A recipe inspired by local history

By Sandi Teplitz

There are so many things to see and do here in the Lehigh Valley Jewish community that contribute to our quality of life. Some of you may have heard about and visited the Sigal Museum in Easton. Located on Northampton Street, it has a rich and interesting history that needs to be told. Helaine Sigal, a family descendant, shared the scoop with me as we realized that our families emigrated here from the same city in Hungary. The museum's building was originally the Able Opera House in the 1880s. It morphed into the Embassy Theatre. Helaine's husband and father-in-law bought the building and turned it into Sigal's Department Store, the first air-conditioned store in the Lehigh Valley! After that, the bridal department became a bridal mall, the first in the state of PA. Post retirement, the Sigal family made it what it is today, a museum. To get the feel of the bridal period, why not try these melt-in-the-mouth cookies?

Bridal Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup ground walnuts
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. soft unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Technique:

Mix all ingredients except 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar together in food processor. Form into 48 balls. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on two buttered cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Roll in sugar. Reroll when cool.