Category: Recipes

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed yet, but I’m not that big into baking. I do it every once in a while, but not all the time. Why? Well, first of all, I don’t particularly enjoy it. It’s too technical. I like the creative freedom that I have with food. Baking on the other hand, it’s very scientific. You need to follow the recipe to the tee, otherwise, it won’t come out right. Also, it makes a huge mess. Not that cooking doesn’t. But baking, I just feel like there are the measuring cups, spoons, bowls, the mixer, the gazillion ingredients. And lastly, most importantly, it’s just so fattening! I’d rather eat food! With that said, I did make some really yummy pumpkin whoopie pies yesterday. I halved the recipe, because who needs all that temptation lurking.

Based on my experience, I’d like to make a suggestion. If you decide to halve a recipe, do yourself a favor, and rewrite it, because chances are, if you work off the original, and you think you’re gonna make the calculations in your head, halfway down the line you suddenly forget and you screw up the entire recipe and have to start from scratch all over again!

Now being as I have a daughter who’s severly allergic to milk, I decided to make these parve, using toffuti cream cheese. I also substituted smart beat light margarine for the butter. This resulted in a runnier filling (see pics). I would suggest going with the original dairy recipe, or, see my other alternative below.

To make the pies, I used organic pumpkin puree that I found at Pomegranate around Thanksgiving time. I think it adds that extra richness of flavor to the pumpkin. (Trust me, I’m no organic addict, I just find that when I do buy organic, the flavors are more full-bodied) The pies come out so incredibly moist, with that kick of spice you get from nutmeg and ginger, and the warmth of the cinnamon. Really yummy on a cold winter day. B’teavon!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Adapted from browneyedbaker.com

Yields about 2 dozen assembled whoopie pies, depending on the size you make them. These are medium.

For the Pies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Maple-Cream Cheese Filling: (see below for a delicious alternative to this filling)
3 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside. In a separate bowl, Mix the sugar, brown sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture until completely combined. Using a scoop or tablespoon, drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.

To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.

To assemble the whoopie pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe or spoon the filling (about a tablespoon) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving.

ALTERNATIVE TO CREAM CHEESE FILLING (PARVE):

Now, as an alternative to the cream cheese filling, I must tell you about this DELICIOUS maple butter I bought recently (available at Benzs Gourmet). It was sitting in my pantry, waiting to be paired with the perfect match. And I have to say, pumpkin whoopie pies is it! The butter is like thick creamy maple syrup, sticky and sweet! I couldn’t resist spreading it on a few sandwiches. The result was extremely rich-tasting, too much for more than a couple of bites.

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“Everything” London Broil

London Broil is regularly served in my house, mostly on the side of cholent on Shabbos day. Since it is relatively inexpensive, I have started serving it more often during the week. Now lets get things straight. The name London Broil is NOT a cut of meat, but rather a method of preparation. The method? broiling or grilling marinated flank steak, then cutting it across the grain into thin strips. Because the muscle fibers run the entire length of this cut of meat, it can be tough. However, if prepared correctly, the outcome is delicious. To tenderize the meat, I massage it with olive oil and a mix of seasonings. Then, I let it marinate for a few hours. Finally, I broil it until medium (anything more will cause the meat to be tough). It is very important not to score, cut, or penetrate, the meat before (or during) broiling because all the juices will run out of it. It is best served with mashed potatoes, but being as I had an entire container of leftover rattatouille, I wanted to make use of it. I mixed it in with some Mezze Penne for a delicious pasta on the side.

London Broil
(measurements are approximately, I sort of just sprinkle):

(Approx. 2-2.5 lbs.) London Broil
Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Minced Onion Flakes
1 tbsp Minced Garlic Flakes
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

Method:

Generously drizzle the london broil with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle onion flakes, garlic flakes, salt and pepper. Massage the oil and spices into the London Broil, until well absorbed. Let the meat marinate for a few hours (as long as you have, I’ve broiled it within the hour and it’s still delicious). Set your broiler on high and your oven rack to be 3-4 inches from heat source. Broil for 8 minutes on each side (total 16 minutes) until medium. You can increase to 9 minutes (per side) if you want it medium-well. Do not broil more than 10 minutes (20 minutes total) or the meat will be tough. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice thinly, against the grain.

Red Wine Reduction (optional):

Now I wouldn’t want to lose all those yummy drippings from the bottom of the pan. To make a delicious and easy pan gravy, remove the london broil from the pan and pour some good quality red wine into it (about 1 cup). Scrape the bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan and pour into a small pot (or put your pan directly over the fire). Simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half. You can strain out the little onion and garlic bits (some may be burnt from broiling) but personally, I like them!

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Curry Chicken Salad

You all know how it plays out. We slave all Friday cooking, baking and preparing and no matter how much we seem to make, or how many guests we seem to invite, we always have leftovers! And then, when we try to serve it up on Sunday night, we get the rolling eyes, and the “_____ again!” (feel free to fill in the blank yourself :)) from around the dinner table. So, instead of serving up the same food, try to come up with ways to spruce it up and tweak it a bit. This week, I decided to turn my leftover Shabbos chicken into a yummy curry chicken salad! With grapes, celery, toasted almonds and a creamy curry dressing you’ll have everyone begging for more!

Curry Chicken Salad
adapted from a Paula Deen recipe

2-3 pieces of leftover chicken, skin removed, chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used bottoms)
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/4 cup celery, diced small
handful of slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

To toast the almonds, put them in a 400 degree oven for 6-10 minutes, until browned. Combine chicken, grapes, celery and almonds in a bowl. Mix the dressing and pour over salad. Serve in lettuce cups or with bread.

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Strawberry Banana Yogurt Parfait with Homemade Granola


With Shabbos out on the early side these days, I’m always looking for ideas of something light (and milchigs!) to eat. I decided to go with a yogurt parfait tonight, with some homemade granola. This recipe is absolutely delicious and healthy! It’s slightly sweet, with just a bit of saltiness and oh so crunchy! A couple of years ago, I was in the supermarket looking for a good granola to buy. They seemed to be carrying a new Israeli variety, but I didn’t understand all of the ingredients. My (then) boss’s sister, who speaks fluent hebrew, was there, so I asked her to translate. Instead, she told me she had the perfect granola recipe, and emailed it to me later that day. It’s been my go-to recipe ever since! (Thanks Rikal!)

Homemade Granola

2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c sliced or slivered almonds
1/4 c light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2-3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c raisins (optional)

Set your oven to 350F. Mix everything besides for the almonds and raisins together. Mix thoroughly, breaking up the brown sugar as you go. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread the mix on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes until just past golden brown, stirring every 5 or 10 minutes to prevent burning. Toast the almonds separately and let them cool down. Mix the almonds, raisins, and granola together. Cool the granola in dry open air on the same cookie sheet to crisp up. Store in an airtight container.

Serve with yogurt and fruit (vanilla or flavored with strawberries, blueberries, pomegranates…anything goes!)

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Gefilte Fish 3 Ways


Gefilte Fish comes in stiff competition with cholent as #1 on the Jewish food list. We all make it. Most of us like it. But gone are the days when we have to scale our own carp to prepare it (maybe just on Pesach!). While I do make salmon, tilapia and flounder on occasion, gefilte fish is a Shabbos staple at my house. So I like to get creative with the preparation, both in preparing, and in plating. This is my most popular way of serving, and I always get the oohs and aahs from my guests when I set it on the table. You need two different types of preparations to plate this way. I am posting three different recipes for your choosing.


Bread Crumb Recipe:
This one is our favorite! (thanks to my cousin Chana Kaplan for the recipe)

1 roll sweet Gefilte fish
2 tbsp mayo
plain or flavored bread crumbs

Method:

Remove gefilte fish from the packaging. The easiest way to remove the wax paper is to rinse it with cold water for a few seconds. This will soften the paper just enough so that you can twist, unwrap and remove the paper easily. Brush the gefilte fish with mayo and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 75-90 minutes (depending how you like it, the longer you bake it, the more dried out it will be).

Take Note: When you bake the fish this way (uncovered, in the oven), towards the end, the fish will start to expand. It looks like it’s blowing up! This is just about when you should take it out. The air will come out of it when you remove it from the oven. It will become slightly free-formed. Maybe not the prettiest, but my family enjoys this preparation the best!

Asian Style Recipe:

1 roll sweet gefilte fish
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
Freunds mixed pack roasted sesame seeds (I used to roast them myself until I found this genius product!)

Method:

Prepare gefilte fish as above, however, brush with soy/honey mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds instead. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Another variation of this is to brush it with teriyaki sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Marinara Recipe:

1 roll sweet gefilte fish
1 jar Marinara sauce of your choice

Method:

Remove gefilte fish from packaging and wax paper, as instructed above. Pour 1/2 jar Marinara sauce over fish. Bake, covered, at 350 for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Dipping Sauces:

For dipping, I use chrein, horseradish sauce, wasabi sauce, and leftover marinara sauce from the pan. If you are not making the marinara fish, you can mix up a quick Russian dressing of mayo and ketchup.

To plate:

Slice fish evenly. Spread each type of fish on separate sides of a square serving dish. Prepare 4 mini l’chaim cups with dipping sauces and set between the fish. Place mini mousse spoons in the cups for serving.

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