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

From the Heart of Dixie

Even when I lived outside of the US, whether in Uruguay, Israel, etc., I’d hear about Southern cooking. When I first came to the States in 1962 and moved to Richmond, VA (the capital of the Confederacy), I actually got to taste a few superb kosher variations on the Southern theme.

Recently, I came across Simply Southern – With a Dash of Kosher Soul, a cookbook published by the Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South of Memphis, TN. I couldn’t wait to try out some of the book’s delicacies, I wasn’t disappointed! The recipes are a easy to make, short-cutting more complex directions with readily available ingredients that make preparation a snap. This ain’t no diet cookbook, so if you’ve been watching your waist after yom tov feasting save this for the times when you want to cook quick tasty dishes with that special touch of true Americana.  The recipes are clear, the assortment fun, pretty to look at and absolutely delicious.

For the last week we made quite a few of them and each proved delectable. The recipes are divided into ten sections running from

• Appetizers and Starters
• Soups and Sandwiches
  
• Salads
• Brunch & Dairy
• Pasta, grains & Rice
• Meats
• Poultry
• Fish
• Vegetables & Side Dishes
• Desserts

As you can see, it covers the gamut of the most common cooking types. It is hard to chose just one recipe to share, in fact it’s hard to chose, two, three or even four favorites from those we tried. But here are two very Southern selections:

Real Fried Chicken

True Southerners make enough for leftovers. Nothing beats cold fried chicken for lunch the day after. Do not skip the salt! salt is an especially important ingredient to the authentic taste of this signature dish of Dixie!

MARINADE

1 quart water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

MARINADE

Whisk together water, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, white pepper, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

CHICKEN

4 cut up chickens
12 cups vegetable oil
Self rising flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

CHICKEN

Add chicken pieces to marinade. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 360-375 degrees. Drain marinade from chicken on paper towels and pat dry. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with self-rising flour. Blend eggs and water. Combine all-purpose flour, salt, garlic powder, cayenne and white pepper. Dip chicken in egg wash. Dredge in flour mixture. Place chicken on a large baking sheet. Let sand for 10 minutes. Fry chicken in hot oil turning a few times for 20-25 minutes or until golden browned. Drain on a rack over paper towels.

YIELD: 6 – 8 SERVINGS

For dessert I loved the Chess Pie, I also liked the humor in the intro to this dish.

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chess pie is one of the South’s great contributions to the culinary arts. One folk story asserts that it was originally called “just pie,” which was drawled as “jus’ pie,” eventually rolling off the tongue as “chess pie.” This is always a favorite!

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 eggs
10 tablespoons soymilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (9-inch) pie shell, unbaked
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, cocoa, and margarine in a bowl. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Blend in soymilk, vanilla and salt. Pour filling into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until tester comes out clean. Cool top with whipped topping. Pie freezes well. Drizzle chocolate syrup across the top!

YIELDS: 8 SERVINGS

Each section starts out with a few short paragraphs detailing the transition of Southern cooking into Kosher cooking or an occasional anecdote to bring the Memphis community a little closer to wherever you are. Liberally sprinkled with humor and folksy story tellin’  Simply Southern – With a Dash of Kosher Soul is sure to change your view of classic American cooking.

Enjoy it, gentle reader, enjoy it in all its finger lickin’ goodness!

CS

Dulce de Leche

I grew up in Uruguay where Dulce de Leche is even more popular (and deservedly so!!!) than peanut butter was ever a favorite here in the US. A cousin sends me this delight, directly from Argentina, every few months and I look forward to it just as a junkie longs for his fix.

Looking through David Leibowitz‘s blog, I came across this mouth-watering recipe which uses Dulce de Leche and I can’t wait to try it!

Chocolate-Dulce de Leche Flan

Adapted from My Sweet Mexico (Ten Speed) by Fany Gerson

Serves 8 to 10

3/4 cup (210g) dulce de leche

For the cake layer:

3/4 cup (150g) sugar

3/4 cup (110g) flour

1/3 cup (35g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk or plain whole milk yogurt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the flan layer:

1 can (12 ounces, 340g) evaporated milk

1 can (14 ounces, 395g) sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC.) Lightly brush or spray an 8-inch (20cm) porcelain mold or cake pan (not a springform pan) with oil.

2. Smear the dulce de leche around the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Place the mold or cake pan in a larger roasting pan, which you’ll use as a double boiler for baking.

3. To make the cake layer, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk or yogurt, vegetable oil, 1 egg, and vanilla.

5. Use a spatula to stir the wet ingredients into the larger bowl of dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Scrape the batter in the mold, over the dulce de leche.

6. Make the flan layer by blending together the evaporated and condensed milks, the 4 eggs, the vanilla, and salt, until smooth.

7. Over the back of a large spoon (like a big mixing spoon), pour the flan mixture over the cake layer, using the spoon to diffuse the custard as you pour.

8. Cover the mold or cake pan loosely with foil, fill the roasting pan with very hot water, so it reaches halfway up the side of the mold, and bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out relatively clean.

(Note: I found the flan took considerably longer to bake than 50 minutes; mine took practically an 1 1/2 hours. So being checking it at 50 minutes, but note that it may take longer.)

9. Once done, remove from the oven and carefully lift the custard out of the water bath wearing oven mitts, then let the flan cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate the flan until ready to serve.

To serve: Run a knife around the perimeter of the flan, then set a cake or dinner plate overturned on top of the mold or cake pan. Holding both the mold and the plate, flip the two simultaneously and shake gently, until you hear the flan release. Remove the mold. And remaining dulce de leche can be smeared back over the flan.

Storage: The flan can be kept for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Well gentle reader, I know what I’m preparing tonight! I better go shopping, right now, for some missing ingredients…

CS

Yom Tov Recipes – Personal Honeyed Chocolate Lava Cake

Pastry Chef Ehud Ezra, gave us this delicious recipe for yom tov. SYR and I got to taste it yesterday, thus, we can attest to it being  truly scrumptious without being overly sweet. One of the joys of this type of post is being in the company of such gifted chefs and bakers. Udi, as his friends and coworkers lovingly nicknamed him, is a warm hearted chemist and chocolate alchemist.  He’s got such a mastery of ingredients and technique mixed with a sensitive spirituality that reflects his soul in everything he bakes. His Rosh HaShana recipe for Honeyed Chocolate Lava Cake certainly demonstrates his unique talents as a master pastry chef.

Honeyed Chocolate Lava Cake

Yields 10 mini 5 ozs. portions made in 4″ muffin molds

Ingredients

• 1/2 lbs. butter/margarine/Earth Balance
• 1 1/2 lbs. semi sweet chocolate
• 2 tspns. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup honey
• 7 whole eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• Confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Melt butter, 1 1/2 minutes in microwave, add chopped chocolate, mix until incorporated but not too hot add vanilla extract and honey.
2. In mixer whip eggs until they form high peaks, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Fold with chocolate mix.
4. Spray pans with canola oil. Scoop in batter until the top of pans (batter rises and then deflates).
5. Put in oven at 400 F, for 12 to 15 minutes, until top is crusted.
6. Sprinkle tops with confectioners sugar. Serve with 4 scoops of Rich’s whipped cream or vanilla ice cream w/honey on top.

Easy to make and fast to bake, if you make you’ll shine whether with your guests or even with your family.

Enjoy it, gentle reader, we certainly did!

CS

Honeyed Chocolate Lava Cake

x———)o0O0o(———x

KTIVAH VECHATIMA TOVAH!!!
SHANA TOVAH UMETUKA!!!
A GUT GEBENTSHT YOHR!!!

And the Winner Is…

We received 21 entries. Next time we’ll give you more time, there will be more contests and give aways during the year. We promise.

Here is what the contest winner will receive from N&K:

Stack 108 slices stack White American, 16ozs. Mozarella chunk, 8ozs. Muenster chunk, 8 ozs. Cheddar chunk, 6ozs. Muenster slices, 6ozs. Swiss slices, 6ozs. Processed Pepper Jack slices, 8ozs. shredded Pizza Cheese, 8 ozs. shredded Chef's Blend, 12 Mozarella Cheese Sticks

Some recipes were great, some were very easy to prepare, some however showed very little imagination or creativity. It was not easy to choose a winner… We deliberated, debated and agonized before reaching a final decision especially between #2 and #3 below.

The top three choices are:

#3

Tikvah’s Cheesecake

Crust: any graham cracker pie crust

*Cake*

2lbs unwhipped cream cheese
1.5 cup sugar
1.5 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 pinch salt
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F
Beat cream cheese & sugar until soft. add rest of ingredients and mix.
Pour on top of crust and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove and let stand for 10 minutes.

*Topping*

2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
spread on top and bake again for 10 minutes

keep in oven with oven off for 2 hours to prevent cracking. refrigerate and serve cold

this can also be made into cheese snacks baked in cup cake holders. For cheese snacks no crust is needed. Also cute idea for mini cakes is to put a sandwich cookies on bottom of pan & then the batter in the cup cake holder

Submitted by: Tikvah V. from Flatbush

#2

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

3 eggs (2 whites split separately, 1 whole)
6 tablespoons margarine
1 cup sugar (split in 3/4 & 1/4)
3 tablespoons vanilla
½ cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 package cream-cheese (8 oz)

In a small mixing bowl beat marg. & 3/4 c. sugar until crumbly.
Add 1 whole egg & 1 egg white & vanilla. Mix well.
Add flour & cocoa. Beat until blended.
Pour into spritzed 9″ square baking pan.
In a milchig mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 c. sugar until smooth. Beat in 1 egg white.
Spoon-drop this mixture over the brownies to pretty much cover the top.
Cut through the batter with a knife to swirl it together.
Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until set & edges pull away from side of pan.
Cool on a wire rack.

I made for my sister’s milchig sukkos party, as well as for shavuos every year. Big hit!
I got it from a magazine years ago, so I’ll post the pictures from their site, as they are pros at taking perfect pictures.

If you use reduced-fat margarine & reduced fat cream cheese, then here is the nutritional info:

Nutritional Analysis

1 brownie equals:
167 calories
7 grams fat (3 g saturated fat)
28 mg cholesterol
108 mg sodium
23 grams carbohydrates
trace fiber
4 grams protein

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1½ starch, 1 fat

Submitted by: Faigy T. from Crown Heights

#1

Brachie’s Three Layered Cheesecake

*Crust*

1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
6 tablespoons brown sugar
6  tablespoons softened butter

*Cake*

3/4 cup ground filberts
2lbs cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
2 oz baking chochlate

*Topping”

1 bar white milk chochlate
1 1/2 teaspoons coffee
3 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

*Method*

1. – Combine crust ingredients in mixer until smooth
2. – Press into 9″ springform pan. bake for 10 minutes in a preheated over to 375 and set aside
3. – Mix cream cheese until smooth adding vanilla sugar,sugar and eggs one at a time
4. – Remove 2 cups cheese batter mix with ground filberts and almond extract. Pour onto crust and level with metal beveled spatula.
5. – freeze for 1 hour
6. – Melt chochalate. Remove another 2 cups cheese mixture and add to melted chochlate. Pour over filbert layer leveling well.
7. – Freeze for 20 minutes
8. – Pour remaining batter onto chochlate mixture
9. – Half fill 9×13 pan w/ water. Wrap bottom of springform pan w/ heavy duty foil and place pan in water
10. – Bake for 2 hours in a preheated to 350 oven
11. – Let cool for another 2 hours w/o opening oven door
12. – Refrigerate for at least 6 hours
13. – Melt topping. over a small flame until dissolved
14. – pour over cake allowing it to drizzile down sides.
15. – can be decorated with chocolate curls or left just as is

This winning recipe was submitted by: Brachie S., from Lakewood

SYR

related posts

shavuos recipes – part 2 

shavuos recipes 

————–

shavuos recipes – part 2

shavuos recipes – part 1 

Passover Almond-Pistaccio Cake

[Eran Elhalal, food consultant, (about to become a restaurateur) chef extraordinaire, brings us a delicious Passover cake recipe and accompanying photos. He provides the gebroks and non-gebroks version. CS]

Pesach Almond -Pistachio Cake

12 Servings

[Gebroks]
The origin of this recipe is the Italian Baci De Dama or Lady’s Kisses, a festive hazelnut cake. I replaced the flour for sifted Matzo meal and based the cake on fresh ground almonds and pistachios, to make it more our own.

Ingredients:

Getting the ingredients lined up

[For the non-gebroks version of this delectable dessert, use potato or tapioca starch instead of the matzoh meal. Make sure, however, that you mix it well with the nuts before incorporating into the wet mixture, or the starch may clump up.]

Cake base:
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups ground almonds
3/4 cup ground pistachios
1/4 cup sifted matzoh meal
5 eggs separated
pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting
2 Tbsp crushed pistachios ( Garnish)
4 ozs confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 Tbsp warm water

Method:

1. Whisk egg yolks and gradually incorporate 1 cup of the sugar.Continue until the batter is bright and fluffy.In a separate bowl mix the nuts , matzo meal, oil and then incorporate vanilla and lemon zest.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with the salt first, and then gradually whisk in the rest of the sugar until stiff peaks are formed.
3. Fold the egg whites into the nuts mixture gently only until combined.
4. Grease an 8 inch round baking pan.Pour the batter into the pan.
5. Insert into a 350 degree preheated oven , and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out dry.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
7. Prepare the frosting by whisking the lemon juice, confectionery sugar and warm water well.
8. Spread evenly on the cake and sprinkle the crushed Pistachios .

A lusciuosly delicious slice

For a truly heavenly gastronomic experience, pair this cake with a glass of  Tzora Or 2006, a delicious wine from one of Israel’s boutique wineries. It is made Made from Gewurztraminer grapes, deep frozen for two months after harvesting. After 24 hours of thawing only the first drips of grape juice will be used for this potable. The gold colored wine is filled with honey and tropical fruits on the nose. Full bodied on the mouth, citrus, pinneaple and a hint of mint.

If this wine is not available, another great choice (more economically priced) is the Carmel Sha’al Gewurztaminer 2006 or 2007, otherwise, any dessert wine will most certainly suffice.

Enjoy!!

Chag kasher vesame’ach – Have a happy Passover

Eran Elhalal
Chef Entrepreneur