Category: DESSERTS

Purim Hamantashen

The Jewish holiday of Purim, just passed. This is a day of fun and good food as well as remembrances. It is common to eat foods like kreplach, dough stuffed with meat, and hamantaschen filled pastry. These are made in the same shape. One is boiled and one is baked.

I have an assortment of hamantaschen, left from Purim which I want to share with you and the recipe for making them from Susie Fishbein, who has written some beautiful kosher cookbooks.

HAMANTASCH

“This is an old family recipe. It is a very easy dough to make and work with. The egg glaze and cinnamon/sugar on top give the cookies a beautiful color. My Mom and Aunt make these in advance and freeze them. Do this at your own risk. At a group confession, every one of my cousins and siblings admitted to sneaking hamantaschen and eating them frozen weeks before Purim. ” Susie Fishbein

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
6 cups all-purpose flour
flour for dipping

apricot butter or prune butter (As you will see there are many spreads you can use besides these. Chocolate is very popular. Peanut butter is another choice. All flavors of jams are used. Use your imagination and you can make a new hamantash.) (I have a jar of pear butter which I should have used.)

1 large egg, beaten
cinnamon/sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment or foil.

Either by hand or in a mixer combine the oil, egg, vanilla, water, sugar, baking powder, and flour. Knead until it forms a soft dough. Roll the dough out into a very thin layer. Dip the rim of a 3- to 4-inch cup or glass in flour. Use the glass like a cookie cutter to cut out circles. Re-roll the scraps of dough and reuse.

In the center of each circle, drop a teaspoon of apricot butter or prune butter. Shape into a triangle by folding 2 sides of the circle to the center and pinch together at the corners.

Fold remaining side up to the center and pinch together at the corners.

Place hamantaschen 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. Make sure corners are tightly pinched so they don’t open during baking. Bake 20 minutes. Can be made in advance and frozen.

Yield: 4 dozen

“This cookie dough is great for all year round: After cutting the dough into flat circles or any shape, transfer them to the baking sheet and put a dollop of the thickest all-fruit preserves you can find, in the center. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar and bake as indicated. “

Susie Fishbein is the creator of the highly acclaimed Kosher by Design series, whose books have each sold tens of thousands of copies. Jewish World Review.

For more recipes by Susie, check here.

Stop by Chaya’s Comfy Cook and Sweet and Savory and let’s share.

BLUEBERRY CORN MUFFINS with a HINT OF CHOCOALTE



1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Bacardi rum
1/3 cup dried wild blueberries
1/4 cup chocolate pieces

  • Pour rum over the blueberries and let sit an hour or so at room temperature.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners or use a new toy like mine!
  • In a large bowl, sift together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt.
  • Add eggs, oil and milk; whisking gently to combine.
  • Drain blueberries.
  • Fold in blueberries and chocolate pieces.
  • Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups or pans.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

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PEANUT BUTTER BANANA RUM RAISIN BREAD

It’s National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a new recipe. The only thing that would make this better was to add some milk chocolate chips – always next time.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA RUM RAISIN BREAD
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 jumbo eggs
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup Parrot Bay coconut rum
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
2 large, RIPE bananas, pureed
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 hour to 1 day before pour rum over raisins and let sit at room temperature.
  • In a medium saucepan melt butter.
  • Add brown sugar and bananas in a sauce pan.
  • Cook until smooth and then add nuts and raisins.
  • Stir until well coated & set aside to cool.
  • Cream peanut butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
  • Add this to the creamed mixture gradually until well blended.
  • Add cooled banana mixture.
  • Pour into greased and floured pan(s)*
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45+ minutes.

*This recipe will make 2 large loaves or 1 cake.

FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

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BANANA BLUEBERRY CRUNCH

BANANA BLUEBERRY CRUNCH
I usually make everything from scratch, but this recipe is too good to mess with much. I have reduced the fat a bit and altered the ingredients to meet my family’s likes, but other than that this recipe is fantastic as is. The key is to remember to layer exactly as listed! It is great in a pinch since most ingredients are always in the cupboard or freezer. The original recipe called for the butter before the nuts and coconut, but I changed that. By putting it last, the nuts and coconut toast up fantastically.

1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
2-3 cups frozen blueberries
1-3 ripe banana(s), sliced thin
1 cup sugar
1 box yellow cake mix, dry
1/2-1 cup minced walnuts
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut
1 1/2 -2 sticks butter, melted

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Layer exactly as listed in even layers
  • Bake 45-60 minutes until it tests done

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BAKED PINEAPPLE

I got this recipe from my cousin Jenn years ago and she got it from her hubby’s family. My family affectionately calls it PINEAPPLE FLUFF, but BAKED PINEAPPLE is the technical name Jenn gave me.

2 large cans crushed pineapple, drained, but save the juice
2 cups pineapple juice
2 JUMBO eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
mini marshmallows
*2 bananas
*2 cups vanilla wafers

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Over a medium heat whisk the sugar into the pineapple juice until dissolved in a medium saucepan.
  • Next whisk in the eggs until well blended.
  • Gradually add cornstarch and cook until thick. Watch closely, it will burn quickly.
  • Spray an 8×8 baking dish with PURE.
  • Spread pineapple pieces evenly along the bottom.
  • Pour the thickened sauce over the pineapple pieces.
  • Bake 20 minutes.
  • Top with a layer of marshmallows.
  • Return to the oven for a few minutes until marshmallows are golden.
  • Serve hot or cold.
  • This is great leftover and re-heated.

*Now for my optional additions.
Crush vanilla wafers and place on the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice the bananas and layer on top of vanilla wafers before the pineapple pieces.


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COCONUT ALMOND PEAR TART

COCONUT ALMOND PEAR TART

Adapted from BAKING FROM MY HOME TO YOURS by Dorie Greenspan

3 medium pears, firm but ripe
1 lemon
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg

2 teaspoons coconut rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 partially-baked 9-inch tart shell, made with Sweet Tart Dough (see below), at room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, or apple jelly for glazing
whipped cream
toasted coconut

  • Make the sweet dough recipe below first!
  • Peel pears, but leave them whole.
  • Bring the 4 cups water, the 1 1/4 cups sugar and the juice of the lemon to a boil in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears.
  • Add the pears to the boiling syrup, lower the heat so the syrup simmers and gently poach the pears until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
  • Cool the pears to room temperature in the syrup.

To make the almond cream:

  • Cream the butter and sugar in the food processor until the mixture is smooth and satiny.
  • Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended.
  • Add the flour and cornstarch, process, and then add the egg. Process until almond cream is smooth and consistent.
  • Add the rum and vanilla and process just to blend.
  • Place the almond cream in a container and refrigerate it until firm.

  • Center rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a jelly roll pan with a silicone mat.
  • Cut the pears in half from blossom to stem and core them; make sure to pat the pears dry – really dry – so that their liquid won’t keep the almond cream from baking.
  • Fill the baked crust with the almond cream, spreading it even with a spatula.
  • Thinly slice each pear half crosswise, lift each half on a spatula, press down on the pear to fan it slightly and place it, wide-end toward the edge of the crust, over the almond cream. The halves will form spokes.
  • Put the crust on the lined baking sheet.
  • Bake the tart 50 to 60 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up around the pears and browns.
  • Transfer the tart to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature before unmolding.

Right before serving, dust the tart with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream sprinkled with toasted coconut.

SWEET TART DOUGH
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup sweet flaked toasted coconut

To make the dough:

  • Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine.
  • Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely – you’ll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that’s just fine.
  • Beat the egg slightly, and gradually add it, pulsing after each addition.
  • When all of the egg has been added, process in long pulses – about 10 seconds each – until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.
  • Turn the dough out onto a work surface.
  • Very lightly and sparingly – make that very, very lightly and sparingly – knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
  • Butter the tart pan and press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
  • Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

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Babka: Lovin’ From the Oven

Have you ever picked up an old cookbook off of your shelf, you know, one that you have used for decades and turned it to a recipe you haven’t seen for ages and suddenly been transported to the last time you tasted that dish? That happened to me recently with this recipe. It is excellent. It’s not quite a bread and it’s not quite a cake. It can be served for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Babka:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water
2 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raisins
topping:
1 egg white
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter
In a small sauce pan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast, stirring until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, stick of butter, eggs, egg yolk and 3 cups flour. With electric mixer, beat until smooth and blended. Stir in remaining flour, stirring until dough leaved side of bowl. Mix in raisins. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Turn dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until dough is 1/2 inch from the top of the pan. Meanwhile, make the topping by mixing flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl with a pastry blender. Brush the egg white on top of the babka and then sprinkle on the topping. Bake 350 degrees 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack 15 minutes. To serve, remove from the pan and cut in wedges.

This is SO good!!!!

Chocolate Obsession

CHOCOLATE OBSESSION
It is a little frightening. I go through my recipes on both my blogs and what do I see dozens of recipes for chocolate chip cookies and brownies plus all kinds of other chocolate goodies and I keep baking more. Of course, my excuse is my class, who I do the bulk of my baking for. They adore chocolate, like I don’t.

I thought I would bake one of the best recipes with you and of course, it has chocolate.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients:

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into squares
1 stick unsalted margarine
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Method:
In a microwave, melt the bittersweet chocolate and margarine. Allow it to cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl until frothy.

Slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture ribbons off the beaters. Add the melted chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.

Sift the dry ingredients together.

Add to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.

Fold in the chips and nuts.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is well chilled . I did not have the time to do this.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. (I used four sheets and doubled on one of them. I got loads of cookies, figuring 16 on a sheet.

Using a small cookie scoop (one teaspoon) make balls to place on cookie sheets, leaving about one and a half inches between cookies.

Bake about 12 minutes. Start checking at 11. Depending on the shelf, they were on, some were done.
The tops of the cookies should look dry and cracked. None of mine were.
Allow to cool for a minute on the baking sheet, then remove to cake racks for further cooling.
Finally, eat and be aware, you will want to keep eating more and more. These cookies don’t look like much, in my opinion but they are the chewiest so if you like chewy, here it is.
Check out Tyler’s brownies on Sweet and Savory – more chocolate

THE ULTIMATE OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Chocolate chip cookies were one of the earliest recipes I began making on my own. There was always the great nut debate between my grandfather and uncle who both believed they didn’t like nuts. I LOVE walnuts in my cookies and brownies and even as a child learned that there are two ways to skin a cat as my dad would say. It turns out that what I liked was the flavor, didn’t really care about the actual nut one way or the other. So, I learned to “fake” out my grandfather and uncle who despite their belief in no nuts had no problem devouring a batch of my cookies! I’ve tweaked this recipe for years to make a larger batch and keep everyone happy.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
3 3/4 cups flour
1 cup walnut pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup golden raisins

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Using a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together.
  • Add molasses and blend until smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time until well blended.
  • Add vanilla and maple extracts and blend until smooth.
  • Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder.
  • In a small food processor, chop nut pieces until a fine flour.
  • Gradually add the nuts and flour mixture until well blended.
  • Gently fold in milk chocolate chips and raisins.
  • Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes
  • Enjoy

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RUSTIC APPLE DUMPLINGS with MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

I made a less than appetizing dinner the other night trying to clean out the refrigerator and while hubby was as diplomatic as possible, I felt bad. He has always been a wonderful guinea pig. So I had 2 apples and a can of refrigerator biscuits that all still needed to be used. Here is what I made:


RUSTIC APPLE DUMPLINGS with MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

I peeled, cored and chopped the apples.
Then I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and tossed them well.

I flattened each of the biscuits with a little additional flour.
Topped 5 of them with the apple mixture.

Then draped the apple mixture with another flattened biscuit.
I brushed each one with butter, sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar and baked 10-12 minutes.

After they were baked I topped them with Mocha Caramel sauce and voile’ my family loved me again.

MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

  • Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat.
  • In a medium saucepan cook the corn syrup over a medium heat until bubbly. Fold in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to cook until the edges begin to turn a light amber color. Add in 1/4 cup sugar more and repeat until all the sugar is blended in. Continue cooking until amber color darkens stirring constantly.
  • Remove from the heat and carefully fold in the cream mixture.
  • Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until caramel is bubbling.
  • Toss in the milk chocolate chips and blend until smooth.
  • Serve warm.

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CARAMELIZED CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON

Dave at My Year on The Grill has dared, double dared in fact us KrAzY kitchen ladies to do a recipe. In my case the joke is on him. My niece had told me about this chocolate covered bacon she’d had at a county fair and it intrigued me so much I made it back at Thanksgiving time. It didn’t last long around that house full of bacon lovers. I then took it one step farther and caramelized the bacon first – talk about a taste treat for the tongue!

CARAMELIZED CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON
10 slices thick bacon
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons cider or balsamic vinegar
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Whisk together the brown sugar and vinegar.
  • Toss bacon slices in the mixture, packing it onto the slices.
  • Layer bacon and onions on grilling rack.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes or until JUST crisp. DO NOT OVERCOOK!
  • Cool completely.
  • In a double boiler combine chocolate, butter and milk until creamy.
  • Carefully dip bacon slices.
  • Cool on wax paper.

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CARAMELIZED CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON

Dave at My Year on The Grill has dared, double dared in fact us KrAzY kitchen ladies to do a recipe. In my case the joke is on him. My niece had told me about this chocolate covered bacon she’d had at a county fair and it intrigued me so much I made it back at Thanksgiving time. It didn’t last long around that house full of bacon and chocolate lovers. I then took it one step farther and caramelized the bacon first – talk about a taste treat for the tongue!

CARAMELIZED CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON
10 slices thick bacon
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons cider or balsamic vinegar
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Whisk together the brown sugar and vinegar.
  • Toss bacon slices in the mixture, packing it onto the slices.
  • Layer bacon and onions on grilling rack.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes or until JUST crisp. DO NOT OVERCOOK!
  • Cool completely.
  • In a double boiler combine chocolate, butter and milk until creamy.
  • Carefully dip bacon slices.
  • Cool on wax paper.

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