Dessert – Busy in Brooklyn

Cannoli!! I always manage to spell it wrong (that’s 2 n’s, not l’s, and the plural form is also cannoli!), even though I’ve made them before, in the form of these adorable Torah cannoli!

Of course my love for this fabulous dessert was reignited on my recent trip to Italy, where I saw cannoli in many forms in bakeries and pizza shops alike. Many were topped with crushed pistachios, or folded with Luxardo cherries, mmm mmmm….

I was especially excited to try these with the latest snack to hit the kosher market, stroopwafels! Stroopwafels have nothing to do with cannoli, in fact they come from The Netherlands, where they place the caramel-stuffed wafers on their coffee to warm them up in the morning. A stroopwafel, literally “syrup waffle”, is a wafer waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough joined by a caramel filling. First made in the Dutch city of Gouda, stroopwafels are popular throughout the Netherlands and is a well-known Dutch snack.

When I first tried stroopwafels, I realized that they would make the perfect cannoli wrapper if I soften them in the microwave to make them pliable, and boy was I right! So you get the best of cannoli, with a sweetened ricotta filling, and the best of stroopwafel, with a crispy wafer reminiscent of Lotus cookies, stuffed with a gooey caramel. I mean what’s not to love?!

And to top it all off, as an homage to my Italy trip, I even made my own homemade ricotta! I’ve been dreaming about it ever since eating the herbed baked ricotta at the kosher winery in Tuscany, Cantina Giuliano, and I had so much extra milk so I just went for it. Making homemade ricotta is super easy! So enjoy the bonus recipe below.

Some other fun things to do with stroopwafels while we’re at it… make smores! or ice cream sandwiches (chipwiches, anyone?!). They come in single portion-control packages of two, or family packs of 8, so look for them in your local supermarket!

As for these adorable plates, it’s Walmart for the win! I love when I find great prop finds at the most unexpected places and these are just everything. Freeform. Fun patterns. Black and white. Just. My. Jam.

Speaking of jam, feel free to swirl in some good quality jam, or make some Stroopwafel PB&J’s! Omg, how good would that be? Yes please!!

buon appetito!

Stroopwafel Cannoli
YIELD: 8 cannoli

8 Smackin’ Good stroopwafels
15oz. ricotta cheese, whipped (see below for bonus homemade ricotta recipe!)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinammon
1/4 tsp orange or lemon zest
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp mini chocolate chips, plus more for declorating

Method:

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese (if there is a lot of liquid, drain before using), vanilla, cinnamon, citrus zest, powdered sugar and mini chocolate chips. If the mixture is loose, add more powdered sugar until it reaches a stiffer consistency. Add the cheese mixture to a piping bag.

Heat the stroopwafel in the microwave until just warmed through and pliable (this took 7 seconds in my microwave). Do not make it to hot, just warm enough that it bends without cracking. Once the stroopwafels are softened, bend them into a curved shape, pinching the edges together to hold. Place in the fridge or set aside till it holds it’s shape.

Pipe the cannoli filling into each side of the stroopwafel. Decorate with mini chocolate chips.

VARIATION: for an easier version, create a sandwich cookie by placing the cannoli cream between two stroopwafels and roll in mini chocolate chips.

Homemade Ricotta

1/2 gallon whole milk
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt

Method:

Add the milk to a stockpot and bring it to 200 degrees over medium heat, stirring occasionally so the milk doesn’t bubble over or scorch the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice and salt and stir; rest 10 minutes. Place a strainer in the sink and line with cheesecloth. Gently remove the cheese curds from the pot using a ladle and place into the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes or until desired thickness is reached.

To whip the ricotta, add to a blender and blend until creamy. If the ricotta is too thick to blend, add a splash of milk or cream to reach desired consistency.

This post is sponsored by Smackin’ Good. All opinions are my own.

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Sachlav Donuts

On December 14, 2020February 24, 2021

by chanie

in Chanukah, Dairy, Dessert, Recipes, Snacks

3 Comments

Ah, sachlav, the warm and milky pudding drink that gets me through the winter, and transports me to my favorite place on earth… Israel.

Sachlav is an #oldiebutgoodie here on the blog and I’ve been making it forever. But I dreamed up a sachlav donut a couple of years ago and I’m so glad I finally made it happen!!

These donuts are really a cross between malabi and sachlav, malabi being the chilled version of sachlav – usually topped with a pomegranate syrup and pistachios – so I kind of fused the concepts together here to give you two different flavors.

But donuts are donuts and this dough is beautiful, soft and supple and you can use it with any filling or glaze you like! Or just roll in some cinnamon sugar and stuff with caramels.

If you’re a lazy dough maker, like I used to be, I totally won’t just you for going on a donut crawl and ditching the fryer, that’s what bakeries are for! There are so many amazing flavors around nowadays, I don’t think homemade donuts are essential. But latkes are another story.

I hope these donuts warm you up and give you that fuzzy feeling I get when I drink a warm cup of sachlav on a cold winter day. Happy Chanukah!

Donuts:

1½ cups milk
6 Tbsp butter
4½ tsp (2 packets) active dry yeast
⅓ cup warm water
¼ cup sugar plus 1 tbsp, divided
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
5 cups all-purpose flour
canola oil, for frying

Method:

Warm up the milk and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. If the mixture is hot, transfer it to a bowl and put it in the fridge until lukewarm (if it’s too hot it will kill the yeast).

While the milk is cooling, place the yeast in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and add the warm water and 1 tbsp yeast. Stir gently and let it dissolve for 5 minutes. The mixture should be foamy when ready.

Add the lukewarm milk mixture to the the yeast. Add eggs, remaining sugar and salt, stir till creamy. Add half of the flour and stir on low-speed until the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining flour and turn the speed to medium, beat until well combined.

Change to the dough hook attachment and knead on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is very smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be a bit sticky.

Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl, cover and let it rise for 1 hour. Punch down the dough and roll it out on a floured surface to ½-inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 2½-inch wide drinking glass or cookie cutter. The donuts should weigh about 2oz. each.

Line a cooling rack on a sheet pan with paper towels and set aside.

Fill a deep skillet with oil so that it’s one third full with oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees (use a candy thermometer) and gently drop 3-4 donuts at a time in the oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes each side. Place on paper towels to drain excess oil and transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before filling and decorating.

Sachlav Fillings & Toppings:

Custard:
2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
5 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tbsp orange blossom or rosewater, or, to taste

To make the pastry cream, place the milk and sugar into a saucepan and heat until scalded. In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks until fluffy and add in the cornstarch. Continue to whisk until all the starch is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Slowly pour the milk into the eggs, whisking continuously as you warm the egg mixture with the milk. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and continue to whisk over medium heat until the cream begins thicken and boil. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl set over an ice bath (if mixture is lumpy, strain through a fine mesh strainer first). Whisk in the orange blossom or rosewater. Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap, touching the surface of the cream so that it doesn’t develop a film. Transfer to the fridge until ready to use.

Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pomegranate Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp pomegranate juice

Toppings:
pomegranate seeds
chopped toasted pistachios
dried rose petals
chopped toasted walnuts
shredded coconut
cinnamon

To prepare the rosewater donuts: transfer rosewater custard to a piping bag fitted with a tip. Pierce the side of the donut and fill with custard. Top with pomegranate glaze, pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachios and rose petals.

To prepare the orange blossom water donuts: transfer orange blossom custard to a piping bag fitted with a tip. Pierce the side of the donut and fill with custard. Top with vanilla glaze, chopped walnuts, cinnamon and shredded coconut.

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Cranberry Oat Bars

On November 23, 2020November 27, 2020

by chanie

in Breakfast, Brunch, Cakes, Cookies, Dessert, Recipes

2 Comments

Why is it that so many people have leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving. I LOVE cranberry sauce. I can eat it by the spoonful. Is it just me?

Not really a fan of the traditional cranberry sauce recipes with a cup of sugar though. They’re too sweet for my taste, and I don’t want to mask the amazing tartness of the cranberries!

So I cook my cranberry sauce down in red wine, or pomegranate juice, or even apple cider, and I sweeten it with maple syrup or honey, to taste, and THAT, my friends, is how you make cranberry sauce that doesn’t get relegated to the back of the fridge with the tzimmes. IfyouknowwhatImean!

But IF, if you make bomb cranberry sauce and you still have some leftover – well then cranberry oat bars it is. And the pecans add just the perfect amount of buttery nuttiness to top it off for the perfect post-Thanksgiving breakfast.

I mean, how. GOOD. does. that. look?
You know you want it.

Happy Thanksgiving y’all!!

Cranberry Oat Bars

2 c all purpose flour
1 c almond flour (see note)
1 ½ c quick oats
1 c granulated sugar
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 egg
1 cup flavorless oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 c chopped pecans
1 recipe maple cider cranberry sauce or mulled wine cranberry sauce

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, oats, sugars, baking powder and salt; whisk to incorporate. In a small bowl, combine egg, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry
ingredients, mixing until a dough forms.
3. Remove half of the mixture into a bowl and add the pecans. Reserve for topping. a
4. Press the remaining batter into a parchment lined quarter baking sheet or a 9×13 pan.
5. Spread cranberry sauce over the bars (if the sauce is watery, cook in a pot until thickened); top with pecan crumble.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned. Cool completely; cut into squares.

VARIATION: use canned jellied cranberry sauce in place of homemade, or any jam of your choice.

NOTE: if you don’t have almond flour, you may use an additional cup of all purpose flour.

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Bubby’s Marble Cake

On September 30, 2020October 1, 2020

by chanie

in Cakes, Dessert, Recipes, Shabbos

17 Comments

I think about my Bubby a lot this time of year. Oh how I miss her.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, just as we finished the first pre-fast meal, we’d walk over to her house to ask for a piece of lekach, or honey cake. This custom was instituted as a means of asking for something, in case it had been decreed that during the year one would need to resort to a handout from others, the decree would be satisfied with the asking for honey cake.

(Bubby’s recipe cards for Marble Cake)

One by one, my siblings and I would walk over to Bubby and whisper in yiddish, “Biteh ken ich huben lekach“, or “Please can I have a piece of honey cake”. We didn’t speak yiddish from home, but it was customary to ask in the yiddish language, and Bubby would wait patiently until we said it before handing us a piece wrapped in a white napkin. She would bless us with a myriad of blessings for the year, kissing our foreheads as the line to retrieve her cake wrapped in blessings continued to grow with cousins, aunts and uncles.

When my Zaidy was still alive, we were lucky enough to be blessed by his holy hands, as he cried and patted us on on the forehead in the way only he knew how.

On Sukkos, our house was permeated with the smell of Bubby’s stuffed cabbage and there was nothing like it. Her secret was adding ketchup to the meat mixture to keep it soft, sweet and juicy. And it was the BEST.

But really, Bubby was known for her cakes, and when my mom was growing up, she would always come home to a freshly baked cake after school each day. There was Bubby’s chocolate cake, her honey cake, blueberry pie cake, and of course, her marble cake. And I’m so proud to share a little piece of her with you all as I think of her this holiday season.

Chag Sameach!

Bubby’s Marble Cake

2 cups sugar
1 cup neutral flavored oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
2 tbsp dutch process cocoa powder

Method:

Grease a 9×13 inch pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla (you can do this by hand or with a mixer). In a second bowl, combine the flour and the baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture and water to the wet ingredients, alternating between them until incorporated.

Pour 2/3rds of the cake batter into the pan. Add cocoa powder to the remaining batter in your mixing bowl. Add dollops of the chocolate mixture to the vanilla batter in the pan and use a knife to swirl it to create a marbleized effect.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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Busy in Brooklyn

Category: Dessert

Chanukah Treats that Aren’t Donuts!

Stroopwafel Cannoli

Sachlav Donuts

Cranberry Oat Bars

Bubby’s Marble Cake