More than the Jewish answer to wontons, kreplach are a kabalistic food, A krepl (singular for kreplach which is plural) is an edible soft sculpture expressing the nature of Divine judgment. The dough represents Divine mercy (Midas Harahamin) while the meat filling stands for Divine justice (Midas Hadin).

Traditionally we float kreplach in the chicken soup eaten during the meal preceding the Yom Kippur fast. As we prepare ourselves for the Day of Atonement when our fates for the coming year are sealed, we eat kreplach to “ remind” Hashem to judge us kreplach style—His justice wrapped in mercy.

That’s a lot to jab your fork into.

Though I adore kreplach, I don’t like making them. Let’s be real. What could be more tedious than making dough, rolling it out, cutting it filling it and rolling it out again and again and again until my arms are sore?

.I did make a batch and froze it but then last week as I was shopping in one of Jerusalem’s homegrown Wal-Mart style supermarkets, I noticed a package of wonton skins. Here in the Middle East they were labeled cigar wrappers, sheets of dough used for making the popular spicy fried Moroccan delicacy . Just under the bold faced word cigars, there was fine print stating that these wrappers could be used making egg roll (spelled egg rools) and other things too.

Could those other things mean kreplach? While the package was silent, my intuition told me that it might just work. But how. Wouldn’t the cigars shrivel up in protest as I violated their cultural heritage? .

The cigars were cool. No anti-Ashkenazi feeling implanted in the dough, which the package said was “untouched by human hands.”. The cigar wrappers worked beautifully.

No shriveling, no breaking, hardly a tear. Maybe they liked being part of such an elevated food. In any case, the whole process was almost too easy and my kreplach were so delightfully delicate that I couldn’t help but wonder whether thin skins meant less Midas Harahamim (Divine mercy)?

I don’t know but thin kreplach are better than no kreplach at all

If you are in a hurry this is a great trick to have up your sleeve. If you are not here’s the classical recipe too.

You chose.

. CLASSICAL KREPLACH

2 cups of flour (you can use 70 per cent whole wheat)

1/3 teaspoon salt

Two eggs beaten with 2 T water

Two tablespoons oil (optional)

Work all of the above together to create a dough.

Filling

One cup chopped meat (can be raw because these kreplach will be boiled)

One onion, grated or sautéed (optional)

Pinch of black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Put up a large pot of salted water to boil.

Using a floured rolling pin (use a small one) roll out the dough as thin as it will stretch on a floured surface

Using the back of a cup, cut out circles.

Add one teaspoon of filling to the center. Pinch closed into triangles or half moon shapes If you want to be fancy, flute the edges with the tines of a fork.

Lay the finished kreplach on a sheet of baking paper

Simmer in boiling salted water for 20 minutes using a wooden spoon to gently separate any kreplach which may have gotten stuck together. .

Drain in a colander and rinse as you would any pasta. Don’t forget to rinse!!!!

This is enough for a dozen portions.

ALMOST INSTANT KREPLACH

Because these kreplach aren’t going to be boiled, the filling must be cooked.

Meat filling: 1 cup chopped meat sautéed with one onion and a pinch of black pepper

Chicken filling:

1 cup shredded boiled chicken (from the soup),

one sautéed onion,

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

Defrost cigar sheets following package directions. (for the amount of filling I suggest you’ll need four sheets)

Cut each sheet into four rounded triangles

Insert one teaspoon of filling in the center

Wet your fingers slightly and pinch closed.

Serve in a plate of hot soup, as you would soup nuts.

This is enough for six portions of soup.

Warning: Never leave these kreplach in a pot of boiling soup or else they will disintegrate into nothingness

Both types of kreplach freeze well

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