Strawberry Lemonade Challah

Another week, a new challah recipe!  

As summer is approaching, I love taking advantage of all the fresh fruits! My favorite drink on a hot day is a sweet and tart strawberry lemonade. So, what better way to welcome warm weather than with a strawberry lemonade challah? 

The strands are stuffed with a freeze dried strawberry and lemon filling, then topped with a fresh strawberry and lemon puréed cobbler topping! 

What you will need:

Challah dough recipe

Filling:

I always have dry filling for my babkas on hand in ziploc bags {recipe here} use 8 tbsp of the vanilla pudding powder

½ cup freeze dried strawberries

1 tbsp lemon zest

5-6 tbsp lemon juice

Topping:

3 strawberries, puréed

⅓-½ cup flour

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

Make challah dough according to directions here.

Divide dough into 8 equal parts and then roll each part into a log, long enough to fit a loaf pan. {makes 2 loaf challah}

Make the filling by first adding the freeze dried strawberries to a mini blender or food processor, process until almost a fine dust. In a bowl, add all ingredients and stir until combined.

Gently flatten each log so that it is about 2 inches wide. Add filling to each flattened log. Pinch the edges to seal, and then braid the logs. Place the challah in a greased loaf pan and let the challah rise for 30 minutes.

While the challah is rising, prepare the cobbler topping. Puree the strawberries, then add all ingredients together in a bowl until a thick paste-like consistency is achieved. {may need to adjust the flour amount based on consistency} 

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Once the challah has risen, plop little dollops of the topping all over the top of the challah.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the challah is slightly golden.

Once you slice into the challah, you’ll see all the ribbons of strawberry lemon goodness!

And, if you happen to have any leftovers after shabbas, it makes a great Sunday brunch French toast!

Enjoy!

Gelt Together Cookies

Chanukah is one of my favorite holidays! I usually make some ugly Chanukah sweater iced sugar cookies, but this year I’m all about easy recipes! 

I purchased a bunch of bags of gelt from Trader Joe’s, and figured I can ‘decorate’ thick sugar cookies rolled in blue sugar with a gelt. I’ve seen similar ideas with Hershey kisses or nuts, so why not gelt? The combo works perfectly together. Make them for your Chanukah gelt together and they will be a showstopper! {see what I did there with geLt?!}

What you will need:

Sugar cookie dough (my easy recipe here)

I swapped butter for oil 1:1 here and worked perfectly

Sanding sugar or sprinkles

Gelt

Directions:

Follow directions here through chilling the dough. 

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°. 

Form 1” balls of dough using a small cookie scoop or eyeballing. The dough should yield approximately 24 cookies. 

Flatten the balls slightly to form a disc.

Roll the edges in blue sanding sugar, or sprinkles, or whatever your heart desires!

Bake for 10 minutes. While the cookies are baking, unwrap your gelt. 

When the 10 minutes are up, quickly press a gelt in the center of each cookie before it sets. Then return to the oven for another 2 minutes. 

My son helped me with this stage, just had to remind him the tray was hot and left the oven mitt on it so he didn’t get burned. 

Allow the cookies and chocolate to cool completely before handling. 

Enjoy!

Creme Brûlée

My husband’s favorite dessert (and one of mine) is creme brûlée. We had a really good creme brûlée a few weeks ago while away in Antigua, and I wanted to recreate it. While I had always been intimidated to try to make it, I took the plunge the other week! And it passed his taste test! Success!

What you will need: 

1 pint heavy cream 

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste 

3 large egg yolks 

¼ cup granulated sugar 

⅛ cup turbinado sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a saucepan, add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste. Bring to a light simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and cool to room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until combined and lighter in color. 

Slowly add the cooled cream mixture, whisking constantly. 

Place 6 glass jars or ramekins in a large pan. Pour the mixture into the jars. Place the pan in the oven, then pour hot water into the bottom of the pan, enough so the water comes about halfway up the sides of the jars. 

Bake until set and just a little bit jiggly, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the jars from the oven and let cool on the counter until they reach room temperature, then place the jars in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.

Evenly sprinkle the top of each jar with the turbinado sugar. Using a kitchen torch, or under the broiler, melt the sugar until it bubbles and turns dark golden brown. This will form a crunchy top. Let sit for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Macaroon Challah

I love chocolate covered macaroons, and not just for Pesach. This week I tried to recreate the flavors to stuff inside my challah, and top with a chocolate drizzle!

What you will need: 

Challah dough {recipe here} Filling

¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup sugar

1 egg white

Topping

Unsweetened flaked coconut

1 egg

Chocolate drizzle

¼ cup chocolate chips

½ tsp canola oil

Directions:

Prepare challah dough according to directions.

Prepare the macaroon filling - separate an egg, and whisk the egg white and sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the shredded coconut and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts and then roll each part into a log, long enough to fit a loaf pan.

Gently flatten each log so that it is about 2-3 inches wide. Fill with the macaroon mixture. Pinch the edges to seal each log.

Braid the challah. Place the challah in a greased loaf pan and let the challah rise for 30 minutes.

Once the challah has risen, brush with an egg wash. Sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the challah is cooked through.

Once the challah is out of the oven and cooling, prepare the chocolate drizzle. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments so as to not burn the chocolate. Once melted, add the oil and stir to combine.

Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the top of the challah.

Cut into your challah and taste the layers of coconut macaroon-y yumminess!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Bun Challah

What you will need: 

Challah dough {recipe here} 

Filling 

1 cup brown sugar 

4 tbsp cinnamon Oil or butter 

1 egg 

Topping 

1 oz cream cheese 

1 tbsp oil 

1 tsp vanilla

Powdered sugar 

Directions: 

Prepare challah dough according to directions. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Divide dough into 3 equal parts and then roll each part into a log, long enough to fit a loaf pan.

Gently flatten each log so that it is about 4 inches wide. Shmear each section with softened butter or oil. Leave the edges unfiltered to roll up easier. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the oil/butter. 

Roll up each flattened log on itself like you would a traditional cinnamon bun.

Braid the challah. Place the challah in a greased loaf pan and let the challah rise for 30 minutes.

Once the challah has risen, brush with an egg wash.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the challah is cooked through.

While the challah is baking, prepare the cream cheese glaze. Mix softened cream cheese, vanilla, and oil together and gradually add powdered sugar until a pourable consistency.

Once the challah is out of the oven and cooled, drizzle with the cream cheese glaze.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Cheesecake Babka

With Shavuot right around the corner, I wanted to make a dairy dessert that was cheesecake inspired! This strawberry cheesecake babka is perfect for Shavuot!

What you will need:

Babka dough {recipe here}

Vanilla Powder Filling

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 box vanilla pudding mix

Cheese Filling

8 oz of whipped cream cheese

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

1 egg yolk

Add ins

Freeze dried strawberries

Graham cracker pieces

Crumb Topping

1 cup flour

1 cup powdered sugar

6 tbsp canola oil 

Directions

Prepare babka dough according to instructions here, recipe makes 3 babkas.

Prepare the babka crumbs: Mix crumb ingredients together until crumbs form. The consistency should be similar to wet sand. Add in some of the graham cracker pieces and crushed up freeze dried strawberries. 

Prepare the cheese filling: whip all ingredients together in a bowl of a stand mixer and chill until ready to use. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 3 (2 lb) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line each with parchment paper. 

Divide dough into 3 portions. Roll 1 portion into a 13x10x¼” rectangle. Spread on a layer of the cheese filling, the dust an even layer of the vanilla powder filling and top with graham cracker pieces and pulverized freeze dried strawberries. 

Roll dough over filling to form a log. Twist log; fold in half. Place into prepared pan. Cut a shallow slit across the length of the log. Repeat with remaining portions. Top loaves with babka crumbs and toppings.  

Place loaf pans onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes; rotate pans. Bake additional 15 minutes; babka crumb topping should be golden brown.

Cool on cooling racks. Do not cut into babka until it has cooled, as dough continues to bake even after being removed from oven.

Look at all of those cheesecakey layers!

Enjoy!

{black bean} S’mores Brownies

I love anything chocolate! Chocolate has a rich and decadent flavor, and easily masks the flavor of other {dare I say more healthy} ingredients. I have made chocolate mousse with banana and avocado in it {see it here} and wanted to try something else in a baked brownie.

These brownies are made with an entire can of black beans in them. The black beans give the brownies a smooth and luscious texture. Even better, my picky 2 year old who loves sweets and not much of vegetables or beans devours them!

They are also topped with everything that would go into a traditional s’mores, making them even more inviting to a toddler.

What you will need 

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 

3 large eggs 

¼ cup neutral oil, like vegetable or canola 

1 tsp vanilla 

¾ cup granulated sugar 

½ cup all purpose flour 

½ tsp baking powder 

¼ cup cocoa powder

Pinch kosher salt 

¾ cup chocolate chips, divided 

2 graham crackers, chopped 

¾ cup mini marshmallows

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Place the beans, eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar in a blender or food processor and puree for 1 minute. 

Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt to a bowl. Add the liquid mixture to the dry and stir to incorporate until no lumps are present. 

Stir ½ cup of the chocolate chips into the batter and pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan and top with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips, graham crackers and marshmallows. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

Let the brownies cool completely. Then, remove the brownies from the pan and cut into even squares. 

Enjoy!