Mendelson also makes a guilt-free, low-sugar, vegan black tahini truffle that is exceptionally rich, nutty and creamy, which she shared with us below.

Read more about black tahini and how to use it here.

Black Tahini Truffles

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Lisa Mendelson says this is an Asian twist on Seed + Mill’s classic tahini truffle recipe. The nuttiness of the black sesame is perfect with intense dark chocolate.

• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 cup black tahini
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
• black sesame seeds
• pink Himalayan salt

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Instructions

1. Line a small loaf pan with plastic wrap.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a pan set over very low heat.
3. Add black tahini to melted chocolate and stir well.
4. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and salt.
5. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.

• Author: Seed + Mill
• Prep Time: 5 minutes + 3 hours chill time
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Middle Eastern

The post These Black Tahini Truffles Are the Perfect Vegan Dessert appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake, has been enjoyed with sweet and savory fillings in Japan for centuries. Traditionally, mochi is made by pounding steamed glutinous rice until it congeals into a sticky, stretchy dough. This labor-intensive process, called mochitsuki, requires strength, rhythm and teamwork reminiscent of a well-coordinated dance. During New Year celebrations, mochi is eaten to symbolize health, happiness and prosperity. First introduced to America in the late 19^th century by Japanese immigrants, mochi became a staple in confectionaries across Hawaii and the Pacific Coast, including in downtown Los Angeles’ vibrant Little Tokyo neighborhood. It was here that the sweet rice dough found its cool and creamy match. But before mochi and ice cream got together, a real-life love story would take place. 

The daughter of mochi-making masters, Frances Hashimoto was destined to overcome the odds and live a life of sweet success. After her early childhood in Arizona’s Poston War Relocation Center, a Japanese internment camp, during World War II, Hashimoto and her parents returned to their Los Angeles home to rebuild the traditional Japanese confectionery businesses they’d operated since 1910. Hashimoto grew up in nearby Boyle Heights, a culturally-diverse neighborhood and the home of LA’s original Jewish community. After pursuing a career as an elementary school teacher, Hashimoto returned to her roots to continue the family business alongside her Jewish-American husband, Joel Friedman. Together, the pair oversaw Mikawaya’s continued success as a local institution and cultural mainstay for several decades.

But everything changed on a family trip to Japan in the 1980s. Hashimoto introduced Friedman to mochi made the traditional Japanese way — filled and decorated with red bean paste and fruit — but he didn’t really like it that much. This sparked an idea that would redefine mochi for American consumers, as Friedman brainstormed ways to introduce mochi — a foreign delicacy little-known outside the Japanese community — to a broader audience in a way that would be accessible and palatable to the average American. His solution? Stuff mochi, the classic Japanese treat, with ice cream, a quintessentially American dessert. Both he and Hashimoto were thrilled about the concept, but execution proved challenging.

Jews have long been ice cream innovators in the United States. Twenty years earlier, another Jewish husband-and-wife duo founded Häagen-Dazs as an ode to Denmark’s loyalty to Jews during World War II and to a love of ice cream that knows no borders. However, the challenge before Friedman and Hashimoto was unique. Due to mochi’s particular texture and chemical makeup, it was difficult to keep the ice cream from melting or the mochi from becoming too hard. To fuse mochi and ice cream, they’d have to hit the temperature sweet spot — a challenge their culinary consultants warned would be to “defy the very laws of physics.” But Jews have a knack for overcoming the odds through hard work and dedication. After a full decade of culinary research and experimentation, Friedman and Hashimoto managed to crack the case by inventing their own style of ice cream uniquely suited to mochi’s needs. With three original flavors —  mango, red bean and green tea — it was time to bring their creation to market. 

Mikawaya first launched their creation in Hawaii, confident that it would resonate with the high concentration of Japanese Americans. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and from there, it took off — selling out of Mikawaya’s storefront in Little Tokyo and expanding to restaurants and grocery stores nationwide. Mikawaya mochi ice cream even acquired a kosher certification, further bridging cultural divides and ensuring that Jews everywhere could enjoy the unique gastronomical magic of mochi ice cream.

After Hashimoto passed away in 2012, Friedman became the first non-Japanese owner of Mikawaya. He continued making mochi ice cream until 2015, at which point he sold the company to a private equity firm and closed the storefront in favor of the retail market. Today, the treat remains in freezer aisles everywhere, with traditional Japanese flavors sold under the original Mikawaya label and innovative new ones, like guava, dulce de leche and apple pie a la mode mochi ice cream under a new brand name, My/Mochi Ice Cream. 

These days, Mikawaya isn’t the only mochi ice cream brand on the market — nor the only one with kosher labels and Jewish roots. Bubbies brand, a Hawaii-born ice cream company named in honor of founder Keith Robbin’s Jewish grandmother, now competes with Mikawaya for shelf space with its own collection of premium, single-serve, and plant-based mochi ice creams. As they say: two Jews, three opinions, 43 flavors of mochi ice cream…

Fusing cultures, textures and tastes, Friedman and Hashimoto stretched the limits of the imagination to introduce America to a new culinary creation. In doing so, they built a growing mochi ice cream industry and fostered cross-cultural connection — following in the footsteps of, and paving the way for, ice cream’s commercial history as a Jewish-rooted product with global reach. 

The post The Sweet Jewish History of Mochi Ice Cream appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The cream is made by slowly boiling raw milk over low heat, then cooling overnight, which results in a thick layer of cream. Water buffalo milk has a very high percentage of fat (about 40-60%) which makes it ideal for this recipe.

Kaymak, a word with Central Asian Turkic origins, meaning “melt,” is a similar type of clotted cream. It is popular in Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, Romania and central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia. In Iran, this cream is called sarshir, which means “top of the milk.” 

Water buffalo originated in West India and were domesticated about 6,000 years ago. They were traded from the Indus Valley civilization to Mesopotamia in 2500 BCE. Archeological records even show the the sacrifice of water buffaloes on the seal of the scribes of an Akkadian King. The marshes that dominate the south of Iraq are particularly suitable for the raising of water buffalo. While Saddam Hussein, in his attempts to root out the “March people,” tried to destroy the marsh ecosystem, the marshes of southern Iraq are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the water buffalo continue to thrive there. 

For Iraqi Jews, Shavuot is synonymous with qei’mar and kahi, a flaky layered crepe. When we were younger, my mother would make us kahi from scratch, but it’s an involved process of kneading a dough made with vinegar, allowing it to rest, rolling it out and layering it, then frying it with lots of butter. 

This year for Shavuot, I decided that rather than struggling with the kahi dough I would bake little squares of puff pastry. But what could possibly come close to the thick, rich creamy qei’mar?

Rachel and I hit on a wonderful solution: We strained equal parts sour cream and ricotta cheese. The results were a mouthwatering smooth, thick, rich cream. 

We highly recommend you try this recipe for crispy kahi, clotted cream and silan (date syrup). A typical, traditional Iraqi breakfast food, for Jews and non-Jews alike, it makes a perfectly simple, yet elegant dessert. 

As I enjoy it, I’ll be nostalgic for my childhood home on the Sydney harbor and the happy memories with my parents; but, as always, I will cherish the sweet, new memories.

An Easy Twist on Kahi and Qei’Mar

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Puff pastry is our secret ingredient to an easy, yet nostalgic, take on Iraqi kahi and qei’mar.

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 large sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted and cut into 12 equal squares
• ½ cup full fat ricotta cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup organic date syrup (aka silan)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine ricotta and sour cream in a fine strainer and allow to drain for 15 minutes.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
4. Place puff pastry on the tray, then poke a few holes in each square with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and puffed.
5. Arrange hot puff pastry on a dish. Serve with ricotta cream and a generous drizzle of silan.

• Author: Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Sheff
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Quick
• Cuisine: Sephardi

The post This Easy Iraqi Jewish Breakfast Is a Family Favorite appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

King Solomon’s Cake, popular in Libya and attributed to King Solomon himself, is also called saefra (yellow) cake — the yellow comes from saffron. Many versions are studded with raisins, but I prefer this spiced date filling instead. This delicious dairy-free cake was a must for the Sabbath and special occasions. I assume it predates the more elaborate baklava we know today. It was also, according to the late cookbook author Copeland Marks, an aphrodisiac — and, as such, it was served on the eve of the Sabbath to husbands needing help in their conjugal duties.

The following recipe is excerpted from “King Solomon’s Table” with permission from Knopf.

Learn more about King Solomon’s eating habits and the history of this cake here.

Saefra

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This vibrant, zesty cake soaked in syrup is believed to have been King Solomon’s favorite.

• Total Time: 7 hours
• Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the date filling:

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb pitted dates, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves

For the cake:

• 2 cups (440 g) cream of wheat
• 1 cup (225 g) coarse semolina
• ½ cup (100 g) sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup (235 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 cup (235 ml) orange juice
• grated zest from 1 orange
• ½ cup blanched whole almonds, for garnish
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish

For the syrup:

• 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar, or ¾ cup (150 g) sugar + ¾ cup (175 ml) honey
• juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ tsp saffron threads

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.
2. To make the filling: Pulse the oil, dates, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a food processor with a steel blade until a thick paste has formed.
3. To make the cake: In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of wheat, semolina, sugar, baking powder, vegetable oil, orange juice and orange zest to create a thick batter.
4. Spread half the batter into the prepared pan, then top with the date filling, spreading the mixture with a spatula to the edges of the pan. Pour the remaining batter over the top, smooth the surface and score the top of the cake into 2-inch diamond shapes.
5. Gently push one whole almond vertically into the center of each diamond, then scatter the sesame seeds over all. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden on the top.
6. Fifteen minutes before the cake is done, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, honey (if using), ½ cup (120 ml) of water, and lemon juice to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, add the saffron and let steep for 5 minutes.
7. Pour the warm syrup over the cake when it is done. Let stand for at least 6 hours or more, so the cake completely absorbs the syrup.

• Author: Joan Nathan
• Prep Time: 15 minutes + 6 hours soak time
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Sephardi

The post Libyan Semolina Cake with Spiced Date Filling appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Today, the U.S. has more cheesecake recipes and varieties than anyplace else in the world. For me, though, after all the many, many recipes for cheesecake, my go-to is an easy, less sweet cheesecake pie, close in taste and consistency to the kind German Jewish immigrants brought to America.

My recipe is a hybrid of American and German versions, using farmers cheese for some curd mixed with cream cheese. Hold the sour cream and use a little yogurt instead for that little extra bit of tang. A graham cracker or cookie crust adds a modern twist. To be more authentic, use a dough pie crust, especially one with yeast. Many of the cheesecakes throughout the centuries used dried fruit, so I like that in this version. But I admit that in summer, I sometimes substitute with fresh blueberries.

Considering how far cheesecake has wandered before finding stardom in this country, it seems yet another reason to enjoy, especially at Shavuot.

Read more about the Jewish history of cheesecake here. 

Note: Once baked and cooled, this cheesecake is also good with your favorite fruit preserve spread gently on top.

Quick and Easy Cheesecake Pie 

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This easy, tangy cheesecake recipe is ready in under 45 minutes.

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 graham cracker or other cookie crust, or a regular pie crust
• ⅓ cup superfine sugar
• ⅓ cup (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, softened to room temperature
• 6 oz farmers cheese, softened to room temperature
• ⅓ cup yogurt
• 2 large eggs, beaten well
• grated zest of 1 large lemon or a small orange
• ½ cup chopped up dried fruit such as apricots, prunes or golden raisins, or ½ cup fresh blueberries (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Follow directions for your favorite graham cracker or cookie crust. If using regular pie crust dough, roll it out and line a greased 8-inch tart or pie pan.
2. Prick the bottom several times with a fork and bake for 10 minutes to crisp the crust. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a bit before filling.
3. Let the cheeses and butter soften to room temperature. If you don’t have superfine sugar, put it in a blender or food processor and pulse until fine.
4. In a food processor, add the butter to the sugar and pulse to cream until light. Add the softened cheeses and yogurt, and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs and process until smooth and creamy. Pulse in the zest just until evenly mixed.
5. If not using a food processor, in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light. Add the softened cheeses and yogurt, and beat together until well blended. Beat in the eggs and mix very well. Stir in the zest and, if using, the dried fruit.
6. Once the filling is ready, fill the cooled pie shell with the mixture. Put the cheesecake into the very hot preheated oven, then immediately turn the heat down to 350°F. Bake until the filling is set, about 25-28 minutes. Let cool.
7. Serve with fresh fruit or berries and whipped cream.

Notes

Once baked and cooled, this cheesecake is also good with your favorite fruit preserve spread gently on top.

• Author: Susan Barocas
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Ashkenazi

The post Quick and Easy Cheesecake Pie  appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

For over a century, the strange, oily gloop has graced kosher restaurants, holiday cookbooks and hand-scribbled recipe cards in Jewish homes across the nation, becoming a (contested) symbol of Jewish American identity and culinary tradition . 

But how did Judaism get to Crisco as America is to apple pie? The answer lies at the intersection of early 20th-century consumerism and Jewish American culture. 

First, we need to take a look at the origins of Crisco itself. Debuted in 1911 as a product of Cincinnati’s Procter & Gamble Co., it started as a strange solution to a strange problem. Textile production skyrocketed during the Industrial Revolution, leaving America with a surplus of leftover cotton seeds. No one could figure out what to do with them — until chemists learned to extract the oil and combine it with hydrogen, which created a cheap alternative to animal-based fats like lard and tallow. Initially, Procter & Gamble intended to use the new substance to make candles. But they ended up selling it as a food product, instead. 

The public wasn’t totally sold on the idea. Aside from sneaky CEOs cutting costs by substituting it for pricier olive oil, cottonseed oil wasn’t typically used in the food business. It was primarily intended for soap, artificial dyes and explosives. There was even some debate over whether cottonseed oil is really a food (spoiler: it isn’t; Procter & Gamble would later switch to other vegetarian oils). 

Eventually it caught on with the help of some clever, if somewhat dishonest, marketing. But sales still weren’t remarkable among established Americans. Given the product’s versatile non-dairy, non-meat nature, Procter & Gamble’s PR team decided to give a hard sell to the nation’s newly minted community of Eastern European Jewish immigrants. One 1913 newspaper advertisement, printed in English and Yiddish and distributed throughout the United States, made the lofty claim that “The Hebrew Race has been waiting 4,000 years for Crisco.” 

4,000 years! 4,000 years spent wandering through deserts and across the globe, all for… non-dairy shortening? Shockingly, the ploy worked; American Jews went wild for Crisco — and haven’t looked back since. 

There are evident perks: It’s kosher, and pareve, too. That means that, when she has Crisco on hand, the good Jewish housewife doesn’t need to buy both schmaltz — for meat — and butter — for dairy — thus saving money and resources. And, a hundred or so years ago, Crisco was considered (or, at least, marketed as) a healthy alternative to traditional animal-based cooking fats. 

But more important was Crisco’s cultural significance. For new immigrants, the feeling of belonging was vital. There was a constant struggle between old and new, religion and nation, and tradition and assimilation. Here was a practical solution that didn’t require compromise. Kosher enough for the rabbi, stylish enough for the all-American woman and economical to boot, Crisco was a tasty, practical reminder that you could be both Jewish and American — and be so with class and tact. 

Procter & Gamble’s 1933 cookbook, “Crisco Recipes for the Jewish Housewife,” cemented the product’s popularity within the Jewish community. Each recipe was printed in both English and Yiddish. Offerings ranged from traditional favorites, like kugel, to American icons such as southern fried chicken and macaroni salad — all, of course, with a generous helping of Crisco. Despite the economic hardship of the Great Depression, sales continued to soar. Over the course of a century, Crisco grew from its resourceful beginnings to the heart of American Jewish cooking. 

In recent years, though, Crisco has amassed slews of controversy. For one thing, it’s been condemned for ruining the magic of traditional (i.e., schmaltzy) Jewish cooking with its sub-par flavor. Perhaps more shocking is the revelation that Crisco, marketed as an “all-vegetable shortening” doesn’t actually include any vegetables — at all. Even though it’s no longer made from cottonseed oil, Crisco’s modern key ingredients, soybean and palm oil, aren’t derived from vegetables, or even fruits, but from grains. They’re not particularly healthy or environmentally friendly, either. So, while definitely a little more edible, modern Crisco is not exactly a huge improvement on its cottonseed predecessor. 

Why do we continue to use Crisco? I think that, like with many Ashkenazi Jewish cultural rites, the answer can be most accurately summed up by Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof”: TRADITION! So next time you bite into a Crisco-coated latke, or hamantaschen, or maybe even fried chicken, you too can follow in the footsteps of our foremothers and savor the unctuous, oily flavor of Jewish American history. 

Get a taste of Jewish American Crisco cooking here. 

The post What Makes Crisco So Jewish? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

If you opt for the former (or have a stash of Lactaid on hand), we’ve rounded up 27 creamy, melty, rich Jewish cheese recipes worth a stomach ache. Dig in. 

Savory

1. Easy Cheddar Cheese Coins

Bake up these easy, cheesy crackers for a retro appetizer or an umami twist on Hanukkah gelt.

2. The Flakiest Cheese and Spinach Bulemas

These Sephardic pastries are crispy, flaky, cheesy heaven.

3. Matzah Mac & Cheese

Don’t let the matzah put you off; this recipe is good enough to eat year-round.

4. Pull-Apart Guava and Cheese Challah

Bring a taste of Cuba to your Shabbat table with these pillowy pockets of challah stuffed with sweet-as-candy guava paste and velvety cream cheese.

5. Khachapuri

These Georgian cheese boats are pure comfort food – even if you’ve never tried them before.

6. Noodles and Cottage Cheese

Speaking of simple comfort food, this Ashkenazi classic tastes like home.

7. Greek Phyllo Pastries with Feta and Honey

These golden, savory-sweet pastries are perfect to wow a crowd.

8. Spinach and Kashkaval Cheese Bourekas

These coiled “ropes” of dough stuffed with salty cheese and greens are our summer dinner of choice.

9. Mac & Cheese Noodle Kugel

Noodle kugel like you’ve never experienced it before.

10. Roasted Tomato and Labneh Pappardelle 

Italy meets the Middle East in this sunny pasta dish garnished with fresh za’atar.

11. Pizza Bourekas

These indulgent, travel-sized treats come together in 30 minutes and are guaranteed to become a family favorite.

12. Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread Babka

If you still need persuading we can’t help you.

13. Broccoli and Cottage Cheese Pancakes

These “levivot” (Israeli savory pancakes) have stood the test of time for good reason – but no low-fat cottage cheese allowed. 

14. Pesto and Gruyere Stuffed Challah

A deliciously unique challah experience. 

15. Israeli Cous Cous Mac & Cheese

You might not think that subbing ptitim (aka Israeli cous cous) for macaroni would make a big difference to this iconic dish… but prepare for your mind to be blown.

16. Cheese and Herb Rugelach

A sophisticated appetizer that may well turn into a whole meal because they’re that good.

17. Everything Bagel Bourekas

Store-bought staples sing in this delicious bourekas recipe that’ll have everyone clamoring for more.

18. Zucchini, Manchego and Potato Pashtida 

If you feel “meh” about quiche, this creamy, versatile Israeli pashtida will convert you to the quiche club.

19. Cheesy Stuffed Latkes

The cheese pull of your dreams.

20. The Best Ever Cheese Sambusak

“These are by far the BEST sambusaks ever. I’ve tried so many recipes and none come even close to this one. The dough is airy and light not crumbling.” – Mushky, 5 stars. 

Sweet

21. How to Make Cheese Blintzes

These sweet cheese blintzes with blueberry compote will be the star of your next brunch party.

22. Labneh Ice Cream with Halva

Think of this as the best frozen yogurt ever. Top with tahini, silan (date honey) and crumbled halvah for the bite of your life.

23. Israeli Cheesecake

This simple, buttery cheesecake can be made in advance and frozen for up to three months – so you can sneak a slice whenever the craving hits. 

24. Lemon-Poppy Cream Cheese Babka

We won’t lie: This babka is a bit of work, but the result is totally worth it. Bookmark this for your next baking project.

25. Rugelach Bread Pudding Cheesecake

It’s giving chocolate rugelach, it’s giving cheesecake, it’s giving bread pudding, it’s giving heaven.

26. Bessarabian Cheese Buns

The flavors of sweet noodle kugel wrapped in a brioche-like dough, served with a dollop of sour cream and sliced strawberries.

27. Labneh and Fig Tart with an Olive Oil Crust

Hello, gorgeous.

The post 27 Jewish Cheese Recipes Worth the Stomach Ache  appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

“Scuffles,” the British television cook and proclaimed food writer explains in a recent YouTube recipe tutorial, “is the really delightful American name for an even more delightful Ukrainian pastry, rohalyky. Now if you’ve ever encountered rugelach, you’ll know what they are, but think like doll’s-house-sized croissants.”

So much to unpack here.

As a Brit, I regularly have to turn to my North American colleagues for insight into the food habits and psyche of those across the pond, but only a few had heard of scuffles. Hmm. Further research online revealed that scuffles are a fairly popular Canadian Christmas pastry. A rugelach by any other name would taste as sweet, I concluded, and moved on.

… But not very far. 

I was as thrown by the term “scuffles” as I was by Nigella’s pronunciation of rugelach, with its long “oo” like in “arugula,” which is different to the way it’s typically pronounced in the U.K.: rog-a-lach. Ultimately, I reasoned that we’re probably all pronouncing it wrong and there was no need to be petty. 

Regional differences resolved, I whiled away a happy hour researching the origins of rugelach and their relationship to Ukranian rohalyky. Turns out, they’re essentially the same pastry, which has long been enjoyed across Eastern Europe by non-Jews and Jews, who called them “rugelach” in Yiddish. 

Finally, I addressed Nigella’s description: “doll’s-house-sized croissants,” concluding it’s a bit of a stretch given that 1) her recipe does not call for a laminated dough, 2) you rarely come across cinnamon croissants and 3) neither rohalyky nor rugelach are French. Later in the video, Nigella likens her scuffles to “miniature armadillos,” which if you squint, or live inside Lawson’s kitschy brain (and how I often wish I did), is much more plausible. 

Still with me? (Fellow Virgos, I know you are.) Time to dissect Nigella’s recipe, which you can find on the website of upmarket British online grocery store, Ocado. 

In a pleasant turn of events, I have few complaints. The scuffles are easier and simpler than most rugelach recipes I’ve come across; on the video tutorial, Nigella even makes the pastries by hand, no mixer required. And you could argue that Nigella’s scuffles are a gratifying hybrid of American- and Isreali-style rugelach. Like Israeli rugelach, she adds yeast to her dough — but unlike the babka-esque Israeli dough, hers doesn’t need to rise. Like American rugelach, she enriches her dough, calling for sour cream rather than the typical cream cheese. 

And then, in true Nigella style, she ever-so casually turned my world upside down.

After chilling for an hour or two, ’twas time to roll out the dough — but not in flour. No, in a technique that Lawson correctly calls “fascinating and revelatory,” she rolls out each quarter of dough in cinnamon sugar. 

“Geometrists, please turn away because I’m going to describe this as a circle,” Nigella quips as she displays a sparkling disc encrusted in warm, scented sugar (I imagine she might say), which she then cuts, pizza-style, into small triangles (Nigella, use a pizza cutter not a knife, it’s much easier!), rolls up into “enchanting” pastries that may or may not resemble “teeny-tiny croissants” (see above), and bakes. 

Having told us her recipe feeds a crowd (64 scuffles, to be exact), which I think we can all agree is very Jewish, Nigella then recommends serving the pastries with ice cream, which is… not very Jewish.

Sadly, as with the entire Ocado YouTube series, we do not get to see Nigella eating a scuffle, nor even sneaking into the kitchen in the middle of the night in a silk nightgown to snatch a couple from the jar. But in the absence of a television show (how much longer must we wait for you to grace our screens once again, Nigella?), this will have to do. 

I’ll pass on the ice cream but — just as I always cover my rising bread dough with a leopard-print shower cap and double-butter my toast (once when the toast is warm, so it melts; once when the toast is a little cooler, so it coats the surface) — I shall, forevermore, roll out my rugelach dough in cinnamon sugar, just like Nigella does.

The post Celebrity Cook Nigella Lawson Has the Best Rugelach Hack appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

So when a festive and good-looking Passover cake, made of layers of chocolate cake and whipped cream, first appeared in a national newspaper in Israel in the 80s, it was immediately adopted by many home cooks, my mother included.

The cake was a revelation! At the bottom rests a rich chocolate layer made of whipped eggs and melted chocolate. When cooled down, the cake is topped with simple whipped cream lightly mixed with a drizzle of melted chocolate. The cake was not only kosher for Passover, but could easily be made pareve (using non-dairy whipped cream), which is always a bonus.

For my family, the cake became synonymous with Passover, sort of an old-fashioned treat that everyone waits for the whole year.

Then, in recent years, I started noticing versions of it pop up in every Israeli food blog and column, only this time around the cake got a fancy name — it was now called a Krembo Cake!

Krembo, in case you’re unfamiliar, is a treat that’s popular in Israel during the winter. It consists of a plain cookie that’s topped with a soft marshmallow cream that’s dipped in chocolate. The treat originated in Denmark in the 19th century and versions of it are available throughout Europe.

Israelis love Krembo, and giving a new name to a favorite old cake did the trick. The cake (with a facelift) is in again, and everyone gets to enjoy it.

Notes:

1. This cake can be made pareve by using a pareve heavy cream substitute, such as Rich’s Richwhip, parve or vegan chocolate, and vegan butter. It’s one of the rare cases where these substitutes work well.
2. In order for the eggs to whip nicely they should be at room temperature.
3. Use a clear cake strip (or cake collar) for a more elegant presentation.
4. The cake keeps in the fridge for up to five days. Serve cold. 

Krembo Cake for Passover

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A modern spin on a beloved Israeli Passover dessert, this decadent chocolate cake is topped with whipped cream and ganache.

• Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 12

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake:

• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 Tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 6 oz (170 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (can be parve or vegan chocolate)

For the cream topping:

• 3 ½ cups heavy cream, very cold (or parve whipping cream substitute, see notes)
• 2.8 oz (80 g, 8 Tbsp) instant vanilla pudding powder (kosher for passover)
• grated zest of one lemon

For the chocolate ganache:

• 4 oz (115 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (can be pareve or vegan chocolate)
• ¼ cup heavy cream (or pareve whipping cream substitute, see notes)
• 2 Tbsp butter (or pareve/vegan butter substitute)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease a 9-inch round springform pan.
2. Put eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip for 1 minute on medium speed. With mixer running, slowly add the sugar in a steady stream, then add the salt. Increase the speed to high and whip for 8 minutes until the eggs quadruple their volume.
3. In the meantime melt the chocolate on bain-marie or in 20-second intervals in the microwave, mixing between intervals.
4. When eggs have quadrupled in volume, reduce speed to medium and slowly pour the melted chocolate in. Increase the speed of the mixer again and mix until chocolate is combined. The mixture will lose some of its volume.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes, until cake feels soft but not runny in the center. Transfer to a cooling rack.
6. After 10 minutes, use a knife to release the cake from the sides of the pan (do not open the pan, keep the cake inside). Put a clear cake strip around the cake to make for a cleaner presentation (optional) and transfer the cake to the fridge for 30 minutes.
7. Put the cold heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. With mixer running on low, slowly add the vanilla pudding powder to the cream. Stop the mixer to scrape the powder from the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn mixer speed to high and mix for a couple of minutes or until the mixture creates soft peaks. (Make sure not to over whip, the mixture should still be soft. It will get firmer in the fridge over time.) Remove bowl from mixer, add lemon zest and fold it in. Use a spatula to transfer the cream to the cake pan on top of the chocolate cake and smooth the top. Transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.
8. To make the ganache, put all the ingredients in a bain-marie or in a microwave safe bowl and melt in 20 seconds intervals, mixing between intervals. 
9. Take the cake out of the fridge and slowly pour the chocolate ganache all over the top. Use an icing spatula to spread the ganache evenly all over the top. 
10. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours to set.

Notes

• This cake can be made pareve by using a pareve heavy cream substitute, such as Rich’s Richwhip, parve or vegan chocolate, and vegan butter. It’s one of the rare cases where these substitutes work well.
• In order for the eggs to whip nicely they should be at room temperature.
• Use a clear cake strip (or cake collar) for a more elegant presentation.
• The cake keeps in the fridge for up to five days. Serve cold.

• Author: Vered Guttman
• Prep Time: 20 minutes + 5 hours 30 minutes chill time
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Holiday

The post This Israeli Krembo Cake Is the Perfect Passover Dessert appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Many years before that, when watching a knish maker on the Lower East Side, I was struck by the way she cut her dough, using the side of her hand. I’ve done the same with my rugelach since then, to have a connection to the past.

Besides the dough, it is the high-quality jam and not too finely chopped toasted nuts — plus the old-fashioned cutting technique, which creates pockets in warm, jam-filled cookies — that make the recipe. I also heat the oven to 400 degrees and then, as soon as I put the rugelach in, turn it down to 350 degrees, to help set the crust. Recently, I made these rugelach for a group of women at a break-the-fast on Martha’s Vineyard, and every single one was devoured or taken home. Here it is, with all the recipe’s deliciousness.

From My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories © 2024 by Joan Nathan. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Notes: 

• Use this vanilla sugar whenever you want to make a pastry with vanilla, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it, or if you wish to sprinkle it on your rugelach. It needs to infuse for at least a day before use.
• The rugelach dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
• The assembled rugelach need to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before baking.

Raspberry-Walnut Rugelach

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Flaky dough, high-quality jam, not-too-finely chopped toasted nuts and an old-fashioned cutting technique elevate these warm, jam-filled cookies.

• Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 32

Ingredients

For the rugelach:

• 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks/227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 cups (250 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup (315 g) thick, good-quality raspberry or strawberry preserves
• ¾ cup (75 g) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped (but leave some slightly larger chunks)
• 2 Tbsp vanilla sugar, for sprinkling

For the vanilla sugar: 

• 4 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod

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Instructions

1. To make vanilla sugar: Put about 4 cups of sugar in a bowl or a glass jar with a lid. Take a vanilla-bean pod and carefully cut down the length, flicking out the beans from the center of the vanilla. Submerge the pods in the sugar, close the jar, and let it infuse for at least a day. 
2. Put the cream cheese, butter, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream until blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the flour and salt and mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 1 more minute. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic or food- grade silicone, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into four balls, then pat each into a rough square. Roll one piece into a rectangle about ⅛-inch thick (roughly 9 by 12 inches). Spoon a fourth of the jam onto the rectangle, then spread it almost to the edge, leaving about a ½-inch border all around. Sprinkle on a fourth of the nuts.
4. Roll the dough up along the long side, like a jelly roll, tucking in the ends and positioning it seam side down. Using the side of your hand like a knife, cut the roll into eight pieces (this causes the dough to crimp partially shut, whereas an actual knife would create a more spiraled appearance). Place the slices on the prepared baking sheets, repeating with the remaining dough and filling. You should have 16 cookies per baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F with two oven racks in the middle. Remove the rugelach from the refrigerator, and use your fingers to crimp the edges shut. (Any jam that oozes out will caramelize beautifully, so don’t worry too much about that.) Sprinkle the cookies generously with the vanilla sugar. Put the sheets into the oven, and immediately decrease the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then swap the baking sheets, rotate them back to front, and bake for about 15 minutes more, or until the rugelach are golden on top. Transfer them to racks to cool.

Notes

• Use this vanilla sugar whenever you want to make a pastry with vanilla, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it, or if you wish to sprinkle it on your rugelach. It needs to infuse for at least a day before use.
• The rugelach dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
• The assembled rugelach need to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before baking.

• Author: Joan Nathan
• Prep Time: 15 minutes + 3 hours chill
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Ashkenazi

The post Joan Nathan’s Raspberry-Walnut Rugelach appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Pellebe is a sponge cake flavored with orange blossom water and citrus zest, and then soaked in apricot syrup. This wonderfully light and airy cake is traditionally served by Jews in Morocco during Passover. Some bake the cake with the apricot halves and almonds gently placed on top of the cake, which gives a wonderful tang or with a layer of jam sandwiched between the middle. In this recipe, I slowly cook tinned apricots until they break down to make a delicious compote to serve on the side, but you could serve the whole apricots on the side if you prefer.

“Pellebe” is a Judeo-Arabic word used by the Jews of Morocco, who mainly hail from Spain. As well as for Passover, this popular cake is often made for birthdays and other celebrations throughout the year. It is often layered up with the orange marmalade called ma’azumor and sometimes also topped with meringue, making it extra decadent! Some start or finish the Yom Kippur fast with a slice of the cake and a coffee that has sweet egg cream added — and any leftovers are, of course, served as a breakfast cake, I see no better way to start the day! 

This recipe substitutes potato starch and egg whites for the traditional wheat flour to keep within the Passover kosher rules. They give the cake a light texture, with the wonderfully fresh syrup keeping it moist and giving a unique flavor. You can use almond flour for a gluten-free cake, which can be served all year around. 

Notes:

• Ideally, the syrup should be left to soak the cake for 1-2 hours before eating.
• The cake can be stored in an airtight container for a few days but hold off pouring on the syrup until the day of serving. 
• You can find the rose-shaped pan used in the photos on Amazon.

Moroccan Passover Apricot and Almond Cake (Pellebe)

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4.6 from 5 reviews

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This wonderfully light and airy sponge cake is traditionally served by Jews in Morocco during Passover. It’s flavored with orange blossom and citrus zest, topped with almonds and soaked in apricot syrup.

• Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

For the cake: 

• 6 large eggs
• pinch salt
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp orange blossom water
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup potato starch
• ½ cup Passover cake meal or almond flour
• zest of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 orange
• ½ cup flaked almonds, to serve

For the apricot compote:

• 1 (410 g/14 oz) tin apricots in syrup, drained
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• splash of water (5-10 ml/1-2 tsp)

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Instructions

1. To make the apricot compote: Drain the tin of apricots, saving the syrup in a pouring jug. 
2. Put the drained apricots in a saucepan with 1 Tbsp sugar and a splash of water.
3. Cook on a low flame, covered, for 30 minutes, checking regularly and giving a stir so that it does not burn on the bottom. 
4. Once the apricots have begun to break down, use the back of a fork to smash them down to create the compote. Leave to one side until ready to use.
5. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. 
6. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into one bowl and the whites into another.
7. Whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks, and leave to one side.
8. Whisk the yolks with the sugar, oil and orange blossom water, preferably with an electric whisk, until pale and fluffy.
9. Gently fold in the whites bit by bit with a large metal spoon, being gentle to keep the air in. 
10. Sieve the cake meal and potato starch into the cake batter, add the fruit zest and fold it into the rest of the mixture.
11. Grease a 9-inch cake tin and pour the mixture in.
12. Place gently into the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Check that it is cooked by inserting a skewer to ensure that it comes out clean. Once cooked, take out the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes until it is room temperature. 
13. Gently take the cake out of the tin. Using a skewer,  gently poke approx 8-10 holes into the cake before sprinkling the flaked almonds on top. Then drizzle over the tinned apricot syrup, letting it soak into the cake ideally for 1-2 hours before serving. 
14. Serve with the apricot compote.

Notes

• Ideally, the syrup should be left to soak the cake for 1-2 hours before eating.
• The cake can be stored in an airtight container for a few days but hold off pouring on the syrup until the day of serving.

• Author: Joanna Nissim
• Prep Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes soak time
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Holiday

The post This Moroccan Passover Apricot Cake Is Lighter Than Air appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The delicate, moist cake gets its loft and light texture from whipped egg whites, so take care while you’re working with them: make sure to not get any yolk in the whites and don’t overwhip them. An egg white will have maximum expansion potential if whipped just barely to the firm peak stage; going beyond that, to the point at which the whites are stiff, can mean less volume in your cake.

Special equipment: 10-inch (25 cm) 2-piece tube or angel food cake pan.

Note: Wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.

Excerpted from “The Jewish Holiday Table” by Naama Shefi and the Jewish Food Society (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2024. Photographs by Penny De Los Santos.

Sephardi Orange Chiffon Cake Recipe

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This iconic cake has been made for generations, and while it’s traditionally eaten to break the Yom Kippur fast and on Purim and lifecycle events, you can enjoy it any time.

• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 10-inch (25 cm) cake

Ingredients

Units USM

• 2 cups (235 g) cake flour, sifted
• 2 heaping tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp kosher salt
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup (200 g) superfine sugar (sometimes called baker’s sugar)
• ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable or sunflower oil
• 2 tsp finely grated orange zest
• ¾ cup (180 ml) fresh orange juice (from about 3 oranges)
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• ¾ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Set out a 10-inch (25 cm) tube or angel food cake pan, but do not grease it. Put the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend; set aside. 
2. Separate the eggs, putting 6 of the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer); discard the other 2 yolks (or reserve them for another use). Put all 8 egg whites into a small bowl (or another large bowl if you will be using a handheld mixer) and cover with plastic wrap; set aside at room temperature.
3. Add the superfine sugar to the egg yolks and beat at high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the oil, orange zest, orange juice and orange blossom water. With the mixer still on low speed, add the flour mixture, beating only until the batter is combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and set aside. 
4. Put the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl, attach it to the mixer stand, and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment (or use the handheld mixer with clean beaters). Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar, if using, and continue to beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks; take care that you don’t beat them to the point of becoming grainy. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand.
5. With a large rubber spatula or a metal spoon, scoop up about one-third of the egg whites and gently fold them into the batter. Continue with the rest of the egg whites, a third at a time, folding gently until just combined with no white streaks remaining. 
6. Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and smooth the surface with a spoon. Bake until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Immediately invert the cake pan onto a wire rack and let the cake cool completely, about 1½ hours.
7. To remove the cake from the pan, loosen the edges of the cake by running a long, thin knife around the inside of the pan and the center tube. Gently ease the cake out onto a wire rack and separate the cake from the base of the pan. Flip the cake back upright and lightly dust the top with confectioners’ sugar, if using. Serve right away.

Notes

Wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.

• Author: Naama Shefi and Stella Hanan Cohen
• Prep Time: 15 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes cooling time
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Holiday

The post Sephardic Orange Chiffon Cake Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Fun, glamor and celebration are central to Purim, a holiday that transports us back to the magic of childhood, when the synagogue would turn topsy-turvy with yelling, dress up and festivity. So it’s only fitting to treat this iconic Purim treat the same way. Here are seven hamantaschen recipes to delight your inner child – and your taste buds:

1. Unicorn Hamantaschen 

These magical hamantaschen bring your childhood dreams to life, with drizzles of colorful melted chocolate, cotton candy, mini marshmallows and, of course, sprinkles. 

2. Rice Crispy Treat Hamantaschen

This easy, no-bake hamantaschen recipe saves you from the pitfalls of cracked dough and leaky filling by remodeling a childhood favorite: Rice Krispies treats. Just be sure to make them the right way, with real marshmallows and a little butter, not marshmallow fluff.

3. Easy Pizza Hamantaschen

Three ingredients is all it takes to make this super easy hamantaschen recipe that could (and should) be an entire dinner. 

4. Chocolate and Sprinkles Hamantaschen

A classic combo for good reason, there are few desserts that can’t be improved with melted chocolate and colorful sprinkles, and hamantaschen is no exception. Bonus: You can make this dough months in advance and store it in the freezer. 

5. Pretzel Bagel Dog Hamantaschen

If the photo alone doesn’t convince you that this recipe is the work of genius, we probably can’t be friends. These savory, sophisticated hamantaschen will knock your socks off.

6. Milk and Cereal Hamantaschen

Milk and cereal is the taste of childhood nostalgia, and these colorful hamantaschen are a delicious trip down memory lane. You can use whatever cereal you like and, pro tip, these make for adorable breakfast-themed mishloach manot alongside a bottle of OJ.

7. Hamantaschen Cereal

If you’re seeking a Purim baking project, look no further. These teeny tiny hamantaschen are the true breakfast of champions. 

The post 7 Hamantaschen Recipes To Delight Your Inner Child appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Rinkoff’s Hamishe Cheesecake, the recipe for which great-grandfather Hyman brought over from Ukraine, is still the bakery’s most famous item. But their shelves are full of other delicious cakes, including celebratory layer cakes and contemporary gluten-free and vegan bakes. Still, the classics – cheesecakes, apple strudel, chocolate babka and marble cake, to name but a few – are the most beloved. 

This easy marble cake recipe calls for only five ingredients, and is a simplified version of the Rinkoff Bakery’s marble cake. It’s the recipe the family bake for themselves at home, and is sure to become a staple at your house, too. 

You’ll need a Bundt tin and a stand mixer or big bowl and eclectic whisk (or regular whisk, if you fancy an arm workout!) for this recipe, along with staple pantry ingredients. This five-ingredient cake comes together in an hour, and is perfect for whipping up for unexpected guests (it yields eight generous slices), or to make with kids, who will love swirling the cocoa-spiked batter into the plain yellow cake batter. 

Easy Marble Cake Recipe

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5 from 5 reviews

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This 5-ingredient cake is ready in under an hour.

• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 225g (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 225g (1 cup) caster or granulated sugar
• 225g (1¾ cups) self-raising flour
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F). 
2. Mix the butter, sugar, flour and eggs in a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes until all is incorporated. If you don’t have a stand mixer, this can be done by hand or with an electric whisk.
3. Split the batter equally into two bowls. In one of the bowls, add the cocoa powder and mix well.
4. Grease the Bundt tin well with butter. 
5. Pour the plain batter into the Bundt tin and then add the chocolate batter on top. Using a blunt knife or teaspoon, swirl them together.
6. Bake for 45-55 minutes uncovered. Check if the cake is ready by testing with a skewer; if the skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready. 

• Author: Jennifer Rinkoff
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Ashkenazi

The post Easy Marble Cake Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

1. Strawberry and Cream Rugelach

Taste like the first day of spring.

2. Cheese and Herb Rugelach

The savory friend your nightly glass of wine has been yearning for.

3. The Best Gluten-Free Rugelach

Tender, flaky cookies that won’t hurt your stomach. 

4. Iced Gingerbread Rugelach

All the flavors and sparkle of the holiday season in one squidgy spiral.

5. 4-Ingredient Rugelach

Store-bought malawach, a flaky Yemenite flatbread,  is the secret to these easy, Israeli-style rugelach. Gooey pastries in a fraction of the time.

6. S’mores Rugelach 

Bonfire meets your Temple’s kiddush in a sweet, toasty union.

7. Cranberry-Orange Rugelach

Rugelach, but make them Thanksgiving. The leftover cranberry-orange jam is as good with turkey as it is with latkes.

8. 2-Ingredient Rugelach Hack

Bookmark this recipe to whip up rugelach in a hurry whenever the craving hits.

9. Ube-Coconut Rugelach

Rugelach never looked this good. The tastiest expression of Filipna-Jewish-American identity.

10. Sticky Cinnamon Bun Rugelach

Caramel sauce! Caramelized nuts and raisins! Streusel! Icing! This recipe is proof that more is more. Slide on your comfiest pants and let’s get baking.

11. Pull-Apart Rugelach Cake

Turn this humble cookie into a show stopping dessert by baking a batch piled atop one another  in one cake pan. (Note: This recipe calls for Israeli-style yeasted rugelach, which are squidy and dense.)

12. Guava Rugelach

Flaky pastry, sweet-sour guava filling, and a touch of the tropics. As one 5-star review said, “I got so many compliments, I’d say my only regret is that I only did one batch and they were gone immediately.”

13. Chocolate Sea Salt Rugelach

A sophisticated take on classic chocolate rugelach that the whole family will love. Sprinkles optional but encouraged.

The post 13 Rugelach Recipes To Rival Your Grandma’s appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

While food is wrapped up in Valentine’s culture, from a box of fancy chocolates to inventive uses of canned whipped cream, these gestures always feel slightly performative and never like the star of the show. As a Jewish woman for whom food is front and center both in and out of work — that doesn’t work for me. 

Even when I was young, wild and childless, my perfect Valentine’s day involved cozying up on the couch in sweats, feasting on indulgent eats. Now that’s romance. 

So you can imagine how delighted I was when I spotted a trend for Valentine’s babkas emerging a few years ago. Polishing off an entire babka (as opposed to delicately nibbling on say, a pink-frosted heart-shaped cookie) is a challenge. It demands your full attention, stomach and evening. It’s a true front-and-center treat.

1. Honey & Co.

Israeli chefs Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer — partners in life and work, and founders of London’s Honey & Co. empire — arguably began the trend with their limited-edition Valentine’s babkas. “Made with lashings of cardamom cream & swathes of our house raspberry jam, then topped with pretty rose petals,” this year’s gorgeous bab feeds eight and can be yours for £35 (around $44) – if you live in the U.K. (they deliver nationwide). Preorder here. 

2. Mamaleh’s Delicatessen

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For those Stateside, don’t despair! Massauchesettes-based deli Mamaleh’s is baking up a dozen babka roses, tucked into a heart-shaped tin for $16. If you want a taste of these cinnamon roses, drizzled with white chocolate and topped with dried strawberries, you’d better preorder now.

3. Modern Bread and Bagel

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New York can feel like the loneliest place in the world on Valentine’s day for singletons, but Modern Bread and Bagel’s strawberry cheesecake babka makes a sweet companion (and delivers nationwide). At $35 it’s not the *cheapest* date but, you never know, the delivery person could be cute! Plus, it’s gluten-free! Just make sure to preorder 18 hours in advance.

4. Babka Zana

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From the city that never sleeps to the city of love, Paris’ cult Babka Zana bakery presents theiraptly named Babka Amour, flavored with raspberry confit, caramelized almonds, roseberries and rose water. This sugary stunner is available for preorder for €23 (around $25).

5. DIY Babka

Of course, you can make your own Valentine’s bab’ at home, too. Why not get funky with this retro swirl babka from Lo’s Kitchen? Or check out The Nosher’s extensive babka archives, with everything from s’mores to banana bread babka recipes. 

The post Valentines Babkas Are Our Love Language appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

It may well be the chocolatiest chocolate babka recipe around. First, you have a moist chocolate filling, which you can customize to make as sweet as you like. Then, the babka is sprinkled with chocolate chips before baking. Once the babka is baked, the final touch is a melted chocolate drizzle. 

If you’re feeling extra-indulgent, along with the chocolate chips, you can also top your babka with my simple and very useful crumb topping before baking. It adds an extra layer of texture and enhances the appearance of your baked goods — I use it for everything from babka to coffee cake, fruit crisps and muffins. Store the streusel topping in an airtight container in the freezer and use it as needed. Or, if you have any leftover gluten-free cookies or cake lying around, you can grind them into crumbs and top the babka with those crumbs instead.

Notes: 

1. This recipe yields two chocolate babkas. You can bake them in loaf pans or roll them up into a cylinder and bake in round pans for something a little different. 
2. I’d recommend using Blends by Orly Manhattan Blend Pastry Flour (made with millet and sorghum) or Blends by Orly Tuscany Blend Bread Flour for this recipe.
3. You can either freeze the whole babka or preslice it and freeze it in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. After the babka is defrosted, I recommend wrapping in foil and heating in the oven, or you can heat individual slices in the microwave. 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Babka Recipe

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3 from 1 review

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Sweet, gooey and indulgent. 

• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 2 babkas

Ingredients

For the dough starter:

• ¾ cup (110 g) Manhattan Blend or GF Bread Flour
• 3 Tbsp (20 g) dry active yeast
• ½ cup (110 ml) milk (dairy-free is fine), warmed to 105-115°F

For the dough:

• ½ cup (85 g) sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ⅓ cup (220 g) Manhattan Blend + extra, for rolling
• 7 Tbsps (100 g) softened butter or vegan butter

For the filling and topping:

• ¾ cup (90 g) cocoa powder
• 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar
• 7 Tbsps (100 g) melted butter or oil
• 1 egg yolk, for the egg wash
• chocolate chips
• cake crumbs, powdered sugar and melted chocolate (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two rectangular loaf pans or round pans.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dough starter ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes. 
3. Mix Manhattan Blend, salt and baking powder for your dough in a separate bowl. 
4. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the bowl with the starter, and mix together on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Lastly, slowly add the softened butter and mix all ingredients together until it forms a smooth shiny dough. Refrigerate dough until it is firm and easy to roll out.   
5. While the dough is in the fridge, prepare the filling. Mix together a 4:1 ratio of sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside. If you want the filling to be a less sweet chocolate, mix a 3:1 ratio.
6. Using Manhattan Blend or gluten-free flour for rolling, turn the chilled dough out onto a work surface dusted with flour. Split the dough into two equal-sized pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll the first half of the dough out into a rectangle, about 2cm thickness. 
7. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter or oil, leaving a ½-inch border along the top edge. Then, generously cover the surface of the dough with the cocoa/sugar mixture, leaving a 3/4 inch border along the top edge. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, carefully roll the dough into a tight cylinder, and then twist the cylinder into a loose knot. Transfer dough into a loaf to rise. (You can also roll the cylinder into a snail shape, like a cinnamon bun, and place it in a round pan to rise.) Repeat with the second half of the dough.
8. Let the babka sit in a warm area (80–100°F or 40-45°C ) for 25-30 minutes or until it almost doubles in size.  
9. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with chocolate chips. If you have leftover gluten free cookies or cake, grind them into crumbs and top the babka with the crumbs. Or make your own crumb topping.   
10. Bake at 350°F (180°C) until the outside of the babka is golden brown, about 35-45 minutes..  The inside should be very moist.  
11. Finish with powdered sugar and melted chocolate drizzle.

Notes

1. This recipe yields two chocolate babkas. You can bake them in loaf pans or roll them up into a cylinder and bake in round pans for something a little different. 
2. I’d recommend using Blends by Orly Manhattan Blend Pastry Flour (made with millet and sorghum) or Blends by Orly Tuscany Blend Bread Flour for this recipe.
3. You can either freeze the whole babka or preslice it and freeze it in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. After the babka is defrosted, I recommend wrapping in foil and heating in the oven, or you can heat individual slices in the microwave. 

• Author: Orly Gottesman
• Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Ashkenazi

The post The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Babka Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

My favorite bread to both bake and eat is challah, but not the challah you serve for Shabbat dinner. My ideal challah is served the next morning, for breakfast. There is something magical about Shabbat morning and Shabbat breakfast. The world almost stands a little still. Growing up, my most vivid Shabbat morning memories were at my aunt and uncle’s table filled with an array of special cakes and danishes served alongside tea and coffee. It was a special treat. As an adult, I try to bring that special Shabbat morning of pastries and cake into my own home with the concept of a breakfast challah. I began creating breakfast challah with leftover dough filled with cinnamon and sugar. Over the years, I have created many flavors of breakfast challahs that embrace the flavors of the season.

Winter breakfast challah will always be filled with bright citrus and marzipan. Marzipan, a traditional confectionary of Mizrachi, Sephardi and Eastern European Jews alike, is an unlikely breakfast food. However, when laminated into challah, it results in a delicate cross between challah and pastry, reminiscent of an almond croissant. The layers of the challah fall away in delicate folds of citrus-infused butter and fresh marzipan. Baked in a traditional babka crown shape, this challah makes the perfect centerpiece for your next brunch when the snow is deep and the days grow short.

Notes:

1. The temperature of the water should be delicately warm enough as for a baby’s bath. For those of you who don’t make it a habit of bathing babies; place a finger to the bottom of the cup of warm water. Keep it there a few moments. If it feels nicely warm without an “ouch” sensation, the water is the proper temperature.
2. If your marzipan feels a little too dry (it can happen, weather depending) add ½ Tbsp more water and blend it in.
3. If you don’t have an angel food cake pan (which is a tube pan with a flat bottom), you can use a Bundt pan. The inner ring of metal in these pans is essential for baking success because it allows airflow and heat to get to the center of the challah and create an even bake.  

Almond Croissant Breakfast Challah Recipe

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5 from 6 reviews

Print Recipe

With swirls of citrus-infused butter and homemade marzipan.

• Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
• Yield: 1 large challah, 10-12 servings

Ingredients

For the challah:

• 1 cup warm water (see notes)
• 1 Tbsp + 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 500 g bread flour (roughly 4 cups), plus more for kneading
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing bowl

For the marzipan: 

• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp disaronno liquor or rum
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp water (see note)

For the citrus butter:

• 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• zest of 2 large tangerines/clementines, roughly 2 heaping tsp
• 1 Tbsp bread flour

For the topping:

• 1 egg yolk
• ½ tsp water
• sliced almonds, for topping
• powdered sugar, for finishing (optional)

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Instructions

1. Start by making the challah dough: In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Mix well and let it rest about 5 minutes, or until yeast has bloomed/foamed up. (If your yeast has not bloomed/foamed up by this point, your water was too warm or your yeast is dead.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt and ¼ cup sugar. Mix well to combine. 
3. Add the eggs, olive oil and yeast/water mixture. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon to create a rough, shaggy dough. 
4. Pour the dough onto a clean kitchen counter and begin kneading the dough by pushing the dough with the palm of your hands, dragging it forward on the counter, and then folding it back over itself. Give it a quarter turn between each knead. 
5. Depending on the weather, the dough may be sticky, so add a little additional flour as you knead (anywhere from ¼ -⅓ cup), until the dough is slightly smooth and supple, but still has a little tackiness left. 
6. Lightly coat your mixing bowl in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and give it a little swirl around. Flip the dough over so all sides have been covered with oil. 
7. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap, cover in a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size. 
8. After 45 minutes, fold and punch the dough dough four times, giving the dough a quarter turn between each fold and punch. 
9. Cover the dough back up and allow it to rise another 35 minutes. While the dough rises, make the citrus butter: In a small bowl, combine the soft (but not melted) butter and clementine zest until fully incorporated. Add the flour and mix until fully combined. Set aside. 
10. While the dough continues to rise, make the marzipan: In a bowl of a food processor, combine the almond flour, powdered sugar, almond extract, liquor/rum and kosher salt. 
11. Pulse the processor a few good whirls until the ingredients are fully combined. 
12. With the processor running on low, slowly drizzle in the water and let it mix until the marzipan forms. The consistency should be spreadable, but not dry. Place marzipan in a bowl and set aside. 
13. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
14. To assemble your challah, start by dividing the dough in half, sprinkle it with flour and cover with a towel. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes. 
15. Lightly flour the counter and roll out the first piece of dough into a 13×20 rectangle. (The dough will be rolled out very thin, that’s what you want.) Position the dough so the long part of the dough (20”) is parallel to the edge of your counter.
16. Dot the dough with half of the citrus butter mixture. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, very carefully spread the butter all over the dough in an even layer. Do not leave a border. 
17. Dot the dough with half of the marzipan. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, very carefully spread the marzipan over the butter into an even layer. Do not leave a border. 
18. Carefully roll the dough snugly towards you (like making cinnamon buns) until you have a long rope. 
19. Set the dough rope aside and repeat the process with the other half of dough and filling. 
20. Twist the two dough ropes together and secure them to each other, creating a circle.
21. Place the challah in a well greased angel food cake pan, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. To make sure the dough is ready, poke the dough with your finger, when the dough doesn’t spring back, it’s fully proofed (about 15-25 minutes). 
22. Combine the egg yolk and ½ tsp water in a bowl and mix together. Brush the challah with the egg wash and allow it to dry for 1 minute. Brush on a second layer and scatter generously with sliced almonds. 
23. Bake for 35-40 minutes until deeply golden. If parts of the top begin burning or turn too dark before the challah is finished baking, loosely top those areas with small pieces of aluminum foil while the challah continues baking. 
24. Remove the challah from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. 
25. Carefully turn the challah out from the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow it to cool thoroughly before serving. (Optional) before serving, lightly sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. 

Notes

1. The temperature of the water should be delicately warm enough as for a baby’s bath. For those of you who don’t make it a habit of bathing babies; place a finger to the bottom of the cup of warm water. Keep it there a few moments. If it feels nicely warm without an “ouch” sensation, the water is the proper temperature.
2. If your marzipan feels a little too dry (it can happen, weather depending) add ½ Tbsp more water and blend it in.
3. If you don’t have an angel food cake pan (which is a tube pan with a flat bottom), you can use a Bundt pan. The inner ring of metal in these pans is essential for baking success because it allows airflow and heat to get to the center of the challah and create an even bake.  

• Author: Johanna Rothenberg
• Prep Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Ashkenazi

The post Almond Croissant Breakfast Challah Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

This recipe is unbelievably easy to make and has a flavor you just can’t beat. The richness of the pudding pairs beautifully with the tartness of the cranberries, the spice of the rum and the sweetness of the caramel sauce. If you have difficulty coming across fresh cranberries, frozen or canned work just as well. 

When making the caramel sauce, the type and amount of rum you use is up to preference. I prefer a less pronounced rum flavor, but regardless of how much you use, the taste will be incredible (you can’t go wrong with butter and brown sugar). The caramel sauce will be a little less viscous if you add more rum but you can always add more heavy cream if you want it to be thicker. As for the type of rum, I went with The Kraken Black Spiced Rum but any will do. Maggie’s Farm Spiced Rum is also a lovely option, as it includes its own orange flavor as well.

Notes: 

1. The frozen cranberries will need to be thawed before use and the canned cranberries will provide a slightly sweeter but equally delicious end result. 
2. Store in the fridge for up to five days.

Eggnog Challah Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Caramel Sauce

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4 from 1 review

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Decadent, delicious and super easy to make.

• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the bread pudding:

• loaf of stale challah (around 1.5 lb), cubed
• 2 cups eggnog
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 ½ cup of fresh or (thawed) frozen cranberries, or 1 (14 oz) can cranberries

For the spiced rum caramel sauce:

• ½ cup butter
• 2 Tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp-¼ cup spiced rum or apple juice, or 1 ½ tsp rum extract
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• pinch of salt (optional)

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine eggnog, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, and whisk until combined.
2. Cube the challah, add it to the bowl and gently toss using a spatula.
3. Once challah has been coated and has completely absorbed the liquid, gently fold in the cranberries.
4. Add to a greased 9×13 casserole dish and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
5. While it rests, preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. After your 30 minutes is up and the oven has heated, place your bread pudding in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
7. While the bread pudding is in the oven, start on the caramel sauce.
8. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter, marmalade, rum and brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
9. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then remove from heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream.
10. Place the saucepan back over low heat and continue stirring for about 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. The more rum used, the less thick the caramel will be. Add a pinch of salt at the end (optional).
11. Allow to cool and serve over bread pudding.

Notes

1. The frozen cranberries will need to be thawed before use and the canned cranberries will provide a slightly sweeter but equally delicious end result. 
2. Store in the fridge for up to five days.

• Author: Hannah Paperno
• Prep Time: 20 minutes + 30 minutes resting time
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Holiday

The post Eggnog Challah Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Caramel Sauce appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

When developing the perfect filling for these cookies, I opted for something subtle but reminiscent of classic winter flavors. I tested this recipe with multiple preserves and curds, but preferred orange marmalade most. However, Mrs. Darlington’s Cranberry and Orange Curd was delicious as well. The truth is that fruity flavors pair beautifully with gingerbread, so you can’t really go wrong. 

Depending on how you want to use the icing (drizzled or decorated), you can easily adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or more milk. For a sturdier icing, adding more powdered sugar will make it easier to make more intricate decorations. If you prefer to just drizzle the icing, adding more milk will allow the icing to fall and drape over the cookies more effortlessly. Either way, both options will dry down relatively quickly. Adding candies and sprinkles is optional but definitely makes for a fun activity for kids.

Note: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or five if refrigerated.

Iced Gingerbread Rugelach Recipe

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3.7 from 3 reviews

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A Jewish twist on seasonal, soft-baked gingerbread.

• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: ~ 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

For the rugelach dough:

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground allspice

For the filling:

• orange marmalade or fruit preserve of choice

For the egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk

For the icing:

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2–4 Tbsp milk
• sprinkles, to decorate (optional)

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer, cream together cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
2. Add in molasses and vanilla extract until incorporated and smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together  flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until the dough has come together (it will be soft, but it shouldn’t be sticky). If the dough is very soft and/or sticky, add up to an extra ½ cup flour.
5. Refrigerate and cover for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Divide dough in half, and roll out one half on a floured surface into a large, very thin rectangle (about ⅛ inch thick) with the longer side facing you.
8. Using a spoon or an offset spatula, spread orange marmalade or preserve-of-choice across the entire slab of dough in a very thin layer.
9. Very carefully, take one of the shorter sides of the rectangle and fold the dough in half.
10. Roll out your folded dough again into a rectangle until it’s around ⅛-inch thick. (You may lose some filling out of the sides but that’s ok.)
11. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, slice your dough into 12 triangles by cutting from one side of your rectangle to the other. The widest part of your triangle should be about 2 inches.
12. Starting at the base of each triangle, tightly roll the dough and place the cookie on your baking sheet, tip-side down, so that it doesn’t unroll in the oven.
13. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 Tbsp milk, and brush over each of the cookies before baking for 20-25 minutes.
14. Repeat steps 7-13 with the second half of your dough.

Notes

Note: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or five if refrigerated.

• Author: Hannah Paperno
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Holiday

The post Iced Gingerbread Rugelach Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.