Category: Dessert

S’mores Chocolate Toffee Bark

It has been quite a few years since the hype of matza crack (made famous by Marcy Goldman of BetterBaking.com), but the thrill of the chocolate & toffee covered matza cracker has not been lost on me. I can eat it nonstop (that’s why they call it crack!) In the spirit of summer and Fourth of July celebrations everywhere, I decided to reinvent traditional matza crack into a s’mores version with graham crackers and marshmallows. Would you believe it if I told you that it’s even better than the original?! If there is one dessert recipe that you try from my blog, make it this one, you will not regret it!

Smore’s Chocolate Toffee Bark AKA Graham Crack(er) Bark

15 graham crackers
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt
1 9 oz. bag good quality chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with graham crackers, making sure to fill in any gaps (you can break the graham crackers into pieces to do this).  In a small pan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, whisking the mixture so that it combines into a caramel . Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for 3-5 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla. Pour the toffee over the graham crackers and spread it over the crackers with a spatula. Bake for 15 minutes. The toffee will bubble as it bakes but watch carefully to make sure that it doesn’t burn (if it starts burning, reduce the heat to 325 or 300 degrees). Remove the crackers from the oven and pour on the chocolate chips. Let it sit for a few minutes until the chocolate melts, and spread over the caramel. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the chocolate and place under the broiler (set to high) for approximately 3 minutes, until the marshmallows start to brown. Remove the crackers from the oven and with a spatula, press down lightly on the marshmallows so that they melt into the bark a bit.

Place the bark in the fridge or freezer to set for a few hours. Once it has set completely, break into pieces. Place in a container with layers of parchment paper between the pieces to keep them from sticking together. I find that it keeps better in the fridge (especially in the summer), but it will keep for up to 1 week when tightly sealed (I doubt it will last that long though!)

Variation: To make matza or saltine bark, just use matza or saltines instead of the graham crackers. Top with toffee, chocolate and then sprinkle with nuts (sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts or whatever you prefer).

NOTE: I used a disposable cookie sheet, but if you are using a sheet pan, it might be a good idea to line it with foil and/or parchment paper for easier clean up.


Saltine bark made with pecans, another favorite!

1 year ago: grilled chickpea burgers
Post a Comment

Peanut Butter Mousse &
Levana’s Chocolate Espresso Mousse

At our local Bikur Cholim gathering last year, we were lucky enough to have Levana Kirschenbaum, the talented caterer and cookbook author, do a cooking demo for us. I don’t remember everything she made, but one thing that really stood out was her chocolate mousse. I’m not one to eat raw egg yolks (like in most mousse recipes), so when I saw her using tofu instead, I was intrigued. That Shabbos, I made her recipe for dessert, and it’s been a regular in my house ever since. The tofu adds a silkiness to the mousse that you’d never dream would come from soy. I started experimenting with silken tofu some more and this peanut butter mousse is one of my favorite outcomes. You can even make a parfait of mousses, and layer the chocolate and peanut butter into dessert glasses (keep it small because they are very rich!). I did that one Yom Tov and topped it with whipped cream and brownie crumbles. My guests nearly fell off their seats!

Thanks to Levana for generously sharing her chocolate espresso mousse recipe below. Make sure to check out her new cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen!

Peanut Butter Mousse

1 lb. silken tofu
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

optional garnishes:
whipped cream
honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (processed in the blender)

Method:

Remove tofu from packaging and drain on paper towels until all excess liquid is absorbed. Add the tofu, peanut butter, sugar, honey, cinnamon and salt to a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate for a few hours until firm. Pour into glasses and garnish with whipped cream, chopped peanuts and cookie crumbs.

Variation: You can also make a peanut butter pie using this mousse recipe. Just add melted butter to the cookie crumbs and press into the bottom of a pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes to set. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Pour mousse into pie dish and top with whipped cream. Garnish with chopped peanuts and chocolate shavings.

 

Levana’s Chocolate Espresso Mousse
recipe reprinted with permission from LevanaCooks, author of The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen

1 c good quality semisweet chocolate chips (or grated chocolate)
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1/4 c water
2/3 c pure cocoa powder
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 tbsp unflavored brandy or rum
1 lb. silken tofu, drained

Method:

In a small saucepan, on a very low flame, place all but last ingredient, and cook, stirring, until melted. This will take about 2-3 minutes (Or microwave 2 minutes). Transfer the mixture to a food processor, with the tofu, and process one full minute, until perfectly smooth. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 dessert glasses or cups, and refrigerate until firm, 2-3 hours.

1 year ago: best bbq potato salad

Post a Comment

Homemade Raspberry Sorbet


Making home-made sorbet is easier than you think. You don’t even need an ice cream machine! It’s basically just frozen fruit puree sweetened with sugar and water. You can also add herbs, chocolate or wines and liqueurs to flavor the sorbet.

To make a fruit sorbet, you’ll need:

1. Fruit (fresh or frozen)
-Soft fruit (mango, berries, peaches, melons, pineapple, bananas, grapes)
-Hard Fruit (apples, pears, rhubarb)
-Fruit Juice (lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime)
2. Sweetener (simple syrup, honey, agave , fruit juice or sweet wine)
3. Acidity (lemon, lime, orange, balsamic vinegar)
4. Alcohol (vodka or liquers), optional

Sweeteners should be added to taste. Depending on how ripe, sweet or tart the fruit is, you’ll need to add more or less. You will always need to add simple syrup to start for the right consistency. Wine, fruit juice or honey can also be added for additional sweetness and flavor.

Alcohol does not freeze so it helps keeps the sorbet smooth and gives it a less grainy texture. You can use liqeurs that complement the taste of your fruit or vodka, which has no flavor.

For soft fruit: add fruit, sweetener, acid and alcohol (if using) to a blender or food processor and puree (pour through a fine mesh sieve if it has any pits).

For hard fruit: add fruit, sweetener, and acid to a pot and cook until tender. Cool and add to a food processor or blender. Add alcohol (if using).

For fruit juice: add juice, sweetener (you can boil it up with some of the rind for a more intense flavor), and acid to a bowl and mix.

If you have an ice cream machine, good for you! Just pour the mixture into it and let the machine do all the work. If you don’t, pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet and freeze until set. Break it up and blend in the food processor until smooth. Freeze and blend again for an ultra smooth consistency.

Here are some gourmet sorbet combinations and ideas for inspiration:

watermelon
pear+moscato
blood orange
lemon+mint
blackberry+red wine
rhubarb
blueberry+pomegranate
strawberry+basil
figs+balsamic

Personally, I love plain old raspberry sorbet! The beautiful crimson color, coupled with some fresh blueberries, is the perfect way to end any meal.

Whats your favorite sorbet recipe? Share it with us in the comments below!

 

Homemade Raspberry Sorbet

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
24 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries (thaw if frozen)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vodka, optional

Method:

Create a simple syrup by bringing the sugar and water up to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Cool. Put the raspberries, syrup and lemon in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the pits. Pour the raspberry puree onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze until set. Break the frozen puree into pieces and blend again in the food processor (separate into batches, if needed). If possible, freeze on the cookie sheet once more and blend again. Serve immediately or freeze. If frozen, remove from the freezer and let it soften for a few minutes before serving.


1 year ago: fruity sorbet dessert

Post a Comment

Butter Rum “L’chaim” Cake

I don’t remember where or when my mother got this recipe. All I know is, it’s been in my family for years. Since it’s soaked in rum, we aptly call it the L’chaim cake. Whenever there is cause for a simcha, we make this cake and send it over to our family or friends who are celebrating.

While I wouldn’t normally bake with a cake mix, this recipe is the exception. It’s so easy to prepare, you’ll want to start making it for all your family get-together’s too. Your Purim seudah is the perfect place to start.

 

Butter Rum Lchaim Cake

1 8 oz container of salted pecans, chopped
1 box yellow cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/3 cup cold water
½ cup oil
½ cup rum

Glaze:

¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
½ cup rum

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour pecans into the bottom of the pan.

In a bowl, whisk the cake mix and vanilla pudding. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, water, oil and rum. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and pour into bunt pan on top of pecans. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool.

For the glaze, bring the water and sugar to a boil, stir in margarine. Once the margarine has melted, add the rum and remove from heat. Pour 1/3 of the glaze over the bundt cake and let it rest for several minutes so that the glaze seeps in. Invert the cake onto a cake stand or serving dish. Poke holes around the top of the cake and pour remaining glaze over it.

Let the cake rest before serving so it can soak in all the glaze.

 

1 year ago: mocha bundt cake

Post a Comment

Tu B’shvat Truffles

This Wednesday, Jews around the world will celebrate Tu B’shvat, the New Year for the trees. Traditionally, we celebrate by eating fruit and nuts that are native to the land of Israel (grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates). Growing up, they’d always give out carob in school, which they called buxer (yiddish for carob). They were long black pods that were difficult to chew. If you made the effort, you’d be rewarded with a sweet taste. Most of the girls would just throw them away, but I’d always chew away at them. Nowadays, you can find many carob products on the market including coffee, chocolate, cookies and butters.

When I thought about what to make for Tu B’shvat, I wanted to use dates and figs, but also incorporate the chocolate flavor of carob. I decided to throw together some dried fruit truffles, or sugarplums. Sugarplums are balls that are made up of dried fruits, nuts and spices. Think of them as a kind of Larabar in the round!

You can make my traditional Tu B’shvat recipe, or come up with your own combination. To make sugarplums, you’ll need:

Dried fruit (dates, figs, apricots, prunes, raisins,craisins, cherries, apples)
Nuts (pecans, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts)
Seeds, optional (sunflower, pepitas, anise, fennel, caraway)
Spices (cinnamon,  cardamom, nutmeg, mace, cloves, allspice, sea salt, cocoa, orange zest)
Sweetener, used to bind the mixture (honey, agave, maple syrup)
Butters, optional (almond, peanut, carob)
Extracts, optional (almond, vanilla, rum)
Alcohol, optional (rum, orange liquor, chocolate liquor)
Toppings (powdered sugar, turbinado sugar, coconut, cocoa, nuts, chocolate, sesame seeds)

For a healthy boost, add  some oats or flax seeds.

 

Tu B’shvat Truffles

1 cup pitted medjool dates (about 10)
1 cup dried figs (I used 5 calimyrna and 10 mission)
1 cup almonds, pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp carob powder*
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup turbinado sugar or ground coconut

Method:

Toast nuts in a 350 degree oven until fragrant. Remove pits from dates and add to food processor along with figs and nuts. Process until finely chopped. Add honey, carob powder, cinnamon and sea salt and pulse several times until the mixture begins to clump together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it is difficult to mix, add to a bowl and incorporate the spices by hand. Roll into bite size balls and dip into turbinado sugar (or ground coconut). Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one month.

*carob powder is available at health food stores. If you cannot find it, you can use cocoa powder instead.


1 year ago: Mustard Roasted Dried Fruits

Post a Comment