Author: chanie

Cheesy Zoodle Marinara + Zoodles 101

With Passover soon approaching, I think it’s time for ZOODLE school! Zucchini noodles, or zoodles, have taken the (healthy) food world by storm, and I am all over the trend.

I’m been zoodling for months now, and I’ve come to love zoodles even more than traditional pasta. Besides being fun and easy to make, zucchini noodles are cheap, very low in calories, and you can get lots of noodles out of a single zucchini. If you haven’t hopped on the zoodle train, it’s time for zoodle 101.

There are three popular tools on the market for making zoodles: The Veggetti, The Julienne Peeler and the Paderno Spiralizer. Each tool has it’s pros and cons. Lets get into it!

THE VEGGETTI – The veggetti works like a pencil sharpener – each side has a different size blade, one larger and one smaller to yield a thicker or thinner noodle. If you look at the picture below, you can see the leftover zucchini looks like the tip of a sharpened pencil. The veggetti makes long noodles, but perfect ones come with practice. Turning the zucchini is a bit difficult and the results can be a bit scraggly.
PROS: compact, inexpensive ($12-$15)
CONS: You can only make noodles out of veggies that fit in the veggetti opening – up to 2.5″ in diameter.
Purchase here

THE JULIENNE PEELER: A julienne peeler looks like a traditional vegetable peeler, except the blade has little micro blades that cut whatever you are peeling into julienned strips. I prefer the OXO brand.
PROS: compact, inexpensive ($10), easy to use, easy to clean.
CONS: yields the most waste, you get strips and not traditional-looking noodles, only works on straight vegetables that are easy to peel.
Purchase here

THE SPIRALIZER: The spiralizer is the most versatile tool. It allows you to create noodles out of many different vegetables, and even fruits. Any fruit or vegetable that is at least 2.5″ long and at least 1.5″ in diameter can be spiralized. It cannot be hollow or have a pit, and it must be firm. You can spiralize apples, pears, beets, jicama, plantains, kohlrabi, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash (the neck), turnips and more! The spiralizer also yields the most authentic looking noodle. I prefer the Paderno brand.
PROS: yields the most authentic noodle, various blades yield different noodle shapes, works with a variety of fruits and vegetables, easy to use.
CONS: takes up the most space, not cheap ($30-$40 for the 3-blade and $50 for the new 4-blade), endlessly long noodles tangle and are hard to eat (I recommend cutting them shorter with kitchen shears), hardest to clean (I recommend cleaning immediately otherwise it’s hard to remove dried residue).
Purchase 3-blade, Purchase 4-blade

Here you can see how the noodles look based on the tool that was used, and what you have leftover after making the zucchini noodles. Now, lets talk about cooking methods.

BLANCHING – blanching means to cook vegetables quickly in boiling water and then shock them in an ice bath. As you can see below, this yields a mushy noodle. Not recommended!
ROASTING – roasting the zucchini noodles at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, yields tender zoodles that are evenly cooked.
SAUTEEING – this is my favorite cooking method as it is fast and easy. I saute my zoodles in a wok or large skillet over high heat for about 2-3 minutes for perfectly tender zoodles.

An important point to consider about zoodles, and which tool you want to use to make them, is that zucchini’s have a lot of water. When you use the veggetti or the spiralizer, the seedy center of the zucchini (where most of the water is), get’s incorporated into the noodles. When you use a julienne peeler, you can stop peeling once you reach the seedy portion (in fact you’ll need to, because the strips will just fall apart). Therefore, zoodles made with the julienne peeler have less moisture and won’t water-down your sauces (same goes for cucumbers btw). If you prefer to use a spiralizer or veggetti, one way to solve this problem is to salt the zoodles to draw out some of the moisture. Let the salted zoodles drain in a colander for a few minutes, rinse off the salt and then pat dry on paper towels. I prefer to skip this step. Instead, I only cook my zoodles until tender, and I serve them immeidately (the longer they sit, the more moisture they will emit).

Now that we’ve covered the zoodles – what can you make with them? Well, you are only limited by your creativity! One of my favorite zoodle dishes is this cheesy zoodle marinara. I whip it up for lunch at least once a week! It’s so hearty and indulgent, yet it takes under 5 minutes to prepare. I use the julienne peeler for this because it’s the quickest, and I don’t want my lunch to be a whole to-do. Also, because I don’t use the seedy center of the zucchini, the zoodles don’t water down my sauce.

What else do I make with zoodles? Zoodle Pad Thai (recipe in my ebook), Zoodle Bolognese, Pesto Zoodles with Parmesan, Minestrone Soup with Zoodles, Chicken Zoodle Soup, Miso Soup with Zoodles and more!

And my spiralizer? Well the skies the limit on that! I make everything from rice and risotto to pizza crusts and sandwich buns – all out of vegetables!

Cheesy Zoodle Marinara

1 zucchini, made into zoodles with your preferred tool of choice
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup prepared marinara sauce
heaping 1/2 cup Natural & Kosher shredded mozzarella

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the zoodles. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. If your sauce is too thick, add a splash of water. Add the cheese and cook until melted. Serve immediately.

If you’re looking for more recipes using the spiralizer, I’ve got loads of delicious spiralized dishes in this months issue of Joy of Kosher Magazine, so be sure to pick up a copy! You’ll find great Kosher for Passover recipes like beet-crust pizza with arugula walnut pesto and fresh mozzarella, cucumber salad with almond butter dressing, Spanish sweet potato rice with lime marinated chicken and no-bean minestrone with zoodles.

You can also check out the new Inspiralized cookbook by Ali Maffucci of Inspiralized.com.


This post was sponsored by Natural & Kosher Cheese. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, or via their Blog

Other Zoodle Recipes:

spinach white bean minestrone with zoodles
harissa roasted chicken with zoodles

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Favorite Kitchen Tools

Although I’ve been married for 12 years, I have yet to make my own Passover. And I plan to avoid it at all costs, as long as I can. This year though, my mom and in-laws are both going away, so it’s looking more and more like I might have to finally bite the Passover bullet (unless one of you want to invite me over!). Making Passover means I’ll have to stock up on kitchen essentials, which got me thinking…What are my kitchen essentials? It’s a question that’s often asked at my cooking demonstrations, and I think it’s about time I share them with you!


Take the time to read through each and every recommendation, as they are chock full of kitchen TIPS as well as TOOLS, enjoy!

1. Paderno Spiralizer This handy kitchen tool creates noodles out of a variety of vegetables creating endless possibilities. I make pizza crusts, burger buns, noodles, curly fries and rice – all out of veggies! It is truly the perfect tool for those looking to reduce their carb intake – especially during Passover! The newest version includes 4 blades, but I love the classic 3-blade spiralizer which creates ribbon noodles, thick udon-style noodles and thinner spaghetti noodles (the newer model also includes an angel-hair-noodle blade).
2. Mini Kitchen Whisk I love this for emulsifying salad dressing, mixing sauces and more! You can never have too many whisks in the kitchen! That’s why I chose it for my logo!
3. OXO Julienne Peeler This is my go-to tool for quick and easy zoodles (zucchini noodles) or julienned carrots for the soup. It’s super compact and easy to use so you can make salads like these. Note that I have tried other brands and I recommend the OXO only.
4. Kitchen Tongs I use kitchen tongs on a daily basis. I have several, in many different sizes. It’s great for removing items from a pot, stir frying, stirring noodles, handling meat or poultry on the BBQ, serving salads, and even juicing citrus! See my kitchen tips (#1) for more on that!
5. Belgique Cookware I purchased the Belgique cookware set at Macy’s when I got married, and it has carried me through years of cooking! My pots still shine beautifully, cook evenly and clean wonderfully. I am IN LOVE with my pots. The only drawback is that they stopped making stainless steel lids (which is what I have) and they only come with glass lids now. I’m not a fan of glass lids because they can crack, but as far as pots go, you get a real bang for you buck with this set. I love it so much that I even purchased additional pieces of open stock over the years, like this sauteuse. Please note that I cannot vouch for the quality of the current model!
6. Le Creuset Dutch Oven I don’t think I would have ever bought this pot, had I not won 2nd place in a Mushroom Contest for this recipe, which awarded me a $500 gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. When I got the gift card in the mail, I knew exactly what I was going to buy! A dutch oven allows you to cook on the stovetop as well as the oven – making things like braising super efficient. When I started cooking my roasts in a dutch oven, the results did not compare to those I made previously. These heavy cast-iron pots are perfect for soups, stews and even breadmaking. If there’s one expensive item you splurge on in the kitchen, make it a dutch oven.
7. Professsional Knife Sharpening Machine People ALWAYS ask me what knife I use and I always say the same thing: it’s more worthwhile to invest in a knife sharpener than it is to invest in a knife. I use a budget friendly Santoku knife (see #15), which I sharpen regularly, making it good as new! One of the most dangerous tools in a kitchen is a DULL KNIFE because it requires you to use more pressure, which can result in injuries. A sharp knife does the work for you, no pressure required. Granted, I splurged on a pricier model (using the leftover money from my Mushroom Contest win), but you can easily purchase a more budget-friendly option. There are also other methods of knife sharpening, like using a whetstone, but it gives me the chills so an electric sharpener is my preferred method.
8. Silicone Spatulas These are a must-have for every kitchen! I use mine to scrape out the food processor, remove batter from mixing bowls, and mix up a stir-fry without scraping my nonstick wok (#18).
9. Garlic Crusher If you’re like me, and you don’t love mincing garlic by hand, or having to take out the mini processor to do the work, a garlic crusher is a must! This brand comes with a nifty little tool to help you clean the crevices.
10. Microplane Zester Some people forgo this tool because they don’t do much zesting, but a microplane works for so much more than that! I use a microplane to grate ginger, garlic and shallots into sauces and dressings.
11. Hinged Ice Cream Scoop An ice cream scoop is a must-have for portioning out everything from cookie dough, muffin batter, meatballs, burgers, biscuits and more! If you ever wondered how professional places manage to make cookies and muffins that are all exactly the same size, it’s because they use a portion scoop! Scoops come in all sizes, so you can get smaller ones for meatballs and larger ones for muffins. Besides for equal-sized portions being aesthetically pleasing, it also means that your food will cook evenly, since everything is the same size.
12. Ziploc Freezer Bags This kitchen tool comes straight out of your supermarket aisle! I never use big ‘ole fancy pastry bags in the kitchen. Ziploc freezer bags do the job just perfectly for me! One of the tricks I like to use is to stuff my Ziploc bag into a measuring cup to make filling it easier. Then, I snip off the corner with kitchen shears and use it to pipe pastry cream into cannolis, mousse into cups, puree onto wontons and frosting onto cupcakes.
13. Lodge Cast Iron Grill This stovetop griddle sits over your stovetop burners and grills up poultry, meat and fish with beautiful grill marks. The cast iron gets smoking hot, making it the perfect surface for indoor grilling. NOTE: When purchasing cast iron, look for unseasoned varieties as lard and other types of nonkosher fats may have been used in the seasoning process (when I purchased this grill several years ago, it had a kosher certification).
14. Nesting Bowls This inexpensive set of nesting bowls really helps to keep prep clean and organized. One of the principles of professional cooking is “mise en place”, which means to have all of the components of your dish prepped and organized before preparing it. Prepping large meals with various courses can be made more efficient by cooking with that philosophy in mind.
15. Victorinox Santoku Knife I have really small hands, so a classic 8″ chef’s knife doesn’t work for me. I want to feel comfortable with my grasp on my most-used kitchen tool, so I prefer the shape, style and size of this 7″ santoku knife. If you like a classic shape better, I also recommend the Global budget-friendly knife or the pricier Wusthof.
16. Zyliss Folding Mandolin A mandolin is an essential tool for anyone who wants to cook with finesse. It creates uniform slices in varying thicknesses, so you can create the perfect garnish, potatoes au gratin, veggie chips or fries. This version folds for easy storage. NOTE: Safety First! Make sure to use the accompanying safety guard.
17. Flour Sack Towels These all purpose cotton towels are lightweight and perfect for many kitchen jobs such as drying greens, squeezing excess moisture from herbs or veggies (in lieu of expensive cheesecloth) and wiping counters or hands while cooking.
18. TFal Nonstick Wok I love Asian cooking so a wok is a must-have in my kitchen. This lightweight nonstick wok is dishwasher-safe, making it perfect for stir fries, Pad Thai, deep-frying, or even steaming or smoking. It’s large size works wonders for sauteing spiralized veggies!
19. Nonstick Mini Rolling Pin Mini rolling pins don’t have to be just for play dough! I love that this is nonstick for easy cleaning, and it’s non-cumbersome, so I have a handle (pun intended!) on my doughs (not my favorite thing to prepare!).
20. Zyliss Safe Edge Can Opener If you’re still using an old fashioned can opener, it’s time for an upgrade! You never know where your cans have been sitting, or for how long. They can carry all sorts of bacteria! To prevent cross-contamination, use an opener that removes the entire lid of the can without leaving sharp edges. Safety all around!

What are some of your kitchen must-haves? I would love to hear! Share them with me in the comments below.

Please NOTE: This post contains affiliate links which means that a small percentage of every purchase made through the links above goes to help support the BIB blog!

Purim Deviled Eggs

You probably never thought you’d hear a nice Jewish girl say this, but thank G-d for Easter! You see, I just wasn’t feeling Purim this year. I’ve been busier than ever (I think I should change my name to BUSIER in Brooklyn) and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t really come up with a fun food gift that wouldn’t break the bank.

Enter Target’s dollar section AKA my favorite place of all time! Since I couldn’t seem to come up with something, I decided to shop around and let the aisles do the talking. Well talk, they did! When I saw these adorable Easter egg crates, I knew exactly what I was going to make. Total cost: $1.

After I found the egg crates, I realized that I would need something to place them in – something nice and sturdy, that would hold them in place. Well, I didn’t have to look much further. A bit deeper in to the Target bargain bins, I found these square wooden boxes, which fit the crates just right. Total cost: $3.

Now all I needed was to fill the empty space next to the eggs, but what to put? Hmm, deviled eggs, deviled…hot…hot sauce! The perfect accompaniment to deviled eggs! So I did what any bargain hunter would do, on my way home from Target, I stopped by every little supermarket I could find and went straight for the condiment aisle. I tried all the bottles to see what would fit, until I scored the ultimate find! OU certified Louisiana hot sauce at 4 for $1. You got that right! FOUR whole bottles for one hundred pennies! The original price was $3.19 per bottle, but they were on special just this week! Talk about good timing!

I also scored this amazing copper beer bucket at Target for just $3 – a great addition to my growing props collection. And the plastic eggs that came with the egg cartons? My kids are gonna have a ball with those.

So, Target loot in hand, I went home and cooked up some 6 dozen eggs. Cooking in bulk always reminds me why I never want to go into the catering business. Peeling them was such a pain, and my house literally stunk like a chicken coop! Do you know what the secret to easy egg peeling is? Use old eggs. Seriously! The fresher the egg, the harder they are to peel. And do you think I remembered to buy eggs two weeks ago? NO. This girl, who knew the secret to easy-egg-peeling, bought FRESH eggs. I kid you not.


Now if you want to serve up deviled eggs vertical-style (stuffing them standing up instead of cutting them in half lengthwise), here’s what I learned: you need to slice off the top from the wide end of the egg. If you start from the narrow tip, you’re gonna lose half the egg before you reach enough of the yellow to be able to get it out. Once I sliced off the wide end, I squeezed gently on the whites and the yolk literally plops out. It even makes a “plopping” noise. Kind of funny!

Once I’ve separated my yolks from the whites, I go ahead and fill my food processor with the yolks, adding in some mayo, mustard, pickle relish, onion powder and salt. I give it a whirl and let it go until the mixture is nice and creamy. Then, I scoop the creamy filling into a ziploc bag and cut off the tip. I fill the whites with the yolks and top it with a bit of chopped green onion. Simple. Clean. And oh so yummy.

Deviled eggs, check. Egg cartons, check. Hot sauce, check.

Now the only thing left to do, was make a cute card – and it came to me just as I was putting the finishing touches on my crates. Why not use yellow and white card stock to make an egg-shaped card? I’m not a big fan of my handwriting so creating tags on the computer really works for me! Seriously, how cute are these?!

I hope you enjoyed my little peek into my family’s shalach manos! Wishing you and yours a truly EGGSELLENT PURIM!

If this post has induced a deviled eggs craving, I’ve got you covered! Check out this classic recipe, or try this pickled one!

And if you’d like to print your own Egg cards, download the template here (I reduced the size for the yolk portion of the card).

What did you make for shalach manos this year? Share your Purim ideas with me in the comments below!

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Beer Battered Salami Chips with Beer Mustard

Oh yes I did. I made SALAMI. ON. STEROIDS.

And I didn’t have much choice either. I mean, there’s pretty much no outdoing my drunken hasselback salami, so I had to go there. And by there I mean, the deep fryer.

Ever since I read about a not-so-well-known custom to eat salami on Purim (to commemorate the hanging of HAMAN…hanging….salami….get it?), I’ve been banging out salami recipes for the holiday. Truth be told, I have no idea if this is a real thing, or if I happened upon a practical joke, but regardless, this taking-salami-to-the-next-level challenge has been a blast.

And it’s so ironic because I literally hated salami growing up. My mom used to feed us salami sandwiches for lunch every Friday afternoon. She’d smear ketchup on rye and top it with thick slices of salami all wrapped up in a foil package so we could take it along as we played in the courtyard of our building. One at a time, we’d chuck those salami sandwiches down the incinerator, and my mom was none the wiser! Fast forward some 20+ years and here. I. am.

Now when I think about this recipe, I have to admit, it’s like the ultimate guy food. It’s got beer, salami and it’s fried. I mean, seriously, could you ask for anything more?

Apparently you can. Because, not only did I come up with the ultimate finger food, I even made a beer dipping sauce, just to take the whole Purim thing over the top. Because that’s the way I roll. Or hang, apparently.

I’ve never made mustard from scratch before so I was excited to give it a try. There’s something really interesting I discovered about mustard in this recipe creation process. When mustard is exposed to heat, it loses it’s potency. (Same goes for horseradish and wasabi by the way)! I learned this by trying the same mustard recipe two ways – one used a bit more beer so I reduced it over heat, and the other I blended in the food processor to thicken, using no heat. The results were astounding! The blended mustard is super hot, while the cooked mustard is mildly sweet with little heat. Pretty awesome, right?

When the crispy salami and beer mustard meet, it’s the ultimate marriage. And it’s not just any salami, by the way. I used my favorite brand, Abeles & Heymann, because after visiting their factory a few months ago, and watching the salami-making process with my own eyes, I know their salami is made with the highest quality ingredients from start to finish!

And I wouldn’t think of coating that salami in anything less than the perfect crispy batter – which is what you get from beer batter. It’s super light and crisp, and let’s not forget, easy! Beer batter is just flour and beer and that’s it. Because the salami is packed with flavor, I don’t add much else, but you can always add a pinch of cayenne for some heat, if you’d like.

Now that we have the ultimate party food, lets discuss the Jewish holiday of Purim for a second! The Purim celebration is based upon the biblical Book of Esther, which recounts the story of Queen Esther and how she saved the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman (after whom the HAMANtasch is named). We celebrate with a festive feast (where these salami chips must make an appearance!), sending food gifts to family and friends, drinking until we don’t know the difference between the evil HAMAN and the righteous MOREDECHAI, and of course, dressing up as characters in the Purim story.

Growing up, Purim was always our favorite holiday, and you can imagine why. We got to dress up, deliver goodies to our friends and gorge on hamantaschen. As an adult, I love to put my own twist on the holiday with creative themes on my food gifts, fun twists on holiday cocktails and of course, crazy spins on salami!

If you live in Brooklyn, Queens or The Five Towns, be sure to check out my other salami recipe in the all new FYI Magazine! I’m so excited to join the team of FYI as the food editor, with a column for Fast & Fresh recipes as well as a Nutritious and Delicious section. This month, I’ve got a quick and easy salami quiche as well as a Persian twist on dried fruit truffles – perfect for your Purim feast or your Mishloach Manos.

Whether you choose to take on the Purim salami tradition or not, just remember to have fun and be joyous, because that’s what this holiday is all about! :) Happy Purim!

Beer Battered Salami Chips

1 16oz. Abeles & Heymann salami, sliced
1 cup all purpose flour
1 12oz. bottle of beer, ale preferred
pinch of salt

Method:

Add the flour and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the beer and stir until a thick batter forms. It should be a little thicker than pancake batter. You’ll need most of the bottle of beer (with about 1/2 cup left over).

Heat a few inches of oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees.

Dip the salami slices in the beer batter and place in the hot oil. Fry a few at a time until golden brown on one side, and then flip over to brown the other side. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels. To keep the salami chips crisp, remove from the paper towels and place on a rack.

Beer Mustard, Two Ways

1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 12 oz. beer, ale preferred
3 tbsp mustard powder
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 heaping tbsp honey
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt

For sweet mustard, soak the mustard seeds in the beer overnight. Place the mustard seeds with the soaking liquid and all the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to break up the bubbles. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally, so the mustard seeds don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Be sure not to thicken the mustard too much as it will thicken more once cooled.

For spicy mustard (VERY SPICY!), soak the mustard seeds in 1 cup of beer (not the whole bottle) overnight. Place the mustard seeds with the soaking liquid and the remaining ingredients (excluding the leftover beer) in a food processor. Blend until the mustard seeds break down and the mixture thickens (it will thicken more in the fridge).

For either mustard, store in a glass jar in the fridge, giving it a few days for the flavors to meld and develop.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET 15% OFF YOUR ABELES & HEYMANN ONLINE ORDER USING COUPON CODE “BUSY”!

Salami making at the Abeles & Heymann factory with owner, Seth Levitt! This is the first and last time you will see me in a lab coat and hairnet ;)

This post is sponsored by Abeles & Heymann. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! 

Other Salami Recipes:

drunken hasselback salami
baked salami chips with dijon dipping sauce

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Halva Krembo’s

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know about my recent trip to Israel. I posted lots of droolworthy pics of all of the delicious foods I was eating! And there was no shortage of that. Israel is the land of milk and honey – overflowing with the most amazing bounty. A single trip to the Machane Yehudah market will prove just that. You’ll find the sweetest seasonal fruits and perfect large, robust vegetables that are all farm fresh and (mostly) locally grown. The stands piled high with fresh baked pastries, the artisan breads and fluffy pillows of pita, and the hidden gems of culture at every turn are awe-inspiring.

One thing the shuk is known for is it’s halva. “Mamlechet HaHalva”, or “The Halva Kingdom” is famous for it’s amazing array of halva flavors. It is so hard to pick a favorite but the espresso, candied pecan and cinnamon are all up there!

And any of you that have walked passed the halva stand have been nudged by the famous “Halva King” to try a piece. He’s become a fixture in the shuk, gold crown and all! See my pic with him below!

The Halva Kingdom recently started making a line of flavored tahini as well. I tasted the freshly ground paste (which tastes like peanut butter) and then sampled a selection of sweet and savory flavors like tomato, pesto, nougat, chocolate, and more. The nougat was so good, I brought home a bucket!

All of the amazing flavors and aromas of the shuk inspired me to create a twist on a classic Israel snack – the KREMBO. Krembo is hebrew for “There’s Cream In It”, referring to the fluffy cream hiding under it’s chocolate coating. Krembo’s have a round biscuit base and are available in vanilla and mocha flavors. They’re wrapped up in thin foil packaging, blue for vanilla and brown for mocha.

With tahini being just about the most popular food of Israel, I was surprised they never came out with a halva flavored krembo – so I decided to do just that! I started with a sesame-flavored cookie and topped it with some tahini-flavored whipped cream. I coated it all in chocolate and decorated it with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.


Creating a beautiful chocolate glaze came together easily with the amazing new brand of kosher vegan chocolate chips – California Gourmet. Their 45% cocoa chips are rich in chocolatey flavor with just the right balance of sweetness. I love how easily it melts, perfect for dipping, and it hardens quickly too. I stir in some coconut oil to create the perfect chocolate magic shell, and we use the leftovers to have a little after-school fondue dipping party!

California Gourmet chocolate chips help me keep my krembo’s pareve, without sacrificing on richness and flavor. And boy are these rich and flavorful! Halva flavored Krembo’s, here we come!

And while we are talking about homemade krembo’s, I must give a shoutout to the Balaboosta cookbook. In it, Israeli Chef Einat Admony recreates one of the favorite snacks of her childhood, you guessed it….krembo. Her homemade version of the classic (which looks incredible, by the way), gave me the push I needed to make these happen.

You see, I’m not much of a pastry girl. In fact, I don’t own a single pastry bag. When I say to fill your pastry bag with whip cream, I mean Ziploc. And I cut the corner with a scissor, the old fashioned way. That’s how I pipe people. So let me tell you – If i can make these, you most definitely can. They might look intimidating, but they are anything but. And that, my friends, is just the way I like to do things. Happy Halva-ing!

Halva Krembo’s

sesame cookies, recipe follows
tahini cream, recipe follows
chocolate magic shell, recipe follows
sesame seeds, for garnish

Method:

Place the tahini cream in a piping bag with a wide tip. Pipe the cream onto the cookies, creating a mound of cream. Place the cookies into the freezer for 20 minutes.

Pour the chocolate magic shell into a large mug. Dip the cookies into the chocolate and place on a rack set of a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and set aside to harden, or freeze until set.

If you have extra cookies, dip half of the cookie into your leftover magic shell and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place on a rack to harden.

Sesame Cookies
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the sesame seeds out onto a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and coconut oil until creamy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until incorporated. Stir in the sesame seeds.

Spread the dough out into a log on a sheet of parchment paper and roll the paper tightly, twisting the sides, to form a tight cylinder, about two inches wide. Refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 1 hour, or freeze for 20 minutes.

Slice the dough into half inch slices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely.

YIELD: 18-20 cookies

Halva Cream
16oz. nondairy whip topping
3/4 cup tahini
honey or silan, to taste

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the tahini until incorporated. I prefer my cream not to be too sweet, but if you’d like, you may fold in a bit of honey or silan, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

NOTE: for dairy, use heavy cream. Will require additional sweetener.

Chocolate Magic Shell
1 10 oz. bag California Gourmet chocolate chips
3 tbsp coconut oil

Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (water should not touch the bowl). Pour the chocolate into the bowl with the coconut oil and stir until melted into a smooth sauce.



Here are some photos of the things that inspired this recipe! With the Halva King, eating freshly ground tahini and surrounded by the many flavors of tahini, halva, and of course, krembo!

This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

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