..... and on the first night

with hanukkah now upon us, tonight being the first of the 8 nights of the celebration, there is no better way to start things than with something sweet.

this is one holiday where counting your calories will have to be put on the backburner — most foods traditionally eaten for this celebration are fried in oil or prepared with it. while it doesn't have to make up the bulk of what you are eating during the week, you can't fully enjoy this festival of lights without partaking in some of 'the good stuff'.

one of the best things which are enjoyed at this time of the year — from the sefardic side — are golden billowy fritters, called bimuelos. crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, these delicious and addictive fried irregular shapes of dough are glazed with a honey (or sugar) syrup and, as we do it, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

the following recipe comes from my family and is very simple to make. like many sefardi recipes, it is based on the measurements of a drinking glass, wine glass or teacup, in this case a turkish teacup called 'la kupa' which equals 1/2 c or 4 oz. the recipe makes enough for three to four people (approx. 10 to 12 fritters) and is easily doubled or tripled. people tend to eat many of these so you will have to decide based on your crowd.

these bimuelos can also be made two ways: the first is the fritter (free form) way that is dropped from a spoon into the hot oil or as a type of 'doughnut' in which case the amount of flour in the recipe needs to be increased. first time makers of these fritters may want to start off with the dropped version as it is easiest.

note: this recipe is vegetarian/vegan - no eggs involved. if you are vegan, then make a sugar syrup instead of using honey (see lokma lessons).

happy hanukkah!
חג שמח
joyeuse fête des lumières!

bimuelos de hanuka

makes 10 to 12 fritters

ingredients:

1/2 c (+ 1 heaped tbsp) AP flour
1/2 tsp INSTANT yeast*
1/2 - 1 tsp sugar (i recommend 1 tsp)
good pinch of salt
1/2 c warm water
2 tsp light olive oil
grated orange zest, optional

1/3 c honey
1 - 2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp orange flower water (optional)

powdered sugar
cinnamon


*i use SAF INSTANT yeast which can be mixed directly with the flour. if you don't have it, use regular or rapid rise —> proof these types of yeast in the warm water with the sugar first and THEN add the salt, oil and the flour.

TO MAKE DONUT SHAPED ONES: increase flour to 2/3 c (you may need a little more ~ 1 to 2 tbsp). the final mixture should be slightly thicker than the above fritter one. remember the mixture will be kind of 'gloppy' once proved which is what you want but still hold a shape. see below for how to form donut shapes.

method:

make your syrup first:

in a bowl for microwave, or small pan, place the honey and water in it. stir to mix. heat it until it is hot and then add the orange flower water, if using. set this aside for later.

now make your bimuelos:

in a bowl, place flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt and mix it together. otherwise proof regular yeast first in warm water with sugar and then add the flour. if using orange zest add it also.

add the warm water to the mixture and stir well with a whisk. add the olive oil. make sure there are no lumps. the mixture will be loose and somewhat watery (unless you are making donut type bimuelos).

place plastic wrap over the bowl and put in the oven with the pilot light on. you may want to warm your oven at 150F first for 1 minute.

let the mixture proof for about 60 minutes. it should be very bubbly and have risen.


take a spoon and mix the batter. you will notice the texture is somewhat like wallpaper paste! that is what you want.

heat your oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. make sure it is hot but NOT smoking hot. if the oil is too hot or too cold, the bimuelos will be either burned or greasy and uncooked in the centers. drop a small amount of batter in the oil and see if it immediately floats and sizzles with bubbles around the dough. if it does, then proceed.

always only test one bimuelo first to check your oil.

drop the batter by tablespoon into the hot oil. it will immediately puff up. bubbles will form on the top.

wait until the top looks cooked and is not raw before turning it. if the heat is too high, remove the pan to another burner and lower your heat a little and continue frying.

turn the bimuelos over and fry both sides til golden brown.

IF MAKING DONUT shaped bimuelos, either oil your hands well or wet them with water but shake off the water. you want moist, not wet, hands. place a tablespoon or two of batter in the center of your palm and then press a hole in the middle of the dough and open it up a bit. carefully place the bimuelo in the oil. DO NOT DROP IT or you will be splattered with oil.

with a slotted spoon, remove them to a platter or cookie sheet which is well lined with paper towel. let them drain while you continue to fry the rest of the fritters.

when serving, either dip the bimuelos in the honey syrup or drizzle it over them on a platter.

optional: sprinkle powdered sugar and cinnamon over them before eating. they're really best this way! :))

ADVANCE PREPARATION TIP: while i don't recommend it, you can make these earlier in the day, frying them and storing for serving later. place them in a 350F oven on a cookie sheet. glaze them before serving. i don't recommend it simply because these are at their best served just after you make them; it is, however, still possible to do. if you are making them ahead of time, underfry them a little and finish them off when reheating in the oven.

enjoy!

applicious

i had an aunt who was always in a rush, busy doing "things". who had time to waste, she would ask rhetorically when questioned why she was incessantly racing around. the joke was she was a disaster in the kitchen: she figured the higher the heat, the faster whatever she was making would cook. her quest to be uber-efficient led to many a burnt dish. of course, it wasn't her fault because "something must be wrong with the recipe" she'd utter (LOL). in her defense, however, there were a few things she made very well and what i am posting here was one of them.

this is a version of an apple cake she made during the holiday period which is now quickly coming upon us. everyone always loved it, especially while it was slightly warm. this rosh hashanah (or any day) cake is really ridiculously simple to make and requires one bowl and a pyrex (8 x 8 in) baking dish.

the texture of the cake batter — once baked — is airy soft. underneath it, and baked into the cake, is a layer of apples perfumed by cinnamon and flavoured with dollops of tart apricot jam and a spattering of brown sugar. as it bakes, you'll want to grab it from the oven and eat it right away .... guaranteed or your money back! :)

not much more to say than simple, quick and delicious for this one. the recipe can be doubled also and baked in a larger pan.

oops, forgot to add — for a sephardi version of this cake, you can do as we did and use fresh figs, stems trimmed and cut in half, instead of the apples. you will probably need between 12 to 15 figs, depending on the size of them. add 1 tbsp orange flower water instead of the vanilla.


gâteau express aux pommes

makes approx 9 servings

ingredients:

1/2 c oil
1 egg
1 c sugar
juice of a large orange
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod

5 large apples, appropriate kind for baking*
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp apricot jam, slightly heaped**

*replace the apples with fresh figs, cut in half; enough to cover the bottom of the pyrex;
**you can use a sour cherry jam or a plum one.

method:

preheat your oven to 350F and grease your pyrex and set it aside.

place all the batter ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

stir or whisk the batter for about 45 seconds until it is blended.

make sure there are no lumps and set it aside to continue the recipe. it should be pourable.

take the apples and peel them. core and slice each apple thinly and place them in the pyrex.

dust about 1 tsp of cinnamon over the apples evenly.

place the brown sugar over the apples, distributing as you go, and then place dollops of the jam over the brown sugar.

stir the batter once more and pour it over the apples. make sure to get all the batter out of the bowl! you will see pieces of apple peaking through - that is how it is supposed to look.

bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes until it is fully golden brown. as it bakes you should see little areas where the juices from the apples, the brown sugar and jam are bubbling through.

it can be served warm or at room temperature.

enjoy!

the lighter & heavier side of the honey cake

in most jewish homes, especially ashkenazi, come rosh hashanah, tradition is to serve slices of honey cake to welcome the new year. this means there are a million and one recipes for this particular cake, with every family usually having that one special recipe that is baked year after year, a recipe which has been passed down over the generations. often however, people also try out a new recipe every year — in addition to what they traditionally make.

honey cake can be one of those things that people either love or hate, usually for one or two reasons. it's no secret that some can be as heavy as lead and dried out, usually the sign of a bad recipe or something having gone wrong along the way. i mean, really, who would want to eat that every year?!

honey cakes are traditionally a denser type of cake; in other words, they typically have some heft to them. this is mostly due to the ratio of ingredients and the method of baking. of course, there are different variations of the same theme which give rise to honey cakes of the lighter side. these are usually achieved by beating the eggs whites and incorporating them into the cake to make an airier texture.

another issue comes down to spices. not everyone is a spice lover, especially in cakes. children sometimes avoid eating honey cake, lamenting that "it's too spicy!". as a child, i have to admit, i didn't much like it either! invariably there is often an adult guest at rosh hashana who won't touch it either for that same reason.

so, to that end, i bring you the best of both worlds....

the first recipe in this post is for a honey cake which is amazingly good — in fact, excellent — one which involves zero spices, is incredibly light in texture and deep in flavour. the best part is that it honestly improves over the days you keep it. the top of the cake, once baked, is somewhat sticky and caramel-y tasting. the best thing though is how easily & fast it can be thrown together: it's called chiffon style for good reason. no beating of the egg whites with the benefit of a really light texture. the only caveat to the recipe is that you need a large loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches (don't use the smaller one or you'll have the cake overflow in the oven). since it needs to slowly bake and rise, the cake pan is not greased. you will therefore need to cut out a rectangle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. not following this step will result in you never being able to get the cake out of the pan. after all this said, it's really worth a try! believe it or not, without a single spice in it, it still tastes like a honey cake ;)

the second version — the antithesis of the first — is for that heftier type of cake. this one is equally as good but has spices and requires the egg whites to be beaten and incorporated. the pan, in this case, is greased. you can use a tube pan or a large bundt type one. the recipe makes a very large cake (for a crowd!) but it freezes well for the month of the upcoming holidays.

for several more honey cakes i've posted, look here. check this, too.

have a sweet new year!

chiffon style honey cake

makes 1 loaf (10 - 12 slices) - double the ingredients for a large cake but use a tube pan with removable insert or angelfood cake pan.

use: 23 x 13 x 8 cm [1.9 liters] - 9 x 5 x 3 inches loaf pan UNGREASED.

ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 c brown sugar (packed) or reg white sugar
1/2 c oil
3/4 c honey
1/2 c strong coffee (or tea)

1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

method:

if using a loaf pan (you need the standard large one), cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. DO NOT grease the pan -- very important.

if you're doubling the recipe, use an angelfood cake pan with a removable insert, you don't need the parchment paper AND don't grease the pan either). do NOT use a bundt pan as it will not release from it.

preheat the over to 350 F.

mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

beat eggs with sugar -- add the rest of the wet ingredients.

add the flour in 3 parts to the wet ingredients.

pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350F for 15 minutes. lower the oven to 300F and bake for about 1 more hour. test the cake with a toothpick -- it may need longer or you can raise the temp to 325F. to finish it. don't open the oven before 1 hour or it can fall.

* * * * * * *

rosh hashanah spiced honey cake

makes a LARGE cake (18 to 20 slices) - recipe can be halved

ingredients:

3 tbsp shortening*
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 egg yolks, 4 egg whites
1 c brown sugar, packed
2 c honey
3 tbsp whiskey or brandy**
zest of 1 orange & its juice
3/4 c warm very strong coffee (or strong tea)
3 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each: cloves, allspice, cinnamon & ginger***

*can use (parve) margarine also
**you can omit this and replace with more coffee or o.j.
***or you can use 1 tsp cinnamon alone

method:

1. large bundt pan or angel food cake pan -->well greased and floured - preheat oven to 325 F.

2. mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl; do NOT include the brown sugar in it.

3. beat the egg whites until stiff.

4. blend all the wet ingredients together with the brown sugar in another bowl or mixer until well combined.

5. mix the wet mixture into the dry one until well blended.

6. carefully add the egg whites in several additions to the mixed batter to keep the volume.

7. put the cake batter in the cake pan and bake for about 1 hour or longer -- maybe ~ 1 hr 15 min. test it with a toothpick to make sure the center is cooked. don't open the oven before 50 minutes or so or it will fall.

8. remove from the oven and let cool for approximately 15 minutes. if you are using the angel food cake pan, do not turn the cake over to cool because it will fall out!

9. after initial cooling, remove and let cool completely.

enjoy!

peach butter crust tarte

okay, i'm a bit late with this post. however, seeing as peach season is just behind us, there still must be a few still readily available at reasonable prices. i'm sure it can be made with drained canned peaches, too, if fresh ones aren't available or are prohibitively costly. better yet, use frozen sliced ones which are available at some supermarkets in the freezer section.

the filling for this tarte consists of nothing much more than peaches, some sugar and flour. that's it, besides a sprinkling of cinnamon and splash of amaretto or peach schnapps liqueur if you like. using the dough recipe in my previous post, the pastry can be made in the morning and refrigerated, with the rest of the recipe finished later on. the most tedious part, though very simple, is removing the skin from the peaches.

this tarte is, in my opinion, at its best once it's been refrigerated. the delay seems to improve the flavour and texture of this easy-to-make dessert.
hope you like it.....


peach butter crust tarte

serves 6 to 8

ingredients:

1 pastry recipe

6 to 8 good sized peaches, skinned & sliced thinly (see this post)
3 tbsp flour
8 tbsp sugar
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp amaretto or peach schnapps (optional)

cinnamon

crushed amaretti cookies, optional

method:

preheat your oven to 375F.

skin and slice your peaches (approx 1/4" thick). place them in a medium sized bowl.

add the sugar and flour to the peaches. add the amaretto or peach schnapps, if using.

stir well. they will look thickly coated at first.

wait 10 minutes or until you see the juices develop.

place the peaches carefully into the chilled pastry in the tarte pan.

place the tarte on a lined baking sheet in order to avoid any possible spillage during baking.

sprinkle with cinnamon if desired and crushed amaretti (almond) cookies.

bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

remove from oven and let cool completely.

refrigerate and serve.

enjoy!

cheese blintzes

nothing says classic jewish food more than cheese blintzes. these are especially popular for the holiday of shavuot when dairy foods are traditionally eaten.

there are different recipes for the bletlach (blintz leaves or crêpes) and the filling. the one i am posting here is always successful and definitely worth the trouble of making, especially if you like cheese. see the post here for how to make the blintz leaves.

as for the filling, much depends upon where you live and what is available to you in terms of cheese products. i have, over my lifetime, had many different versions. my favourite is always the kind which are dense and with a creamy consistency rather than a dry (gritty, ech!!) one. therefore, the filling i offer here is a mixture of three different cheeses (rather 2 types). and no, i don't add cinnamon! i find it vile mixed with the cheese filling — made that mistake once, never again.

cottage cheese is usually used for the bulk of most cheese blintz fillings. it comes in two types here in north america: dry and "wet". the dry type is usually in a block and tightly compressed. it has a fine grain to it and little liquid. the "wet" types are larger curd and tend to be a bit salty. the wet component is actually the milk/cream content.

for this particular recipe, both types are used in addition to cream cheese. it's a great filling combination. in the recipe, i show two variations for the filling. as i'm sure there are some people who WON'T like a creamy consistency, i show how to make it the more traditional textured way. to please both crowds, i split the ingredients in two and make 1/2 creamy and 1/2 textured and then combine the two — the best of both worlds.

you can experiment with different cheeses like ricotta mixed with others. the idea, however, is that that the mixture is a DRY one that will not "run" or ooze when it is cooked. the interior filling should be somewhat firm once cooked.

in any event, the recipe yields enough for 20 blintzes. you can freeze them after you form them. it's best to freeze them in batches of 2 or 4 ..... you don't want to defrost 12 when you need 2 for a quick snack!

traditionally, these are served with fresh fruit and sour cream. you can use yogurt or maple syrup or honey, too. all depends on what you like. i've even had them served with whipped cream. there goes the diet!

you can cut the recipes for the filling and blintz leaves in half.


basic cheese blintzes

makes enough for 20 to 24 blintzes

ingredients:

500 g (1 lb) dry cottage cheese
1/2 of a 500 g container regular cottage cheese
4 oz cream cheese (philadelphia style)

1 small lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
5 to 6 tbsp sugar

2 egg yolks

*****

make the bletlach or "leaves" first. in other words, the crepes ..... see here. these can be done in advance and filled the next day.

*****

method:

a note about the main ingredients before starting:

the dry cottage cheese looks like this:

it is tight grained with very little liquid.

to use it in this recipe, just remove it from the package. there should be minimal liquid. if there is a lot, then you can drain it first.

in north america, cottage cheese can be bought in dry form — usually used for baking — and in a creamy form with larger curds (of cheese). this is the everyday kind of cottage cheese people use to eat on its own or prepared some other way.

the "wet" kind of cottage cheese looks like this and comes in plastic 500 g containers.

before starting the recipe, prepare the creamy style cottage cheese by rinsing it in a fine strainer to remove the liquid content.

what you will be left with are the curds of cheese. it won't seem like much but that is all you need for this recipe.

the best cream cheese to use looks like this:


the filling can be made two ways — it depends what you like in terms of texture.

1. completely smooth

to make it this way, all you need to do is blend all the ingredients together. it is best to cut up the cream cheese in smaller pieces and make sure it is at room temperature. i am using a small food processor so it has to be done in two batches.


2. textured

for this version, you need to combine the cream cheese, lemon juice and sugar first and process it until completely smooth.

once that is done, add the remaining ingredients and pulse until incorporated (or until you get the consistency you like).

putting it all together —

important: count the number of blintzes you made and divide the filling equally. do NOT overfill them. i use between 38 to 42 grams of filling per 24 blintzes (i weigh the filling and divide).

fill the blintzes the same way you would for making a spring/egg roll:

note: you place the filling on the side which was exposed to the bottom of the crêpe pan! the exposed rolled up blintz should be yellowish.

at this point, you can freeze them or continue on. if you freeze, don't place them next to each other or they'll stick when frozen. place them on a tray and freeze them as single units and then put them in well closed ziplocs (nylon/plastic) bags.

once the blintzes are filled, fry in butter over medium heat on both sides until golden.

serve with fresh fruit like blueberries and/or strawberries and sour cream.

enjoy!