Raspberry Rugelach

August 23, 2012

Author: Bubbie

Ingredients:

Dough

7 Ounces butter

8 Ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

2 Cup(s)s all-purpose flour

Raspberry Filling

3/4 cup White Sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1 tablespoon milk

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Add flour and mix lightly. Refrigerate dough for an hour or more.

1. In medium bowl, with spoon, stir walnuts, apricots, brown sugar, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until well mixed.

2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of chilled dough into a 9-inch round, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. Spread dough with 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup apricot filling; gently press filling onto dough. With pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut dough into 12 equal wedges. Starting at curved edge, roll up each wedge, jelly-roll fashion. Place cookies on foil-lined cookie sheet, point-side down, about 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough, one-fourth at a time.

4. In cup, mix remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. With pastry brush, brush rugelach with milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Babka

December 26, 2012

Author: Chef Micah Wexler

Ingredients:

Challah

y:6 pieces

Bread Flour 172g or about 5 Cups

Water 112g or about 1/2 Cup

Yeast 1g or about .35 Teaspoon

Salt 3g or about 1/2 Teaspoon

Water 154g or about 2/3 Cup

Yeast 4g or about 2/3 Teaspoon

Sugar 71g or about 1/3 Cup

Bread Flour 400g or just under 3 Cups

Eggs 2 each

Salt 8g or about 2 Teaspoons

Butter, cubed 90g or about 2/5 Cup

Milk 14g or about 1 Tablespoon

Babka Filling

y:1qt

Chocolate chips 390g or about 2 Cups

Sugar 75g or just over 1/3 Cup

Salt ¾ tsp

Ground Cinnamon 1 ½ tsp

Butter 67g or about 3/10 Cup

Streusel Topping

y:1qt

AP Flour ½ cup

Powdered Sugar ½ + 1/3 cup

Butter 6 Tablespoons

Preparation:

Challah

1) Mix bread flour, water, yeast and salt til it becomes a dough.

2) Proof for at least 1 hr in a covered, oiled container. The starter can sit in the refrigerator

overnight to develop more flavor.

3) Mix water yeast and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle, let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast

to bloom.

4) Mix in bread flour and the starter.

5) Gradually mix in eggs and then add in the salt and milk.

6) Add the cubed butter in pieces, then turn mixer up to medium setting until the dough comes

together. Allow to mix for approximately 8 minutes.

7) Proof dough for an hour, and then divide evenly into 6 balls. Store on a sprayed parchment,

covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Babka Filling

1) In a food processor, mix chocolate chips, sugar, salt, and cinnamon until crumbly.

2) Add cubed butter until the blend is crumbly and mixed.

Streusel Topping

1) In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix flour and sugar.

2) Gradually add cubed butter until pea-sized pieces form. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3) Roll out two pieces of challah until approximately 1⁄2” thick.

4) Place 1/3c of the filling in the center of the dough.

5) Spread the filling all over, leaving a 1⁄2” border on one side.

6) Roll out the dough like a cigar toward the edge

7) Pinch the edges so that the filling doesn’t fall out. Repeat for the other piece of dough.

8) Once you have both pieces done, twist them together and pinch the edges.

9) Place in an 8×4 loaf pan, eggwash the top and cover with a handful of streusel.

10) Bake in 375F oven until golden brown.

Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

December 27, 2012

Author: Lillian Moon

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cups milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup toffee baking chips

1 c. chopped pecans

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease cookie sheets.

Mix butter and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time then stir in vanilla.

Combine flour baking powder and salt.

Stir into cream mixture.

Stir in chocolate and toffee.

Drop tbsps. onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

December 27, 2012

Author: Eliav Rodman

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 small pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 pkg (12 oz) milk chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the butter, both sugars, pudding mix, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until creamy and fluffy. Then slowly mix in flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls, onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for ONLY 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before eating.

Italian Chanukah Jelly

December 28, 2012

Author: Tara Berger

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 pound or 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

Blackberry Jam or Nutella for filling

Vegetable oil, for frying

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil at 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth. Add the flour and baking powder and beat just until blended. (if making ahead of time- take out of the fridge 10 minutes before cooking to get batter to room temp)

Using a very small ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons, slide 8 walnut-sized rounds of batter into the hot oil. Fry over moderate heat until deep golden all over and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Balls should rise to the top as they puff up. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the balls to the cookie sheet to drain. Continue frying the remaining fritters in batches of 8.

Arrange the fritters on a platter- using a small melon baller scoop our top of ball- fill with jelly or nutella place ball back in and dust well with confectioners’ sugar.

Amma Zahara’s Ka’aka

April 8, 2013

Author: Leah Hadad

Not my grandmother, Amma Zahra is my honorary Bubbie. She treated my siblings and me, as she would have had her own grandchildren. Growing up, I spent more time with her than I did with my grandmothers. When my mother was at work, she babysat us. She was my maternal great aunt. Yemenite Arabic draws a distinction between maternal and paternal aunts and uncles. Amma is the word denoting a paternal aunt. Zahra was also my mother’s name until she immigrated to Israel, upon which time she was assigned the name Sarah. Her aunt kept her original name – Zahra, the morning star.

Amma Zahara always seemed very old to my young eyes. She was believed to have been born at 1895, which would place her in her mid 60s when I was born. When I think back, she had to have been older than that. Even in my early memories, her face is a weave of deep, close-knit wrinkles. Her eyes imparted kindness and wisdom, and I remember her as warm and good-natured. From many miles away years later, she still occupies a special place in my heart.

In those simpler times, Amma Zahra fit the bill of an Eshet Hayil. I watched her cook, bake, clean, and do the laundry. She also found time for sewing, Yemenite style embroidery, and basket weaving. Her ‘kitchen’ was a small corner of her one room residence. There, she squatted in front of a portable, single-burner kerosene stove, prevalent in 1950s Israel. She practiced old-world cooking, utilizing every edible portion of the raw food; nothing was wasted.

While she kept herself busy, she always made time for her afternoon Yemenite coffee into which she dunked ka’aka. It was the time to visit with family, friends, and neighbors. Shoot the breeze. That generation knew to take the time for rest and to find joy in the small things. It is those simpler pleasures that I miss when I think about Amma Zahra and to which this ka’aka takes me back.

Ka’aka is a pastry type prevalent in the Arab world and is known also as ka’ak. There are many variations, sweet and savory. By sweet, I do not mean the sweet concoctions to which we are accustomed these days. Sugar was then used as a condiment, not a main ingredient.

In the recipe I offer here, I re-imagine the ka’aka I remember. In Israel, Yemenite immigrants adapted their cooking to local, cheaper ingredients. This pastry was most likely been baked originally with ghee – clarified butter – or olive oil; today, in Israel, it is baked with margarine. I am using butter and a mix of all-purpose flour and whole grain wheat because even the ‘clean’ flour in Yemen was in all likelihood less refined than ours. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Makes 14-16 cakes

1 c unsalted butter

3 c AP flour  (350 g)

1 1/3 c whole wheat flour (150 g)

1/2 c sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs

1/4 c ice cold water

2 Tbsp. Sesame or nigella (black seed)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°;

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or by hand until dough comes together.  It will be soft and a bit tacky.  Alternatively, use a food processor and mix for about 7-10 min.;

Tear a chunk from the dough and with cup of your hands form into a ball (65 g).  It should be 2 “ in diameter;

Place on an oiled or parchment-covered baking sheet.  Press the ball gently with the palms your hands to flatten;

Spread seeds on top and bake for 25 min.  You could brush top with egg wash, but it is not necessary.

Enjoy!

Esther Levin’s Latke Recipe from the Old Country

December 13, 2011

Author: lafoodie

There are hundreds of recipes in Jewish cookbooks, American cookbooks, and on the Internet. Here’s a simple one that is a sure hit. But of course, best only when enhanced with some secrets from Rabbi Moshe Levin’s great-grandmother Rochel, passed on to her daughter, Ida, and then to his mother Esther.

Tips from Esther Levin: “Making latkes together, especially parents with their children, is a lot of fun. One of the great things about latkes is that they can be made in advance, so cooks and kids can make them together in the afternoon and serve the latkes when family and friends are ready to eat dinner, right after Hanukkah candles are lit. Latkes may be made up to 8 hours ahead. You can even refrigerate them or even freeze them if you made them earlier. But reheat them on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, about 5 minutes. IF they were frozen, first let them get back to room temperature.”

Esther’s cousin Mollie said that grating the potatoes, then soaking them briefly in water, and then squeezing out the liquid (as we’ve done here) keeps the batter from turning brown too quickly. However, remember what Bubbie Rochel said – not to pour out the starch, only the water. And believe it or not, Tante Beila used to add a little sour cream to the potato onion mixture before frying them so they come out golden brown, not burnt looking.

Ingredients:

1 lb potatoes Yukon Gold are best because of the high starch content

1/2 cup(s) onion finely chopped

1 large egg lightly beaten (Rochel liked it better with two regular size eggs)

2 Tablespoons Matzoh meal Tante Basya says all-purpose flour works too

1/2 teaspoon salt More will give you high blood pressure!

1/4 teaspoon pepper optional

Preparation:

Makes 10 good size latkes. (Adding a little flour will make it into a 12-16 portion batch if you want.) Double this recipe for a hungry crowd! And make sure you have enough sour cream and applesauce at the table for everyone, because they will pile it high on the dinner plate!

Preheat your oven to 250°F.

Peel the potatoes and coarsely grate by hand (Rochel didn’t have a Cuisineart), transferring the mixture to a large bowl of cold water. Soak the grated potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after the last batch is added to the water, and then drain well in a colander. Bubbie Rochel said, “Do NOT pour out the starch in the bottom of the bowl – only the water! Then use your hands to scoop out the starch and add it back into the mix.”

Spread the grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Only then should you transfer the potato mixture to a bowl and stir in the egg(s) and salt (and pepper if you wish).

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Uncle Yankel has a heart condition so Tante Beila coated the pan with cooking spray instead of oil, and of course she cut down on the salt. Make batches of 4 latkes, by spooning 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture per latke into the skillet, flattening them into 3-inch round shapes with a fork. (Rochel said, “Don’t press hard! Thin latkes are too crisp so they don’t come out so good.) Reduce the heat from high to moderate and cook until the undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the latkes over and cook them until the new undersides are browned, about 4-5 minutes more.

As each batch is done, place them on paper towels to drain and season with a tiny bit more salt (unless someone in your family has high blood pressure, as Zeideh Zalman did). Add a little more oil to the skillet as needed each time you make a new batch. Keep the latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in your oven until all are ready to be served.

Basic Potato Latkes

July 20, 2012

Author: Rachel Cort

My Dad has taught me almost everything I know about cooking, food, baseball, fishing and Judaism; which means he’s taught me quite a lot. This recipe is from some old magazine or book but it is the latke recipe that we make every year at Hanukkah. I can remember being a little kid, standing on a chair and helping my dad flip the latkes or stir the batter. He is the reason why I can cook, why I identify with Judaism and why I am me.

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Idaho potatoes well scrubbed but unpeeled

1 medium Onion

2 Eggs

1/4 cup(s) matzos meal or all purpose flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

Vegetable Oil for Frying

Preparation:

1. Grate potatoes alternately with the onion (this keeps the potatoes from darkening), either by hand or in a food processor. With a food processor, either use a fine shredding disk, or cut the potatoes in half-inch dice, and then use the steel blade with an on-off pulse motion to yield uniformly grated potatoes.

2. Drain potatoes and onions.

3. Mix in eggs, then matzo meal or flour. Season with salt and pepper

4. Pour oil into a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, to a depth of 1/4 inch, and heat. Oil should be very hot but not smoking.

5. Using a large tablespoon, form round or oval pancakes about 3 inches across, flattening them in the frying pan with the back of the spoon. Fry until golden on both sides.