TRADITION ... AND INNOVATION HANUKKAH PARTY EXPERT SHARES HER HOLIDAY SECRETS.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

The joyous, festive eight-day Hanukkah celebration, also known as the Festival of Lights, will begin at sundown on Nov. 29.

``For us, Hanukkah signifies being together as a family and having our friends celebrate with us,'' says Woodland Hills resident Randi Green, who has been hosting Hanukkah parties for a decade. ``Tradition is important. On the first night of Hanukkah, we decorate the house with lights and other Hanukkah-themed items.''

Unlike some Jewish holidays, there are no food restrictions for Hanukkah. However, foods fried or cooked in oil - like latkes and jelly doughnuts - are traditional.

This year, Green; her husband, Steve; and their three children - Aron, 10, Jonah, 7, and Danielle, 2 - will host a dinner for friends and family on the second night of Hanukkah. It will include lots of wonderful homemade creations. In addition to traditional white potato and sweet potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce, Green will serve a chicken dish, a salad, a couple of different vegetables and homemade challah.

``But dessert is king,'' emphasizes Green, a sweet fancier.

She varies her dessert offerings from year to year but often tosses in a few of her favorites, including the recipes she shares today. Among them are an almond tart, mandelbrot, shortbread cookies, chocolate fudge pound cake and chocolate chip cookies.

Green presents a medley of cookie selections on a tray or in a basket - and she sometimes includes other kinds like Mexican wedding cakes and chocolate crinkle cookies.

For the tart, prepare the apricot glaze and dough a couple of days in advance and keep them refrigerated. Finish making the tart the day of the party, advises Green. The chocolate cake and the cookies (never frosted) can be made up to a month in advance and frozen, if desired.

Be sure to use quality butter in baking, she adds, noting that she prefers Plugra butter, which is available at Trader Joe's.

``If something strikes my fancy, I will make it - and I often try recipes for Hanukkah that I haven't made before.'' While Green likes chocolate and cheesecakes, she favors fruit desserts like cobblers and crisps.

Green says the secret to staying relaxed when entertaining is to do as much as possible in advance.

For the first time this year, she plans to fry and freeze the latkes in advance. Although there's a little loss in texture (the latkes are a bit mushier) with freezing, the pancakes still have good flavor. The convenience of not having to stand over the stove and fry the latkes during the party makes the trade-off worthwhile.

Remove the latkes from the freezer just prior to serving. Place on brown-paper-lined cookie sheets and bake in a hot oven 10 minutes.

Instead of grating the potatoes, Green pulses unpeeled russet potatoes in the food processor (they come out between shredded and pureed) for her latkes. If using sweet potatoes, peel them before processing. Green fries her latkes in new, unused peanut oil in a skillet on top of the stove. For ease in cleanup, she covers the entire counter with foil (to catch the oil spatters) and then tosses it after the frying is finished.

This year she is opting to serve dinner buffet-style instead of family- style, as she has done in the past.

After dinner, Green gathers all the children for a special cookie project. They'll have an opportunity to decorate already baked star-shaped shortbread cookies. Green uses store-bought canned frostings - leaving some plain white and coloring some blue. She puts a little of each color in several plastic sandwich bags and snips off the corners so the kids can squeeze and pipe the frostings. She also offers an array of colored sprinkles and Wilton dreidel decorations. The kids love to design and eat their own creations.

RANDI'S SPECIAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 pound butter, softened

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

6 cups flour

1 teaspoon (OR less) salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (two 12-ounce packages)

2 cups chopped pecans

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs and beat 3 to 4 minutes. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda; add to butter mixture and beat until blended. Mixture will be dry and sticky. By hand, mix in chocolate chips and pecans.

Drop by small scoops (use small, 1 1/4-inch diameter, automatic-release ice cream scooper) on foil-lined cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool. Makes about 100 cookies.

NOTE: Recipe can be halved.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE POUND CAKE

CAKE:

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons brandy OR water

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt (OR to taste)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups buttermilk 

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

2 teaspoons light corn syrup 

1 teaspoon water

Heavily grease a 12-cup bundt pan; set aside. To make Cake, place both chocolates in top of a double boiler over simmering water or in microwave; stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in chocolate, vanilla and brandy. In a small bowl stir together flour, salt and baking soda. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour in fourths and buttermilk in thirds, beginning and ending with flour. Pour in prepared pan.

Bake in center of preheated 350 degree oven 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to rack and cool 10 minutes. Invert to remove from pan and cool at least 20 minutes before frosting.

Meanwhile make Chocolate Glaze: Melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan or microwave. Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup and water. If too thin, let stand until it thickens slightly. Pour warm glaze over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides. If glaze is too thick, reheat slightly. Let cake stand several hours before serving. Makes 1 cake, 12 servings.

NOTE: Cake may be covered and held at room temperature for several days or frozen. Freeze, uncovered, until glaze is solid, then wrap in heavy duty foil. Defrost, uncovered, at room temperature.

From cookbook author Marlene Sorosky.

SHORTBREAD CUT-OUT COOKIES

1 pound butter

1 cup sugar

4 cups flour

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour until blended thoroughly.

On a floured surface, roll dough out until 3/8- to 1/4-inch thick. For Hanukkah, cut into 3-inch diameter cookies with 6-point star cookie cutter. Cut into other shapes with cookie cutters for other occasions. Place cookies on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully. Cool. Frost and decorate as desired with canned or homemade frostings, tinted with food colorings as desired. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies, depending on size.

CALIFORNIA ALMOND TART

(On the cover)

Short Dough (recipe follows)

Apricot Glaze

1 1/3 cups natural (skin on) almonds

2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

3 tablespoons water

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (soft)

4 large eggs

3/4 cup cake flour

24 blanched almond slices

Line a 10-inch tart pan with 1/2 of Short Dough (roll out on a floured surface). Line dough in tart shell with a piece of foil that is at least 1 1/2 times the size of the tart pan. Fill foil lining with dry beans, pie weights or whatever you have for weighing down shells (beans can be reused many times). The shell should be nearly filled. Gently push the beans all the way to the edges of the shell (into the corners) to keep it from shrinking away from the sides of the pan. Fold the foil in over the beans to contain them and provide an easy way of lifting them out later.

Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, until dough on bottom no longer looks raw (lift foil and look at it). The shell will still be pale. Remove from oven, remove foil and beans and return to oven. Bake about 15 minutes longer, until shell is golden brown and has pulled away from sides of pan.

Meanwhile, heat Apricot Glaze over low heat until liquid. As soon as you remove tart shell from oven, brush bottom (not sides) with a thin layer of glaze. Allow shell to cool before filling. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Roll other 1/2 of Short Dough into a circle about 13 inches in diameter. Cut 10 strips about 1/2-inch wide (start from center and work outward in both directions). Transfer strips to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until needed.

Toast natural almonds in oven about 5 minutes, then finely grind in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract. Process. Add water and process until ingredients come together in a firm paste.

Using paddle attachment on an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining 2/3 cup sugar at high speed until light. Reduce speed to medium and add almond paste in 4 batches, mixing well after each addition. Add 2 eggs and mix well. Add 1/2 of flour, remaining 2 eggs and remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Mix until very smooth.

Spread almond filling in cool tart shell. Lay Short Dough strips over filling in a lattice pattern (lay 5 strips in one direction, give tart a quarter turn, and lay other 5 strips). Press down ends of strips to seal them to crust and cut off excess dough by pressing it against pan. Place an almond slice in each open section of the latticework. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven about 35 minutes, until lattice is golden brown and almond filling is firm.

Brush a thin layer of Apricot Glaze over top of tart as soon as it is removed from oven. Cool 10 minutes. Glaze will begin to wrinkle or get splotchy as cake absorbs it; brush on a second layer of glaze to smooth it. Serve warm from oven or at room temperature. Makes 12 servings.

APRICOT GLAZE: Combine 1/2 cup apricot preserves, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir with a rubber spatula, pressing out any lumps. Let mixture boil 3 minutes, then set aside to cool a little. Pour glaze through a fine strainer, working it through with a rubber spatula. Allow to cool, then transfer to a bowl or jar and refrigerate, up to 1 week, until needed.

To use, heat glaze over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until it liquefies and softens (don't let it get too hot). Dab it on with a pastry brush while warm. Makes about 3/4 cup.

From ``The American Baker,'' by Jim Dodge with Elaine Ratner.

SHORT DOUGH

16 tablespoons (1/2 pound) unsalted butter (cold)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 cup cold water

Cut butter into 1-inch pieces. Using paddle attachment on an electric mixer, blend butter and flour at low speed until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix sugar, salt and water and add to flour mixture. Stop once, soon after you start mixing, to scrape bowl and paddle. Blend only until dough comes together. Dough will be moist, soft, and smooth. Divide dough in half (each should be about 12 ounces). Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until using, within a day of two. Proceed as directed in recipe above.

From ``The American Baker,'' by Jim Dodge with Elaine Ratner.

MANDELBROT

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups slivered almonds

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Ground cinnamon mixed with a little additional sugar for sprinkling on top

In a mixing bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix flour with baking powder and salt; slowly add to oil mixture. Fold in almonds and chocolate chips. Turn mixture out on a floured board. Shape into 2 or 3 long rolls. Place rolls on greased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately (while hot), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Lay slices flat on cookie sheets; sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Return to 350-degree oven and bake 10 minutes; then turn slices over and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake another 10 minutes. Makes about 40 slices.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) CALIFORNIA ALMOND TART

(2 -- color) Assorted cookies, including Mandelbrot and Randi's Special Chocolate Chip Cookies

(3 -- color) Aron, Danielle and Jonah Green decorate Shortbread Cookies

(4 -- color) Randi Green slices Chocolate Fudge Pound Cake for guests

John McCoy/Staff Photographer