Month: April 2017

Easy Passover Macaroons

As a child I reluctantly ate the dry, stale macaroons that came in a can.  I didn’t really like them, but I was unwilling to pass on a sweet.  The first time I was invited to a seder as a young adult, I was asked to bring a desert.  I couldn’t bring myself to buy any of the offerings at my local grocery store so I scoured acceptable substitute.  The first recipe I made was overly complicated, but the results were delicious.

Over the years, I have experimented with many variations.  Finally, I gave up and heavily modified a traditional macaroon recipe to make it passover friendly.  When I make this recipe they are not technically kosher for passover, because the sweetened coconut doesn’t have the proper hechsher. But if you found a certified brand of sweetened coconut they could be…

 

Easy Passover Macaroons

Move over crumbly Passover cake and dry macaroons.  These macaroons are sweet, light, and chewy.  
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 32 cookies
Calories 110 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 14 oz sweetened shredded coconut (I usually use BAKER'S brand)
  • 6 tbsp almond meal (I usually grind whole almonds in the food processor)
  • 1 tbsp matzoh meal
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • Whisk together egg whites, almond meal, matzoh meal, vanilla, and salt. 
  • Add coconut and stir to combine.  It can be hard to get it well mixed so don't hesitate to use your hands if necessary.
  • Mold tablespoons of dough into a tablespoon measuring spoon and carefully slide them onto a cookie sheet covered in a silicon mat or parchment paper.  This will result in little domes.  The cookies don't spread so they can be placed close together.  
  • Bake for 20 minutes 
  • Remove from the cookie sheet immediately and cool completely on a wire rack.  The cookies won't brown except for slightly on the bottom and edges.
  • Melt chocolate chips and drizzle chocolate over the cookies

Notes

Store in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

 

Whole wheat challah: attempt 2

I have been trying to make whole wheat challah using fresh milled flour for years with mixed success.

I have decided to start from scratch with a new recipe and make systematic modifications.  The base recipe I will be using is here.  For my first attempt, I made the recipe mostly as directed and found it to be basically good, but not sweet enough.  Here is my plan for next time.

Honey Wheat Challah

Work in progress to create a optimized challah recipe for my family
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Prep Time 3 hrs
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 320 g all purpose flour (2 2/3 cup)
  • 475 g fresh milled hard white wheat (can substitute 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup honey (85 g)
  • 1 cup warm water (~90 F)
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg beaten for glazing

Instructions
 

  • Combine first four ingredients in the stand mixer bowl and mix well
  • Combine honey, water, eggs, and oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine
  • Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix at low speed until well blended
  • Let sit for 15 minutes
  • Switch to dough hook and mix at speed 2 for 12-14 minutes.
  • Turn dough onto floured surface and kneed by hand until it passes the window test.
  • Put dough in greased bowl and cover with plate.  Let rise 60 minutes or until doubled in bulk. 
    Overnight modification: Put dough in greased bowl and cover with a plate.  Put in fridge overnight.  When ready to continue, take out of fridge and let sit on counter for 30 minutes or until doubled.
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Punch down and divide into 12 equal sized balls.  Cover them with a damp towel and rest for 30 minutes.
  • Roll each ball into a long snake.  Braid 4 snakes into a challah.  This will result in 3 medium loafs.
  • Put loafs onto a sheet plan with a silicon mat and cover with a damp kitchen towel.  Allow to proof until a indent doesn't spring back.  About 30 minutes
  • Brush dough with beaten egg.
  • Bake until it reaches an internal temperature or 195 F.  About 25 minutes.  rotate half way though.
  • Cool before slicing.

Notes

To freeze: wrap individual challah in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag
To serve: thaw on counter for 24 hours.  Wrap in foil and bake at 325 for 20 minutes to warm./p>

Areas for experimentation: hard red vs hard white flour, honey and egg quantities, rising and overnight.

Granola

My husband loves granola and I hate buying small overpriced bags at the grocery store.  This recipe uses less oil and sweetener than many recipes, but it still comes out crisp and delicious.  I usually eat it with greek yogurt.

Nutty Granola

Easy granola recipe for the entire family to enjoy.
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, Vegan, Vegitarian
Servings 12
Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamon powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 F
  • Mix first 7 ingredients together in a large bowl
  • Whisk together vanilla extract, honey, and vegetable oil in a large measuring cup
  • Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir well
  • Pour onto a sheet pan covered with a silicon mat or parchment paper
  • Bake about 25 minutes or until lightly brown.  Stir every 10 minutes.  Make sure not to over bake.  It will darken and crisp up after it is removed from the oven.