deep, dark & delicious

a large, dark and moist non-dairy chocolate cake, this keeps for a good week without any drying out and remains just as good as the day you baked it due to the inclusion of the (prune) baking paste. the paste can be made yourself or bought in a grocery store. believe it or not, the taste of the paste is not even noticeable in the baked cake, and when added with the chocolate, adds great depth and dimension. as a note, you can replace the paste with plain apple sauce.

one thing you do need for this cake is a bundt pan. i use one which has a more intricate design so it is important to make sure it is well-greased and floured. the flouring of the pan helps it to release better — there is nothing worse than losing half your baked cake because you didn't take this simple step. this is important in this recipe as there is so little fat content.

the finished cake can be dusted with powdered sugar or dressed up with a simple icing sugar glaze. of course, it's good just on its own.


moist and delicious chocolate cake

serves one hungry family

ingredients:

dry —

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar (you can reduce to 1 3/4 c)
2/3 c dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

wet —

3 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 c coffee, cooled
3/4 c orange juice
3/4 c prune paste or plain applesauce

method:

preheat the oven to 350 F. and grease and flour a large bundt cake pan (make sure it's 12 cup capacity).

mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. make sure to sift the cocoa.

mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl.

add the wet to the dry and blend to combine with a mixer. don't over beat.

carefully pour the batter into the pan and put it in the oven to bake for 1 hour or until it is no longer wet in the center.

remove from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes in the pan. you'll notice that the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the pan as it cools.

unmold, let cool completely for it to finish setting and serve.

(recipe from cookbook author norene gilletz)

enjoy!

kitchen essentials — a useful baking paste

oh, prunes .... what can i say. i really don't like you and never have (i swear you must be best friend of the sweet potato i am trying to like). every dish you ever showed up in, i avoided like the plague — sweet potato and prune tsimmes, lamb or beef tagines (stews), fruit compote and prune filled hamantaschen for the purim holiday, only to name a few.

you even bring back scary memories of that green glass (welches) bottle filled with your juice that every grandparent always kept, and swore by, somewhere in the back of the refrigerator. after repeated urging that it would be good for me and "help me", i finally caved in. i remember taking a sip of you when i was eight, thinking you might have tasted good. boy, was i were they wrong — i ended up gagging while everyone else had a good laugh :)

you really tasted that bad. well, to me at least....

it seems prunes [and sweet potatoes] just have a way of "weaseling" their way into both the ashkenazi and sephardi jewish kitchen; guess i must be missing the gene to like them with the relish that others do.

a few years ago, it became the "in thing" to lower fat content in baking by using fruit (pastes) such as those from apples, banana, and, of course, prunes. i have to admit, i've never been into the whole low fat baking craze. after trying quite a few recipes of this sort, 9 out of 10 resulted with less than passable results, especially in the area of final baked texture.

i do think, however, there are a few recipes out there than benefit from using a paste such as one made from prunes, especially when paired with chocolate, and yield excellent results. when i'm feeling guilty for having over indulged in the regular baked goods world, i resort to some of these recipes using the following paste. a recipe for one of those excellent baked good will follow, but for now, here's the kitchen basic which stores well in the fridge for quite a while.

simple prune paste [for baking]

while not the most appetizing concoction on its own, this powerful paste really works its stuff in certain baking situations. it acts to lower fat content, allowing you to use less oil or butter, and keeps things extremely moist for long periods of time.

ingredients:

1 pkg dried prunes, no pits (check them to make sure)
water

method:

place prunes in either a blender or food processor.

add a few tablespoons of water.

blend the mixture until it is a smooth paste.

add enough water so that it blends nicely. it must be completely smooth and thick.

do it in small batches if you don't have a powerful blender or food processor.


place in a glass or plastic container and store in fridge. it will last several months if sealed air tight.

how to use it? check tomorrow's post :)

toast, anyone?

this type of challah is common to jewish bakeries where i live and is often called a bulke challah. because of its shape, it is typically sliced and used for toast and sandwiches — the braided kind, which is usually torn into individual pieces, being mostly reserved for the weekly sabbath, weddings and holidays.

the following recipe is my preferred one for a standard all purpose challah. it can be made bulke style in a loaf pan or braided and baked free-form. sliced thickly, bulke challah also makes the best french toast (pain perdu)!


bulke style challah

baked in a loaf pan to provide structure and shape, this loaf slices up easily and freezes quite well. it is the typical everyday egg-rich challah we like most in my town.

makes 1 large challah loaf

ingredients:

2 tsp yeast, *instant or active dry
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c warm water

1/2 c warm water
2 eggs plus 1 extra yolk
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c to 1/3 c sugar (1/4 c is not very sweet)
2 tsp salt

3 1/2 c - 4 1/2 c* all purpose or bread flour
*add more as needed

1 egg yolk + 2 tsp water
sesame or black poppy seeds

method:

see this post for how to make the challah

to make the bread, separate the dough into 3 equal sized balls.

in a greased large 9 1/4" x 5" loaf pan, place the three balls side by side and then use some vegetable oil to coat them all over. you need to do this step to prevent the dough from sticking.

place plastic wrap loosely over the bread and let it rise for about 45 minutes or until it has risen again. don't let it overproof; it will rise more in the oven while baking.

make your egg wash and coat the loaves well. sprinkle with either poppy seeds or sesame seeds.

bake at 375 F for 10 minutes and then about 25 to 30 minutes at 350F or until golden brown and internal temp is 180F.

remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. then place on a rack to cool completely.

slice and use for toast or sandwiches!

enjoy!

silicone & crumbs

until a few years back, all baking implements such as cake and pie pans were usually only ever made of either glass or metal. both materials have their own unique properties and virtues when it comes to baking and these old standards have always worked fine. things change, however. people are always looking for new and better ways and over the past several years, a new material made its way into our homes.

after the introduction of the silpat baking mat to the non professional world (i.e. consumers market) and its eventual enormous growth in popularity amongst homebakers, the new craze in the baking world became all things silicone. on one hand, i have to say, i love my silpat and have the original (french version) in both sizes [large and small] and wouldn't do with out them. they are easy to use and save on wasting money on parchment paper and tin foil. on the other hand, i've looked at silicone pans with a suspicious eye. they looked flimsy and spineless to me and, well, didn't have the same appeal of a sturdy & reliable metal one.

last year, i received a gift of a bright orange square silicone pan, 9" x 9". i thanked the person who gave it to me and placed it away in the cupboard thinking i'd never use it as it flopped around in my hands, envisioning imminent disasters of batter spilling everywhere as i transfered it to the oven!

it came to be that i did finally use it, many months later, when i made the following cake. i had no choice as i didn't have another 9 x 9 one :o i have to say it worked very well but the only thing i didn't like was that it felt unstable once it was filled with cake batter. i transfered it to the oven with much trepidation; next time, it goes on a baking sheet to make the trip back and forth easier. of course, they don't tell you this on the packaging.....

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the following cake is a plain "coffee cake" which takes very little time to throw together and uses everyday pantry items. it is also known as a crumb cake because of the topping. it's great for snacking or having something informal for when guests stop by for that coffee or tea visit.


plain coffee "crumb" cake

this cake was always made without any dairy products so it could be eaten at any meal or time of the day. you can, of course, use milk and butter in it also. if you like, add in approximately 1 c of frozen or fresh blueberries or a 1/2 c of chopped frozen cranberries for a different twist. this is also excellent with a layer of apples, either fresh or using pie filling.

cake ingredients:

2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar

2 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water or apple juice or orange juice or soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

crumb topping:

1/2 c brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp margarine
1 tsp cinnamon

1 - 2 tsp margarine, for coating pan

method:

make crumb topping first. mix all together and crumble it together with your fingers until it makes small clumps and is coarsely held together. set aside.


for cake:

preheat oven to 350F. grease a 9" x 9" pan.

in a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together for batter.

mix all wet ingredients together in another bowl.

add wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a spoon. it may seem a bit "gloppy" but that is the right texture. if using blueberries or cranberries, add them now.

place the batter into the greased pan.

scatter the topping evenly over the cake and bake it for approximately 35 minutes.

remove and cool completely before eating.


notes:

* the cake may have a bit of an "eggy" taste until it has cooled completely. it tastes better the next day;
* don't cover the cake until it has cooled completely or the crumb topping will go soft;
*these can also be made individually in cupcake molds to yield individual little cakes.

enjoy!

the sweet potato resurfaces

those of you who have been following my blog basically know i've never been a sweet potato lover. in fact, they really used to "gross me out," as we say in vernacular english. everything about them bothered me: their taste, their smell and, ewww, especially their texture. a few months back, i even posted an entry which detailed my disdain for them.

that post, however, also spoke of the reanalysis of my relationship with this hefty orange tuber after a fortuitous discovery and included the recipe which changed my mind about them. since that time i've tried other things — all of which, once again, started to reinforce my old hatred and none that made a dent in my further wanting to explore its virtues. well, until recently, that is ....

this new discovery, from several weeks, back has literally expanded and inflated {pun intended} my sweet potato repertoire, thus making a total of two things i'll now eat (a good thing since it's always been zero!). in this instance, my nemesis reinvents itself in the form of a flatbread which can take its shape in either of two ways. both types are commonly seen on the indian table but one is reserved for more lavish occasions like dinner parties due to the fact it is fried in oil — not something you want to indulge in every day.

called pooris, these breads of north indian origin are well worth the effort, if only once or twice a year. cooking them is fun, too, as you see them swell up into small balloons right before your very eyes.

the other option, a more calorie conscious one, is to "dry fry" (i.e. griddle bake) them as is done with phulka breads. after quickly roasting them directing over a heat source (see recipe), they will also swell up and balloon, only this time, without a drop of oil.

whichever way you choose, these breads taste incredibly good. they remain extremely soft and are wonderful with all types of spicy dishes.

if you tried the other recipe i posted and enjoyed, i'm sure you'll love these too. i know i did.

sweet potato poori or phulka

the following sweet potato-based flatbreads can be made either lavishly, quickly fried in oil or everyday style, cooked on a hot griddle with no fat at all. most likely the occasion for which you make them will dictate. poori are usually 'special occasion breads' and i bet you can guess why! ;) whichever method you do choose, both will puff up and leave you with irresistable orange-hued and mildly spiced breads perfect for almost any indian type meal.

makes 8 - 10 breads

ingredients:

1 sweet potato (175 gr)
1 c atta (chappati) flour or 3/4 wholewheat + 1/4 all purpose
1/2 tsp salt, heaped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder, or more but don't overdo it
1/8 tsp asafetida powder*
1 tsp ground coriander powder
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

3 tbsp ghee or melted butter (more as needed)
2 - 4 tbsp water, or as needed

*if you can't get asafetida or don't want to use it, the closest approximation is garlic powder.

method:

cook the sweet potato in the microwave until soft or another way such as boiling, steaming or baking until it is soft. i find using the microwave much more convenient. if doing it that way, prick it several times all over and cook according to how your microwave works best for root vegetables.

once cooled enough to handle (it must be warm), peel off the skin and mash it. you need 200 ml or about 3/4 c, mashed.

place dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

add the mashed sweet potato and chopped coriander.

mix the wet ingredients into the dry with your hands until it is well crumbled. it will smell incredibly good at this point!

add the ghee or melted butter and mix with your hands. add enough [ghee or butter] to make a rough ball of dough. (the ghee was semi solid so that's why it looks this way below in the photo ....)

add water by tablespoons and knead the dough to make a firm but smooth dough. it will soften more upon resting. knead for about 5 minutes noting that the dough should not be so dry as to crack after kneading it. if needed, add an extra tablespoon or two of water.

let rest for 1 to 3 hours, well covered in a bowl. you can wet a paper towel and squeeze it out and then place it over the dough to give extra moisture before covering the bowl.

once rested, cut 8 to 10 small balls of dough and roll them out with extra flour to about 5 inches rounds.


if making poori:

heat about 2 1/2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat in a cooking vessel at least 8 inches wide, such as a wok or indian karai. you could also use a dutch oven type pan.

roll out all the pooris and keep covered until ready to cook.

once the oil is ready, slip a disc of dough into the hot oil carefully. do not let it double over.

place a metal spoon over the bread and keep it submerged as the oil bubbles up around it. this will help it inflate. this will take about 20 to 40 seconds if your heat is right. if the oil is too hot and it browns, you must lower your heat.

tap the bread slightly until it balloons up. as it is doing this baste the uncooked topside with oil. quickly and carefully, flip the bread over on the other side and cook very briefly. it will lightly brown.

if you have any tears or rips, the poori will fill with oil. this whole process may take some practice if you've never made these before.

once cooked on both sides, remove carefully and drain on paper towels.

wrap the finished poori in either a tea towel or place in a pyrex and cover with foil until serving them.


if making phulkas:

this is an easier method and involves no oil. it is the same way one makes everyday phulka (chappati, puffed up over a flame or electric element).

you need two burners for this: the first with the pan and the second for puffing up the bread. if using an electric stove, turn the heat on maximum heat so it will be ready. the whole process goes quickly, once you start.

heat your cast iron pan over medium heat until it is hot. place the round of dough down and let it cook until you see the first signs: bubbling, lightening of colour on top surface and brown spots on bottom side.

once you see brown spots on the bottom of the bread, flip it over and wait until it gets a few brown spots on that side.

if you have a gas stove, place it directly on the grate and turn the flame on high; it will immediately puff up. flip it for a second and then place in a tea towel, covered. stack them on top of each other as they are made and close up the towel.

if using an electric coil, you need to either have a small cookie, coiled cooling-type, sheet ready or make a sort of contraption with a wire coat hanger (push the middle in and make a "U" shape — weird, yes, but it works :o).

place the phulka on the wire holder or cookie sheet and then place almost directly on the heating element at maximum. it should immediately puff up. flip over and cook a few seconds again. as they are taken off the heat, they will deflate. the steam created inside finishes the cooking of the breads.

if you've rolled them out properly, they should puff up successfully. like all things, practice makes perfect.

stack them on top of each other covered, as you make them.

enjoy!

post script: this post was really meant for wednesday but i'm adding it early .... see you sometime next week, i'll be gone for a bit.