Category: Cookies

Marzipan Date Truffles

I must. must. must. discuss these beautiful photos!!! After much deliberation, I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to a new full frame sensor camera, the Canon 6D. Do I even need to tell you how amazing the full frame sensor is, or should I just let the photos do the talking (all unedited, straight out of the camera!)?

I know most of you are not here for the photography. OK maybe you enjoy the mouthwatering food, but you can do without the technical jargon. Let me just say that the camera sensor is what lets in the light and a bigger sensor = more light and more light = beautiful photos. That being said, my “studio” is in a pretty dark room with limited light so a larger sensor is really important for me. The full frame sensor also allows me to fit more into the frame of a photo so you get a wider view.


Sensor aside, the 6d also has wifi capability so I can set my camera on a tripod and connect to it via Canon’s app to take hands free photos! Taking photos on a tripod removes any possibility of camera shake so you get crystal clear, sharp photos. I’m so in love!

Speaking of which, I am also very much in love with this healthy, raw, vegan, 4-ingredient (if you don’t count the salt!) snack that’s become a staple in my house. Marzipan is one of my favorite flavors (hello 3-layer rainbow cookies!) and the pure almond extract really brings out that flavor in these guilt-free chews. With Tu B’shvat around the corner, they are just the thing!!

Marzipan Date Truffles

16 plump medjool dates, pit removed
1 cup raw almonds plus more for topping
2 tsp pure almond extract
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips, optional

Method:

Place the dates, almonds, almond extract and salt in the bowl of a food processor with the S blade attached. Blend until the mixture forms a dough and starts to clump up and pull away from the sides of the bowl (this may take a few minutes, depending on the quality of your machine). Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired (I like it to have a salted flavor).

With slightly damp hands, roll the date mixture into balls and press an almond into the top of each one.

If desired, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, or over a double boiler. Pour the chocolate into a Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle chocolate over the truffles and refrigerate until solid.

Truffles may be kept at room temperature, but they last longer in the fridge or freezer.

NOTE: almond extract is what gives these truffles their marzipan flavor. If you’re not a fan, you may use less (start with 1/2 tsp) or use 1 tsp of vanilla extract instead.

YIELD: approximately 20 truffles.

Related Recipes:

Tu B’shvat truffles
date and almond hamantaschen
cowboy cookie dough bites
gingerbread truffles

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Funfetti Raspberry Palmiers

Aaaahhhh!!!! You guys!!! I can’t believe that it’s 2017 and I have been blogging since January 19th, 2011 when I posted this chicken breast with port wine cherry sauce. It’s crazy how much has changed since that very first blog post!

First up, I gotta give myself a big pat on the back. I have NEVER started a hobby that I actually stuck to until THIS. ALL. HAPPENED. And for 6 whole years I posted once to twice a week without EVER. TAKING. A. BREAK. I even birthed two beautiful children along the way (thanks to my amazing blogger friends who filled in with some guest posts during that time!). What is it about blogging that just stuck?

I’ll tell you. Honestly, when this blog started, I had just had my third kid, and I had always worked for a few hours a day because I like to keep busy. It was time to move on so my husband suggested that I start a blog (he came up with the name!) and the rest is history! I wasn’t a big cook back in the day and honestly my photography was TERRIBLE. But the spark was lit. I got so much amazing feedback, and I just wanted to keep sharing. I went to culinary school along the way, took a photography class, and just kept honing my skills. Like a flower in bloom, my passion for cooking blossomed into something beautiful. I feel truly blessed to absolutely LOVE what I do.

Of course like every human being, I get sick of cooking sometimes. And once in a while, I’m just so not in the mood of photo editing or writing, but I always come back. Because the passion is a fire that burns that you just can’t extinguish! And for that I have YOU to thank – my readers! You are the fuel to my blogging fire. Your comments, emails, messages and photos are what keep me going. They make me want to continue to share and push myself to create amazing things.

Of course when my first blogoversary came, I never imagined I’d celebrate many more, but each year I posted a little something to mark the date of my first post. I didn’t have a specific theme, but when my funfetti cake went viral on my 4th blogoversary, I decided I would stick to the funfetti theme from then on. My friend Melinda always goes red velvet for her Blogoversary and I loved the idea.

Last year, I continued the funfetti theme with some homemade pecan turtles because they’re pretty much my favorite candy, and because I really wanted to challenge myself to make homemade caramel for the first time! It took a couple of tries but my no-corn-syrup caramel recipe has been a huge hit ever since!

This year, I needed something easy because I’ve got a 5 month old who loves my attention, so I came up with these stunners! With Valentines Day ahead, as well as Purim not too far off (ducking now!), I thought these would be the perfect little bite to show my LOVE and APPRECIATION to you all for making BIB what it is today.

Palmiers, also known as elephant ears, are a French pastry that’s traditionally made with puff pastry and sugar. The puff pastry is covered in sugar, folded in layers and sliced thin. The sugars caramelize during baking and you’re left with a buttery cookie that’s crispy from the sugar and oh so pretty!

I decided to ditch the sugar in favor of sprinkles and fill the dough with raspberry jam to resemble hearts. The jam ends up caramelizing under the cookie, and the sprinkles add a nice crunch, so these make a great variation on the original. Plus they are super beautiful and versatile!

Thank you so much for following and making BIB the success that it is today. To many more Blogoversary’s to come!

Funfetti Raspberry Palmiers

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup sprinkles or nonpareils
1/3 cup raspberry jam

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the puff pastry on your work surface and unfold. Spread the nonpareils out onto it and press it into the dough using your hands, or cover with a sheet of parchment paper and press down with a rolling pin. Gently fold the dough and flip it over (if it has become too warm and hard to flip, refrigerate it until it becomes firm again). Spread the raspberry jam over the other side of the pastry and fold each side over twice so that both sides meet in the middle (see animated photo above). Fold the pastry closed so that it is a single strip and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Slice the pastry into 1/4″ thick slices and spread out on a baking sheet a few inches apart (you may need to bake in batches). Bake until the cookies are puffed, but not browned, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

VARIATION: Try a different flavor jam for other colors and flavors.

 

Related Posts:

5th Blogoversary} Funfetti Pecan Turtles
4th Blogoversary} Funfetti Cake
2nd Blogoversary} BBQ Brisket
1st Blogoversary} Mulled Wine

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Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies

I’m super excited to introduce Sina Mizrahi from The Kosher Spoon today! I’ve been a huge fan of Sina’s since she started her blog (give THESE MUFFINS a try, they’re a family favorite!) because I love that her recipes are healthy, Middle Eastern inspired, and her photography is just. so. beautiful. Sina’s not pretentious about blogging [lets face it, we all know how bloggers can be ;)], she just quietly flies under the radar, doing her thing. She blogs when she has time for it, but I’m always there following her amazing talent – stalking her blog, following her Instagram feed for her Erev Shabbat posts, and reading her columns in Binah Magazine.

When I asked Sina to guest post on my blog, she was more than happy to, even with a move and a baby of her own. I can’t thank her enough! And of course she made my favorite food of all time – COOKIES – and of course they involve almond butter because they’re great for nursing moms – and of course they are healthy and Paleo – because, like I said, this girls is AWESOME. And of course the photography is so simply stunning because THIS GIRL HAS TALENT. Welcome Sina!

I am certain a chocolate chip cookie must be every pregnant lady’s close companion. I know that when I’m expecting I can never turn one down; the craving is strong and the willpower low. Thankfully constant exhaustion keeps my habit at bay, being that baking turns into an afterthought not worth pursuing. I’d rather skip dirty dishes even when the sweet tooth beckons. And in all honesty only a homemade cookie has true merit. But then the sweeter, intoxicating smell of a newborn comes and I crave healthy foods again. With my own baby still being under one, I remember being elated when my friend Rina gushed over these Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. First, she’s a real foodie who can chatter on about pressure cookers and coconut oil, and second they don’t need a mixer and can be made in one bowl (the small bowl for the egg is minimal, k?)

These cookies turned out to be everything I needed come baby. Healthy, pleasantly sweet, and easy. I threw in some ground hazelnuts for a deeper flavor. You might be tempted to envision a Nutella-ish taste because chocolate plus hazelnuts, but they are not at all. The hazelnuts add a depth and nuttiness to the cookie that balances the sugar and chocolate. It’s not something I’d skip. If I were in Brooklyn, this is what I’d bring Chanie, the perfect treat for her and Rosie.

 

Thanks Chanie for having me on your blog! Follow along the kosher spoon as I’m off on a new adventure I’ll tell you all about soon.

 

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies (Paleo)
adapted from Slim Palate

1 cup creamy raw almond butter*
1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, coarsely ground
4oz. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Method:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease lightly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, mix the almond butter, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and eggs. Fold in the ground hazelnuts and chopped chocolate until well incorporated. If you want plump cookies, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you can hardly wait to take a bite, scoop the mixture with a cookie scoop onto the baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350F. Space the cookies 2 inches apart and gently sprinkle some flaky sea salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges brown. Wait until they cool to transfer them with a spatula, otherwise they might fall apart.

* I found it hard to find raw almond butter so I made my own in a high speed blender by processing raw almonds until smooth. A friend makes it with roasted almond butter and she says they turn out amazing.

Related Recipes:

cowboy cookie dough bites
sesame cookies
oatmeal cookies
chocolate olive oil crinkle cookies

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Torah Cannoli

Holy Cannoli! Someones gonna have to bring me a slice of humble pie because I’m on a bit of a high from how cute these Torah Cannoli are! (by the way that’s not a typo – the plural form of cannoli is cannoli…a little Wikipedia for you!)

I always say, food is my passion but my kids are my priority. I love being a mom and I don’t ever want being a foodie, blogger, chef, or whatever it is I am, get in the way of that. SO while I try to come up with fun and sophisticated holiday dishes, I also do my best to tap into my inner child and do something fun for the kiddos too.

In the past, I’ve made Torah franks in blanks like these (photo by Tzivi Brick Jakubovic), but this year, I wanted to do something fun with my daughter’s class in honor of her 8th birthday, which is just a few short weeks before Shavuot. One night when I couldn’t sleep (I have terrible insomnia these days), these cannoli torah’s hit me and I was only too excited to make them! I used a cream cheese mousse filling instead of the more sophisticated classic ricotta filling to make it more kid friendly, and the kids went gaga!

They all took turns prepping the recipe – whipping up the cream cheese and heavy cream, folding the mixture together, and giving out the ingredients for everyone to make their own. They “glued” the cannoli wafers with marshmallow fluff and we made a few Ziploc piping bags of filling so they could all pipe their own. Needless to say, the most fun was dipping the Torah’s in the assorted toppings.

Some of the kids wrapped up their Torah Cannoli to take home, but most of them couldn’t wait it out and gobbled it down on the spot. One kid said it was the best thing she ever tasted! I knew I had a winner, I just didn’t know if it was blog-worthy so I figured I’d skip on posting. Until, I was making my rosewater cheesecake mousse parfaits at a cooking demo recently, and I decided to show the audience the Torah cannoli idea with some of the leftover cheesecake mousse. After an audible “wow” from the audience (the best sound EVER when you’re giving a demo), I decided it was too good not to share with you all too.

I love to check things off my bucket list and making things like homemade goat cheese ice cream or a sophisticated dish like brie marsala pizza gives me a huge sense of satisfaction, but seriously, nothing, and I mean nothing, makes me more proud or excited, than coming up with something fun and original that my kids absolutely love!

So kiddies, this ones for you! And that classic citrus-zest-spiked filling is my little touch for the adults too :)

If you want to skip on the filling, fill it with your favorite mousse or plain-old whipped cream. The important thing is to have some fun, for the kids, and for you too! Happy Shavuot y’all!

Torah Cannoli

1 pkg cannoli wafer rolls (18 rolls), such as Presidor
2 cups ricotta cheese (drain if watery)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
1/2 tsp lemon or orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup melted chocolate or marshmallow fluff
assorted sprinkles, mini chocolate chips and nonpareils for topping
powdered sugar, for finishing

Method:

Place melted chocolate or warmed marshmallow fluff in a piping bag and pipe a thin line onto half of the cannoli wrappers. “Glue” pairs of cannoli wrappers together to resemble Torah scrolls.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, citrus zest and chocolate chips. Place in a piping bag. Pipe the filling into both sides of the cannoli wrappers, working one at a time. Over a plate, sprinkle your favorite toppings over the exposed ricotta filling (dipping the ends causes them to flatten, so I prefer pouring the toppings over). Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

NOTE: The filling causes the cannoli wafer to soften, so if preparing in advance, it’s best to freeze rather than refrigerate.

VARIATION: You may use this cream cheese mousse, your favorite mousse, softened ice cream or whipped cream instead of the classic ricotta filling.

DIY OPTION: If you cannot get cannoli wafer rolls, you can make your own or use wonton wrappers. You will need cannoli molds to form the wrappers.

Related Posts:

Shavuot paper napkin roses
passion fruit cream horns
rosewater cheesecake mousse parfaits
halva and ricotta stuffed figs

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Healthy Thumbprint Hamantaschen (Egg Free!)

I thought I was done with hamantaschen baking this year. My corndog hamantaschen were a huge hit and that was good enough for me! Except every time I bought classic hamantaschen for the kids, my allergic toddler would watch his older siblings enviously and each time I promised myself to make an egg-free version.

I thought about making classic hamantaschen using aquafaba, that slimy juice at the bottom of a can of chickpeas. It’s said to be a great alternative for eggs in vegan baking, and I’ve used it before in muffins. Of course I got busy and my aquafaba-infused hamantaschen experiments went to the wayside.

But then this week, I had a business meeting in my ‘hood, and Chaya brought me a much needed cup of coffee with a side of crunchy thumbprint cookies. The cookies were delicious, so, like any good food blogger, I asked for the recipe. When I heard that the cookies were egg free with few ingredients, I knew I had to whip them up for my son.

I drove home dreaming about the cookies and it hit me – I wanted to make egg-free hamantaschen, so why not make egg-free thumbprint hamantaschen cookies! They had jam anyway, right?


So I got right to work on the 5-ingredient dough, which took less than 5 minutes to make, and I ransacked my fridge for all the jam I could find. I’m kind of a jam hoarder, so I wasn’t surprised to find an assortment of flavors in the back of the fridge, including, blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, apricot, fig and plum (told you I was a jam hoarder! my favorite place to buy them is Homegoods!).

Would  you check out that beautiful jam filling?

The cookies taste like a crisp granola cookie, only mildly sweet, so I couldn’t help but finish them off with some melted chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better.

The true test was giving these to my son, who is prone to scraping the chocolate off anything and everything, instead of biting into it. I’m always reminding him, “Bite, don’t lick!”, but he always goes back to his chocolate (or cheese!) licking when I’m not looking.


I handed him a hamantasch and he held it in his hand and studied it for a minute or two. I thought he was going to start scraping off the chocolate, but to my surprise, he actually took a bite! He continued to eat his way through, enjoying every morsel. Success!

Purim is just two days away, so we’ll call these “last licks!” (pun intended!). If you’ve been looking for that healthy hamantaschen recipe, you’ve got it. And just in time.

Healthy Thumbprint Hamantaschen

1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup almond flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (see note)
1/2 cup canola oil
pinch of salt
good quality jam
1/2 cup chocolate, melted

Method:

In a bowl, whisk the oats, almond flour, white whole wheat flour and salt. Add the maple syrup and oil and mix to form a dough. Place two tablespoon scoops of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and form into triangles. Using your thumb, make an indent in the center of each cookie. Fill the indentations with jam and bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until browned and crisp. Cool for 10 minutes to allow the cookies to set and transfer to a rack. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

NOTE: These cookies are very mildly sweet. Feel free to adjust sweetness to taste.

VARIATION: I prefer these cookies crunchy, but for slightly softer cookies, bake at 350 for 15 minutes.


Related Recipes:

cowboy cookie dough bites
healthy date & almond hamantaschen
Grape Nut coconut crunch cookies
oatmeal cookies

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