Biscotti

Biscotti (or biscotto in singular) are Italian cookies which are baked twice, once by first baking in a loaf, then slicing the loaf and baking the slices. They are deliciously crunchy and are just perfect for dipping into dessert wine or coffee.

They are one of my favorite breakfast treats, sometimes I’ll even have them as dessert with wine, after a special dinner. Here is Lévana‘s easy and scrumptious recipe:

Chocolate Espresso Biscotti

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups flour: all purpose, whole wheat pastry or spelt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon instant coffee powder (decaf OK) mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

Directions

1. Mix the eggs, sugar and oil by hand or with a mixer, until well combined. Add all remaining dough ingredients and mix to make a smooth dough. The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a very lightly foured board, roll each piece into a 12 inch cylinder. Transfer each cylinder onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten into a log about 2 1/2 inches wide and and 1/2 inch thick. Make sure the shaped logs are at least 1 inch apart, as they will expand. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. Reduce the temperature to 325 F.
4. When the logs are cool enough to handle, carefully move them onto a cutting board. Cut 1/2 inch slices with a very sharp serrated knife; put the slices back on the cookie sheet, cut upside down and bake again for 20 more minutes or until golden brown and very crisp. (Take one out and let it cool and then taste it. If it’s not very crisp, return the biscotti to the oven for 2 to three minutes.)
5. Store at room temperature in an airtight cookie tin.

Yield: About 4 dozen

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

This Week’s Events

If you are tired of the same old bread, if you want to try something different, something that will open up new wonderful worlds of flavor, you must attend the incomparable Levana Kirschenbaum‘s demo tomorrow evening at 7:00pm:

Monday, December 12th

Secrets of Whole Grain Quickbreads and Muffins. Served with salad and soup

Think of all the delicious and healthy breads and muffins you could be whipping up in minutes, and you may never again wait in line for those nasty baked goods the cart around your corner heaves all day long. All the following goodies are equally at home as loaves or muffins, and each batch will make you enough for a good two dozen muffins or a large loaf, so we’ll have fun mixing and matching!

We will be serving our goodies with soup and salad.

I’ll be demonstrating:

• Caraway mustard bread
• Apple oat bread
• Irish soda bread
• Spicy pumpkin bread
• Zucchini pecan lemon bread
• Steel-cut oat soup and salad

You can register for this demo at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

$45 / class. $120 for 3 classes. $200.00 + a signed cookbook for 5 classes
$25 — attending for dinner only
$35 — child class fee (ages 12 and under)

Tuesday, December 13th

These days a wine tasting is far more than just an event where you taste wine, it includes live music and more. Thanks to Aron Ritter‘s Kosher Wine Society, the standards have been raised:

PRE-CHANUKAH WINE TASTING EXTRAVAGANZA!

8 CABERNETS

ONE FOR EACH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH!!

8 OTHER HAND-SELECTED WINES!

and that’s not all!!

Join us for a Gala Chanukah Expo

Live Jazz, and Chanukah Eats!!

7:30pm – 9:00pm

Pre-Registered Online Price:

$25.00

$36.00 at the door

Zanger Hall

347 West 34th Street

(Between 8th and 9th Avenues)

New York, NY 10017

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

 CLICK HERE NOW!

Hope to see you there, gentle reader!

CS

Graduation Time at CKCA!

Yesterday the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts held their graduation parties for students completing the latest Baking & Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts Programs.

Except for Jesse Blonder's photo of the Culinary Arts Program graduates

From left to right: Shirley Sasson, Lianne Azizollahoff, Ariel Benzakein, Ari Susswein, Eido Jacobowitz, Ben Elchonen, Chef Philippe Kaemmerlé

Chef Philippe Kaemmerlé, the instructor of the Baking & Pastry Program, trained in France, emigrated to New York in 1986, at the age of 28,  and worked as a Pastry Chef in some of New York’s most prestigious restaurants (including Club 21, Windows on the World  and Aquavit, among others). He’s done extensive work with various celebrated caterers and started teaching at CKCA in February 2010.

"Delicious" is an understatement!

Chef Philippe‘s meticulously trained Baking & Pastry Arts graduates – six in number, this time around -  presented us with eclairs, bavarians, chocolate cake, fruit pies, bread, cheese cake and more; presentation was both aesthetic and delicious!

In the early evening Chef Avram Wiseman (no stranger to these pages!) – CKCA‘s Dean and Instructor of the Culinary Arts Program – presented his graduating class of eleven students.

Top row, left to right, Tiffany Tarazi, Sarah Korn, Linda Hidary, Miriam Kronenberg, Elisheva Kohanteb, Chef Wiseman, Yehuda Weinstein. Bottom row, left to right, Ari Susswein, Chananya Rosenthal, Moti Ingber, Shalom Cohen, Miriam Blum (Photo by: CKCA's Director, Jesse Blonder)

With a cocktail style buffet we were treated to shitake tapanades, deviled eggs, salmon pinwheels, stuffed tomatoes, sushi, spicy meatballs and an assortment of other tasty delicacies.

Great presentation, incredibly tasty!

Having eaten at various establishments where CKCA grads are employed, having tasted what these students prepared, I have no doubt that they are bound for glory and success at some fine restaurants.

Congratulations graduates! Congratulations Chef Philippe, congratulations Chef Avram, congratulations Jesse! But, stay warned… we will review the eateries where the members of these two graduating classes may find themselves.

CS

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie may be a Thanksgiving classic, but it also happens to be a favorite of mine at almost any time. I looked for an easy to make, great tasting recipe and I found this one on one of our must read foodie blogs:

Photo by: Irene Saiger from bamitbach.wordpress.com

This recipe was printed in the New York Times many years ago.  It is the only one I use and has never failed me.

• 1-10″ baked pie shell
• 1 1/4  cups dark corn syrup
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 stick butter or pareve margarine, melted
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pecan halves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Partially bake your pie shell.  Remove and allow to cool.  Combine the corn syrup and sugar in a heavy pan.  Bring to a boil and stir till sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl.  Mix in cooled syrup, melted butter, chopped pecans and vanilla.  Pour into pie shell.  Decorate the top of pie with pecan halves.  Bake for about 50 minutes.  Cover crust with foil to prevent from over-browning.   Serves 10

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Yom Tov Recipes – Cranberry Apricot Bread Pudding

Last year we had a few posts with recipes for this time of the year:

Orange Honey Cake

Yom Tov Recipes – Carrot Kugel

Yom Tov Recipes – From Prime Grill’s Chef David Kolotkin

Yom Tov Recipes – Rib Roast

Yom Tov Recipes – Personal Honeyed Chocolate Lava Cake

This year we feature yom tov recipes again and we’ll start this year’s series with one of  Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum‘s dishes, from her new book The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen.

Photo by: Meir Pliskin

Cranberry Apricot Bread Pudding

I often whip up this treat after a party, when I look to recycle my leftover bread. Attention gluten- free diners: This is for you too!

Any bread will do as long as it is not too crusty (in other words, don’t use baguette or ciabatta!). You will love the kick and the bold ruby-colored specks the cranberries add. Nothing to it: All aboard-one step and you’re done! Individual desserts: Pour into greased muffin molds and reduce the baking time to about 45 minutes.

Sometimes cranberries can be hard to find, like in this Rosh Hashanah holiday season, so I am making the pudding with apples, which is every bit as delicious. I have included the apple variation, every bit as delicious and as pretty.

• 3 cups milk or dairy-free milk, low-fat OK
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-fruit apricot preserves
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tablespoons orange flower water  (settle for 2 tablespoons orange zest)
• 3 tablespoons apricot brandy or rum
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped (food processor)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients except cranberries by hand in a bowl, breaking up the bread and preserves as you go. Fold in the cranberries. Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan, or a greased 10-inch round pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or a little longer, until the pudding looks nice and puffy, and the center is firm. Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with caramel sauce (recipe follows), and a scoop of sorbet or vanilla ice cream. Makes a dozen servings.

variation: Apple Bread Pudding GFA

Skip the cranberries and the orange flower water, reduce the milk to 2 cups. Add 4 Granny Smith (green) apples, unpeeled and coarsely grated and 2 tablespoons ciinamon. Proceed just as above.

Caramel Sauce

Another glowing example of a treat known as dairy that doesn’t in the least suffer from a dairy-free adaptation, au contraire! (Go ahead and multiply the recipe if you would like-it keeps very well.)

• 1 cup Sucanat
• ½ cup agave syrup
• ⅓ cup water
• ¾ cup dairy-free milk, low-fat OK
• ⅓ cup soy or rice milk powder
• 3 tablespoons brandy or rum
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt

Bring the Sucanat, agave, and water to boil in a small saucepan, stirring. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and cook until thick and a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until perfectly smooth, then carefully add to the saucepan (to avoid splattering). Cook another 3 minutes on a medium flame, whisking. Makes about 2½ cups. Store refrigerated in a glass jar.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Lilly’s Home Style Bake Shop

As I toured Lilly’s Home Style Bake Shop, the sweet aromas wafting through the air, I was transported back to my mother’s kitchen, where the promise of sweet delicious treats were imminent as she prepared Shabbos or Yom Tov cakes and cookies. This past Tuesday morning, I walked the plant with Ethan Lieberman who together with CEO Irving Guttman, started the company in 2004 and kept on expanding the premises as new machinery was needed to streamline production of their growing product line.

Sprinkling cinnamon onto babka dough...

From jumbo to regular sized bagels, to assorted breads and challah types of various shapes and sizes, to mouth watering cakes and danishes, to cookies and biscottis,  all beckoned before my gluttonous Hansel and Gretel eyes as the various doughs were being made, shaped and baked.

Racks filled with challah, chocolate danish, hamentashen and so much more...

Lilly’s (named after Ethan‘s – Avrumi‘s – mother) ships nationally under their own name and under various private labels – including well known supermarket chains and warehouse type wholesalers. The whole operation is supervised by Silliker, a third party approver which specializes in certifying the cleanliness and strict adherence to codes governing this type of operations. Kashrus is under OU supervision.

Fresh and moist! A tray full of chocolate babka, rainbow cookies, black and whites are awaiting me...

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! As for me, I’ll just grab another piece of that decadent babka oozing with chocolate… Get your own, kid!!!

CS

Green Tea

Green Tea, originally from China, is making fast inroads in the West where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many scientific studies have been made to determine the truth of its oft claimed health benefits. There seems to be a correlation between regular tea drinking and a lower rate of heart disease and tea may even stimulate fat oxidation, while boosting the metabolic rate by as much as 4% without raising the heart rate.

Why are we posting about green tea, which we’ve mentioned before on these pages? We received quite a few emails asking for a Green Tea Cake recipe, after looking at various posts throughout the blogosphere we settled for this one (it sounds interesting and delicious!). Found it on the Dessert First blog:

Photo by: Pastrygirl, from Dessert First blog

Green Tea Cake with Red Bean Filling

Green Tea Genoise

2 eggs, room temperature
2 ¼ oz confectioners’ sugar
2 ¼ oz ground almonds
1 tsp matcha powder [powdered green tea]
1 oz all purpose flour
2 egg whites, room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 oz sugar
½ oz butter, melted [substitute margarine to keep it parve]

Red Bean Filling

1 cup heavy cream
6 ounces red beans

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan (about 12″x16″) with a sheet of parchment paper or a Silpat.

Combine the eggs with the confectioners’ sugar and ground almonds in a mixer until cream-colored and light.

Add in the matcha powder and combine. You can add more or less depending on your taste, but don’t add more than 1 ½ tsp or it might affect the cake’s texture.

Remove from the mixer. Sift the flour over the egg mixture.

Whip the egg whites in a clean bowl on a mixer at low speed until they start to froth. Then add the cream of tartar and increase mixer speed, whipping until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar and whip for a few seconds longer to incorporate.

Scoop about 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining egg whites and fold in until uniformly mixed. Pour the melted butter over the batter and fold in to incorporate.

Pour the batter into the half sheet pan and distribute it evenly with an offset spatula, making the layer as level and smooth as possible.

Bake in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the cake is just firm and lightly brown but not completely brown as this cake should not be over-baked.

Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it. Slide the cake off the sheet pan and onto a wire rack to cool. When the cake is no longer hot but still warm, place another rack or sheet pan on top of the cake and flip it over, then carefully peel the parchment paper from the cake to prevent it from sticking to the cake. You can place the parchment paper clean side down or a clean Silpat onto the cake, then flip it back over to finish cooling.

When you are ready to assemble the cake, trim off the edges and slice the cake in half along the short side, then cut each piece in half along the long side so you get four 6″x8″ pieces.

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the red beans gently with a rubber spatula until they are evenly distributed; the cream may take on a light reddish tint.

Place cake layer on a covered cake round and frost the top with a quarter of the whipped cream. It’s ok if some of the cream goes over the sides; just try to keep the layer even.

Cover with a cake layer and frost the top with a third of the remaining whipped cream. Repeat until you have assembled all four layers of cake.

Cover the cake and refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to serve, trim off the sides of the cake to make them nice and even.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Date and Nut Bread

I had some dates from Israel and decided to use them in a recipe, I was intrigued by the following one from Elizabeth Wolfe-Cohen‘s Perfect Jewish 

Delicious!!!

Date & Nut Bread

Yields: 12 slices

Directions

• 1 1/2 cups self rising flour, plus a little more for dusting
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 – 1 tsp ground ginger [SYR used 1 tsp]
• 1 1/3 cups chopped dried dates [SYR did not use dried ones]
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda [baking soda]
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tsp butter or margarine, softened [SYR used margarine to keep it pareve]
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds [SYR used walnuts]

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 4″x8″ loaf pan. Line the base and and sides with nonstick baking parchment paper to come to 1″ above the sides. Grease again and dust with flour. Sift the flour, salt and ginger into a bowl.

Put the dates into a large bowl with bicarbonate of soda. Pour over the boiling water and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Stir the egg and butter [or margarine if you prefer it pareve] and flour mixture into the date mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in the nuts. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, smoothing the top. Tap the pan gently on a surface to expel any air bubbles.

Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour or until set and well colored and the bread begins to pull away from the sides of the pan; a knife inserted in the center should come out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes , then leave to cool completely Using the paper as a guide, carefully remove the bread from the pan. If not serving the same day keep in the paper to prevent drying out.To serve, remove the paper from the base and sides, slice thinly.

Prep time: 20 minutes – Bake Time – 1 hour

The bread came out very aromatic, it tasted subtly sweet, we had it with some cholov Yisroel Mascarpone cheese made at Pomegranate Supermarket‘s kitchen and recommended by their resident cheese expert, none other than our good friend Elizabeth Bland. We washed it down with a Herzog Selection Chateneuf 2009, a white semi dry with a fresh, fruity bouquet. The bread was delicious, the Mascarpone just right, and the wine proved a perfect pairing!

CS

Banging The Drum Slowly

Mom turns 87 this year, ad meah v’esrim. Her pride and joy revolves around her children, grandchildren, home, and her Hungarian rooted cooking. She was the renowned master balabusta of the neighborhood. When she made a Kiddush, everyone came. Her kugels, kishka, holoptzes, homemade sweet cabbage strudel, rum ball cookies, rum mousse, napoleons, chestnut cakes, oron-golushkas, kokosh, markosh and diosh were devoured in minutes. Her challas stood tall and statuesquely braided.

I still remember how barbaric her scraping walls of the intestines looked, as she prepped them to be stuffed with gelinglach (lung, rice and lots of pepper), and those sweet breads looking like splattered brain matter, before she sautéed them with mushroom and onions, smelling heavenly- later to become one of my personal favorite delicacies. She made Jewish classics like p’tchah and roasts that melted in your mouth, brust-deckle, tzimmes, Hungarian goulash, and chicken paprikash, and homemade pickles, beets and ugorkashalata (cucumber salad). You name it  she could make it.

I don’t think she ever looked in a recipe book, she measured by eye and taste and what made innate sense to her. She had an uncanny sense for putting together ingredients be it for cooking or baking. Without knowing the chemistry of why she knew how and her tables were overflowing with amazing dishes. And I honestly can’t remember a time when something didn’t come out right, her consistency was truly remarkable. She used to raise thousands for Hadassah and UJA with her luncheons. I remember being floored when all these fancy clad high falutin American women came pouring into our house for her sit down dinner fund raisers. All cultural barriers disappeared as they sat and enjoyed the never ending multi course meals served on Herendi dishes and those blue or forest floral china with the gold accents that are so popular among the Hungarians. The lively chatter and coming together around delicious food in a homey environment was a fabulous success, each and every time. Her Shabbos and Yom Tov meals were no different. Relatives could call up a few hours before Shabbos to say they were coming, and two hours later between the freezer and adding to fresh dishes already on the stove a feastele was ready.

Mom lost cerebellar function close to twenty five years ago, and though it slowed her down, she found a way to continue cooking. It kept her sane, and proved each day that she was still the balebusta of the house. Nowadays, mom’s still at it. She makes the most delicious aromatic chicken soup; you would smell the parsley and dill welcoming the Shabbos malachim into our home every week. The freezer is till filled with plastic containers filled of her golden elixir, in case anybody gets hungry or needs a refuah.

This year she announced that she’s giving up baking. So this past Purim, I baked mom’s markosh and diosh and brought the loaves down and she prepared plates for her few surviving Hungarian friends and close neighbors. One of the delicacies mom served on Pessachwere her drum cookies. I’ve made a batch in her honor and lovingly share them with you now. I warn you, they are decadent and outrageous.

Drum cookies, addictive, delicious...

Drum Cookies

Yields 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar (à la Levana) Or use Kosher for Passover baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. potato starch
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely ground nuts- preferably filberts or pecans, for rolling the cookie sandwich

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Whip eggs with the cream of tartar and the salt until fluffy and shiny.
3. Gradually add the sugar, starch and vanilla, and continue whipping until very stiff peaks form.
4. Fold in the nuts gently, until thoroughly incorporated
5. Spoon half dollar dollops onto a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. you will get approximately 20 -24 drops.
6. Bake 30 minutes, or a little longer, until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown and the tops feel firm.
7. Set aside to cool

Cream Filling

Ingredients

• 1 stick margarine
• 1 cup real chocolate melted
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp. water

Directions

1. Whip the margarine in mixer, slowly add the chocolate and the rest of the ingredients.
2. Chill for an hour before filling.
3. Spoon about a tbsp. of filling onto cookie ( flat sides of cookie on outside), place another cookie on top and then roll in ground nuts.
4. Chill before serving.

Enjoy!

SYR

Jachnun

Ever since I first tasted it at a Shabbat kidush in shull, I can barely eat cholent without it anymore. Looking to make my own  jachnun, rather than buy it, I found the following on Astray Recipes:

Making jachnun - Photo from: travelpod.com

Ingredients

• 3¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 large egg
• 1¼ cup water
• ¾ cup margarine; cut into 6 pieces

Directions

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor and process to blend. Add egg and 1 cup water and process with on/off turns to mix. With motor running, gradually add remaining water, about 1/4 cup, adding enough so mixture comes together to a smooth, fairly stiff dough. It will be sticky. Remove from processor.
2. Knead dough well by slapping vigorously on the work surface. Divide into 6 pieces and knead each one with a slapping motion until smooth. Roll each in your palm to a ball.
3. Put on an oiled plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. Oil working surface and rolling pin. Let margarine stand at room temperature until very soft.
5. Roll out 1 ball of dough on oiled surface to a very thin 12-inch square. To help stretch dough, pull it gently from time to time by hand, until very thin. If dough tears, simply press it together. Spread with a piece of soft margarine. Fold in half, then in half again to make a long strip. Roll up strip from a short side in a tight cylinder. Repeat with 5 remaining pieces of dough.
6. Put in greased, shallow 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with foil and a lid and refrigerate at least 2 or up to 8 hours. Preheat oven to 200 F. Bake pastries 13-14 hours or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Source: “International Jewish Cookbook“, by Faye Levy, Warner Books 1991. Found on the Internet.

Personally, I’ll skip the sixth step. I’ll take one serving put it in the cholent and freeze the others to be used on subsequent weeks. I also add some hardboiled eggs (Yemenite custom) which by lunch time, on Shabbos, taste superb having cooked for so many hours on low heat.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS