti!).  And an added bonus – us in front of a pretty tree nestled inside the outdoor vestibule of a hotel in the City.

Hoping you all enjoyed the holiday – whichever you do or do not celebrate – and are gearing up for a great New Year’s Eve celebration, like us.

Pre-Christmas Chanukkah Dinner 

Candied Sweet Potatoes

What You Need:

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• ¾ c brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ c water

How You Do It:

1. Boil whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes until fork-tender.
2. Once cool enough to handle, peel skin off potatoes and cut into ½ moons.
3. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and water.
4. Place sliced potatoes in large baking dish and mix with sauce.
5. Bake 350* 20-30 minutes or until desired doneness.
   (Note, the sauce will not thicken and the potatoes can stay in the oven as long as necessary.)

Funfetti Whoopie Pies

What You Need:

• 1 box Funfetti cake mix
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 can Ranibow Chip frosting

How You Do It:

1. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 375° for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
4. Spread frosting over back side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another.
5. Let frosting set and cookies fully cool, then store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe from my grandma.

Funfetti Whoopie Pies recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.