Easy Tomato-Apple Butter

Yield almost 4 cups of puree

5 large apples, cored, and chopped
5 large heirloom tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 cup apple cider
1 cup dark brown sugar, you can use light brown
squeeze of lemon juice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
A couple of dashes of cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt to taste

Put the apples, tomatoes, cider, sugar, spices, and lemon juice in a large heavy bottomed pot. I used my enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Give everything a good stir. I like to use a silicone spoonula for this recipe because it does a great job at scraping the pan clean with every swipe.

Bring to a boil and then boil for about 20 minutes or so, until the foaming has subsided and the liquid is reduced. You might feel it starting to catch on the bottom of the pan as you stir. If you used a smaller pan your time might be longer.

Working in batches, puree the mixture in a blender or food processor until super smooth. Taste, add cayenne pepper and salt if needed.

Return the puree to the rinsed out pot, and continue to cook for 10 to 15 more minutes, stirring often, until thick. Now you’re going to get some volcanic sputtering. (If you don’t hear the popping noises your heat is too low.) You will have to partially cover the pan to protect your self. Use caution when stirring, which you need to do often to prevent scorching, but never fear ~ you’re so close! Use a silicone spoon to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan clean periodically, you don’t want anything to burn.

The butter is done when you can drag your spoon across the bottom of the pan and leave a trail without any liquid filling it in. Or take a small spoonful and check for yourself, is it thick like apple butter? It's done! (It will thicken even further as it chills.)

Fill clean jars with the hot butter and let cool at room temperature. Then cap and refrigerate for up to a month. Freeze for longer storage.

Idea for the recipe comes from The view from great island

Cheese Spread with Homemade Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Yield about 1 cup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried hot seasoning (your favorite one)
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
5.4 oz (154 gram) - 8 wedges of creamy original spreadable cheese wedges, such as Laughing Cow<

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the next 6 ingredients and saute until tomatoes are shriveled, stirring occasionally, about 5 - 7 minutes on medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in balsamic vinegar.

Place cheese wedges and tomato mixture in a bowl of the food processor and puree everything together. Remove from the bowl and check for spices. Add if needed. Serve with toasted bread, lavash, and crackers.

Паштет из мягкого сыра с тушеными помидорами Cherry

На 1 чашку

1 столовая ложка оливкового масла
2 чашки помидоров черри, разрезанных пополам
1 большой зубчик чеснока, измельченный
1 чайная ложка сушеной острой приправы (вашей любимой)
1⁄4 чайной ложки соли
1 щепотка коричневого сахара
1/2 чайной ложки лукового порошка
1 чайная ложка бальзамического уксуса

Нагреть масло в большой сковороде на средне-сильном огне. Добавить 6 ингредиентов из выше предоставленного списка и обжаривать, пока помидоры не сморщатся и станут мягкими, периодически помешивая, около 5-7 минут на среднем огне. Снять с огня и добавить бальзамический уксус.

Выложить ломтики сыра и томатную смесь в чашу кухонного комбайна и измельчить до состояния пасты. Вынуть из чаши и проверить на специи. Добавить, если нужно. Подавать с поджаренным хлебом, лавашом и крекерами.

Cranberry-Apple Chutney

Yield about 1 & 1/3 cups paste

2 cups fresh cranberries (process in a food processor until small bits)
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ cup brown sugar (I used 1/4 cup)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup raisins
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (I used 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, combine fresh cranberries, diced apples, finely chopped onion, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, raisins, grated fresh ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice, and salt.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens, about 20–25 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the chutney cool to room temperature.

Transfer to a jar or airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Клюквенно-яблочный чатни

На 1 и 1/3 чашки пасты.

2 чашки свежей клюквы (прокрутить в кухонном комбайне до небольших кусочков)
2 средних яблока, очищенных от кожуры, сердцевины и нарезанных кубиками
1 средняя луковица, мелко нарезанная
½ чашки коричневого сахара (я использовала 1/4 чашки)
½ чашки яблочного уксуса
¼ чашки изюма
1 столовая ложка тертого свежего имбиря (я использовала 1/3 чайной ложки молотого имбиря)
½ чайной ложки молотой корицы
¼ чайной ложки молотой гвоздики
¼ чайной ложки молотого душистого перца
¼ чайной ложки соли

В кастрюлю среднего размера выложить свежую клюкву, нарезанные кубиками яблоки, мелко нарезанный лук, коричневый сахар, яблочный уксус, изюм, тертый свежий имбирь, молотую корицу, молотую гвоздику, молотый душистый перец и соль.

Довести смесь до кипения на среднем огне. Уменьшить огонь до минимума и варить, периодически помешивая, пока клюква не лопнет и смесь не загустеет, около 20–25 минут.

Снять с огня и дать чатни остыть до комнатной температуры.

Переложить в банку или герметичный контейнер. Держать в холодильнике до 2 недель. Подавать охлажденным или комнатной температуры.

Recipe from Internet. 

Homemade Butter Cheese

Yields about 1 & 1/3 cups

8 cups milk (about 2 liters), room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream

In a large pot, bring the milk and salt almost to a boil over medium heat. Stir it frequently so it doesn't stick or burn to the bottom. It will take about 8 minutes. As soon as the milk is ready to boil, add white wine vinegar and mix well. Simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until stable curdles. 

Line a colander with a cheesecloth and pour the milk through to strain out the curdles. Bundle the cloth around the cheese like a coin purse and bring out as much of the whey as you can.

Place cheese in a medium bowl and add melted butter and sour cream. Using a standup mixer, blend all ingredients until smooth paste. Transfer mixture into a glass bowl with a lid and place to the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Spread on crackers, bread slices or flatbreads.

Домашний сливочный сыр

На 1 & 1/3 чашки.

8 чашек молока (около 2 литров) комнатной температуры
2 чайные ложки соли
3 столовые ложки винного уксуса
6 столовых ложек сливочного масла (около 80 грамм), растопленного
1/2 чашки (около 100 грамм) сметаны

В большой кастрюле довести молоко и соль почти до кипения на среднем огне. Помешивайте часто, чтобы молоко не пригорело на дне. Это займет около 8 минут. Как только молоко закипит, добавить белый винный уксус и перемешать. Варить на среднем огне 15-20 минут до стабильного свертывания.

Застелить дуршлаг марлей и вылить свернувшееся молоко, процедить. Отжать сыворотку из сыра.

Поместить сыр в среднюю миску, добавить растопленное масло и сметану. Используя вертикальный миксер, перемешать все ингредиенты до получения однородной пасты. Переложить смесь в стеклянную миску с крышкой и поставить в холодильник примерно на 2 часа.

Намазать на крекеры, ломтики хлеба или лепешки.

Recipe from the Internet.

Quick Seed Bread

Yield 1 loaf about 14 servings

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup dry roasted sunflower kernels
⅓ cup flax seed meal
2 tablespoon sesame seed
2 tablespoon poppy seed
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoon sesame seed, poppy seed and/or dry roasted sunflower kernels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the flours, brown sugar, 1/2 cup sunflower kernels, ground flax seed, the 2 tablespoons sesame seed, the 2 tablespoons poppy seed, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside. In a medium bowl beat egg with a fork; stir in buttermilk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the 4 teaspoons seeds.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store bread overnight before slicing.

Быстрый хлеб с семечками

На 1 буханку, примерно 14 порций.
1 ½ чашки муки
½ чашки цельнозерновой муки
¾ чашки коричневого сахара
½ чашки сухих жареных семечек подсолнечника
⅓ чашки льняной муки
2 столовые ложки кунжута
2 столовые ложки мака
1 чайная ложка разрыхлителя
½ чайной ложки пищевой соды
½ чайной ложки соли
1 яйцо
1 ¼ чашки кефира
¼ чашки растительного масла

Разогреть духовку до 350 Ф (180 Ц). Смазать маслом дно и верхние стенки формы для выпечки размером 9x5x3 дюйма на 1/2 дюйма; отложить в сторону.

В большой миске смешать два вида муки, коричневый сахар, 1/2 чашки семечек, льняную муку, 2 столовые ложки кунжута, 2 столовые ложки мака, разрыхлитель, пищевую соду и соль. Сделать углубление в центре мучной смеси; отложить. В средней миске взбить яйцо вилкой; перемешать с кефиром и маслом. Добавить яичную смесь сразу в мучную смесь. Перемешать до увлажнения (тесто должно быть комковатым). Выложить тесто в подготовленную форму. Посыпать 4 чайными ложками семян.

Печь в разогретой духовке 45–55 минут или пока деревянная зубочистка, вставленная в центр, не будет выходить чистой. Остудить в форме на решетке в течение 10 минут. Вынуть из формы. Полностью остудить на решетке. Завернуть хлеб на ночь, прежде чем нарезать его.

Recipe from The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen published on June 14, 2011

Pumpkin Butter

Serves 8

Makes about 2 cups

1 medium lemon

1 about 1 & 1/2 pound butternut squash or pumpkin

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 to 3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cut the butternut squash in several extra-large pieces. Remove the seeds. Place the pieces in a large pot with about 2 inches of water, and cover the pot. Bring this to a boil over a high flame, reduce the flame, and cook them for 30 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender. Drain the hot water and let squash to cool. Remove the skin and puree with stand-up mixer.

Juice 1 medium lemon until you have 2 tablespoons and place in a medium saucepan. Add butternut squash purée, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice, 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling vigorously. (If the pumpkin butter sputters too much in the beginning, add an additional 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice). Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the saucepan, until thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Let cool until room temperature, about 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.

Сладкий паштет из тыквы

На 8 порций, около 2 чашек

1 средний лимон

1 примерно 600 грамм тыква

1/2 чашки светлого или темно-коричневого сахара

Около 1/2 до 3/4 чашки несладкого яблочного сока

2 столовые ложки меда или кленового сиропа

2 чайные ложки приправы для тыквенного пирога

1/2 чайной ложки кошерной соли

Разрезать тыкву на несколько очень крупных кусочков. Удалить семена. Выложить кусочки в большую кастрюлю с водой примерно на 2 дюйма и закрыть кастрюлю крышкой. Довести все это до кипения на сильном огне, уменьшить огонь и тушить 30 минут, пока тыква не станет мягкой, проверить вилкой. Слить горячую воду и дать тыкве остыть. Снять кожу и провернуть до пюре вертикальным миксером.

Выжать сок из 1 среднего лимона, около 2 столовых ложек, и вылить в кастрюлю среднего размера. Добавить пюре из тыквы, 1/2 чашки коричневого сахара, 1/2 чашки несладкого яблочного сока, 2 столовые ложки меда или кленового сиропа, 2 чайные ложки специй для тыквенного пирога и 1/2 чайной ложки кошерной соли.

Тушить на среднем огне, время от времени помешивая, пока паштет не сильно пузыриться. (Если много брызг, добавить еще 1/4 чашки несладкого яблочного сока). Уменьшить огонь до минимума и тушить, время от времени помешивая и очищая дно кастрюли, до загустения, 25–30 минут.

Снять кастрюлю с огня. Дать остыть до комнатной температуры, около 30 минут. Переложить в герметичный контейнер и хранить в холодильнике на срок до 2 недель или заморозить на срок до 2 месяцев.

Idea for the recipe comes from The kitchn

Pink Radish Rillettes

Yields 1 & 1/4 cups pate

5 medium pink radishes, grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dill, chopped

7.5 oz. (212 gram) cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (substitution 1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper + zest of the 1/2 fresh lemon)

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Salt, sugar to taste

Place grated radishes into a colander, sprinkle with salt. Mix and leave for about 20 minutes. Using clean hands, drain water as much as possible.

Add radishes, dill, cream cheese, lemon pepper, granulated garlic, butter into a food processor. Process until all blended. Check for spices and adjust to your taste.

Pour mixture into a medium glass jar, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Serve with crackers or bread.

Herbed Walnut Cheesy Spread

Make 1 & 1/2 cup spread

4 oz plain cream cheese
4 oz crumbled feta (Greek style)
3 tablespoons farmer cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/3 cup ground walnuts
1 medium-large bunch parsley (large stems removed), ruffly chopped
5 large leaves fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt,
ground black pepper, sugar and garlic-chili sauce to taste.

P.S. if you have no garlic-chili sauce, welcome to use any hot sauce

Mix together cream cheese, feta, farmer cheese, and sour cream in a medium bowl and set aside. 

Place parsley and basil leaves into food processor and process for 30-40 seconds, Add walnuts and process more for 20-30 seconds. Finally add mixed cheeses, salt and puree until as smooth as possible, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl as needed. 

Transfer mixture to a container with a tight-fitting lid; Check for spices and add pepper, sugar and hot sauce to taste. Mix very well; seal and refrigerate for a few hours before using. Serve with toasted rye bread and black olives on a top. Many people love to fry large pieces of bread with a couple drops of olive oil. I think, this spread will be perfect on a top of slightly cooled fried piece of bread. 

Сырная намазка с травами и грецкими орехами.

На 1 и 1/2 чашки распространения

120 грамм простого сливочного сыра
120 грамм сырой феты (греческий стиль)
3 столовые ложки творога
2 столовые ложки сметаны
1/3 чашки молотых грецких орехов
1 пучок петрушки (удалить большие стебли), крупно нарезать
5 больших листьев свежего базилика
1/2 чайной ложки соли
молотый черный перец, сахар и чесночно-чили соус по вкусу.

P.S Eсли у вас нет соусa счили и чесноком, можете использовать любой острый соус

В средней миске перемешать сливочный сыр, сыр фета, творог и сметану.

Выложить петрушку и базилик в кухонный комбайн и прокрутить в течение 30-40 секунд, добавить грецкие орехи и еще прокрутить в течении 20-30 секунд. В конце добавить смешанные сыры, соль и прокрутить до образования пюре. 

Переложить полученное пюре из кухонного комбайна в пластиковый контейнер сплотно закрывающейся крышкой. По желанию добавить перец, сахар и острый соус по вкусу. Еще раз хорош перемешать и закрыть крышкой. Поставить в холодильник на несколько часов перед перед подачей. Подавать с жареным ржаным хлебом и черными оливками. Многие люди любят жарить хлеба на оливковом масле. Я думаю, эта намазка идеально подойдет к слегка охлажденному жареному куску хлеба.

Jerusalem Spiced Date Loaf

Serves 10

100 gram dates, stones removed, halved
100 gram pitted prunes, halved
1 teaspoon baking soda
240 ml boiling water
140 gram muscovado sugar
2 eggs
grated zest of 1 orange
280 gram all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
a pich of salt
125 gram walnuts, roughly chopped
butter for greasing (I used vegetable oil)

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease a 900 gram loaf tin with butter, then line it with baking parchment and grease again.
Place the dates and prunes in a bowl with the baking soda and boiling water. Set aside to cool.
Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl, then add the orange zest and date and prune mixture and stir to combine.
In a second bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add this to the prune mixture and fold through, adding the walnuts for the last few stirs. Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until the cake is deep brown and springy when you press on it gently. A skewer inserted into the center should come out free of wet cake mixture(through there should still be a bit of sticky fruit). leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool to room temperature. This cake keeps well for a few days if wrapped in foil.

Recipe come from "Sesame and Spice" by Anne Shooter

Carrot-Cheese Herring Pate

Good on any type of bread, bagels and matzos.

Carrot-Cheese Herring Pate

2 medium carrots, boiled, peeled and cut into large chunks
6 oz. Atlantic herring in oil (from Russian Store and it's kosher)
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, room-temperature
4 oz. (1 package) The Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges, peeled and cut  into large chunks

Place all ingredients into food processor and process for 1-2 minutes until smooth pate. Put into nice jar and refrigerate for a couple hours. It's ready to be served on bread, bagels, and matzos.

Селедочное масло с морковью

2 средние моркови, сваренные, очищенные от кожуры и порезанные на несколько кусков
180 грамм Атлантической селедки в масле
1/2 чашки сливочного масла комнатной температуры
115 грамм плавленного сыра (The Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges), очищенного от фольги и нарезанного на куски

Все сложить в чашу кухонного комбайна и перемолоть  до получения пасты. Поставить в холодильник на 2-3 часа и подать к столу. Прекрасно мажется на хлеб, бублики и мацу.

Recipe comes from Russian newspaper "Vmeste"

Vegetable cream cheese spread

Vegetable cream cheese spread

8 oz. Neufschel cheese or your favourite cream cheese
1 tablespoon minced parsley or basil pesto
2 tablespoons chopped pecans,
2 baby carrots, shredded
1 garlic glove
1 teaspoon minced red onion
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, cayenne pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor and process for 15-20 seconds. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Овощная помазка со сливочным сыром

250 грамм сливочного сыра
1 столовая ложка мелко нарезанной петрушки или персто из базилика
2 столовые ложки мелко нарезанных орех пекан
2 моркови, натертой на крупной терке
1 зубец чеснока
1 столовая ложка мелко нарезанного красного сладкого лука
1 столовая лоххка бальзамического уксуса
1 столовая ложка оливкового масла
Соль и острый красный перец по вкусу

Положить все составляющие в кухонный комбайн и провернуть в течении 15-20 секунд. Добавить соль и красный острый перец по вкусу.

Focaccia and cooking class.

I'm not a bread baker. Every time I deal with yeast I feel uncomfortable and worried about final result.  Therefore I decided to take a class about pizza & focaccia dough. Everybody likes pizza and focaccia, but not everybody can bake them. It's was my first experience with community education in America. First of all, I did not expect to see a well-equipped demo kitchen in a community center. They have a world-class demo kitchen, which I can use for community cooking class which I want to organize.  For nearly 2 hours I had fun making dough for focaccia and pizza. And I'm ready to show off first results of my baking experiment.  I brought dough to home and kept in refrigerator for 5 days. At the end of the 5th day, I baked focaccia sprinkled with olive oil and salt. One thing, I can say, it's quite easy and delicious. It's much better than taking even a fresh bread from the bakery or supermarket.  Now,  the recipe.  The recipe goes from Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois's books.

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 Tablespoon yeast
1/2 Tablespoon salt (you may use less)
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups bread flour (you can use all-purpose flour)

This recipes makes enough dough 2  9-inch focaccias. you may substitute up to 25% whole wheat flour for the bread flour.
Mix yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil with water in contained that has a lid. Mix in flour using spoon, food processor or mixer with a dough hook. Mix until the last bit of flour incorporated.
Cover, NOT AIRTIGHT, and allow to rest at room temperature for approximately 2 hours. Dough will rise to double in size. Dough can be used immediately after initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) contained and use for pizza or flatbread over the next 14 days.

Focaccia is also given time to "proof" (rise), 20 minutes before baling. Preheat oven to 460F, rack on middle shelf. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly brown. Before baking, I sprinkle focaccia with olive oil and sea salt.

Now, I have to have a special word for the presenter. Carol was so nice and attentive that all of us in class successed in our dough making. Her directions were easy and simple. I think, even a man can do such easy recipe and enjoy a fresh focaccia or pizza at home. It does not require a lot of skills, equipment or time. Definitely, I will use the recipe over and over again.  Thanks Carol for a good recipe and a lot of useful advices how to handle an yeast dough.

Cheddar Soda Bread

Cheddar Soda Bread
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (Cabot preferred), cut into pats
8 ounces Cabot sharp or extra-sharp cheddar, grated; about 2 cups, lightly packed
1 1/4 cups buttermilk*
1 large egg
*Don't have buttermilk? Substitute 3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/2 cup milk
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8" square or 9" round pan.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3) Add the butter, working it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Toss in the grated cheese.
4) Mix the buttermilk and egg, and add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until everything is moistened.
5) Scoop the sticky dough into the pan, using your wet fingers to spread it to the edges of the pan.
6) Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Its internal temperature at the center will be close to 200°F.
7) Remove the bread from the oven, and loosen the edges with a table knife. Wait 5 minutes, then gently turn it out onto a rack to cool. It's tempting, but wait about 20 minutes before cutting the bread, if you can; it's a bit crumbly when hot.
Yield: 1 loaf, about 12 servings.

My personal notes: Bread became a hot item among coworkers. I have to make again. It's really delicious and easy to make it. I highly recommend for everybody to make this recipe at home.



Recipe from Cheddar Soda Bread

Challah Collection

Russian
1. Праздничная хала
2. Хала на желтках
3. Breadsmith's Challah
4. Whole Wheat Challah
5. Литовская хала
6. Белорусская хала
7. Сдобная хала
8. Высокая хала
9. Черновицкая хала
10. Хала плетеная
11. Meggie Glezer
12. Чешская хала
13. Claidia Roden's Challah
14. Gilda Latzky's Challah
15. Rebecca's Challah
16. Тунисская хала
17. Хала сахарная по-киевски

English
1. Roasted garlic Challah bread
2. Challah (The New York Times Bread and Soup Cookbook)
3. Egg Challah
4. Pumpkin challah (wonderful braiding pictures)
5. Chocolate and apricot challah
6. Challah from The knead for bread
7. The Ultimate Challah
8. Tammy's Challah
9. No-Knead nutella Challah
10. Challah from "taste of home"

Harvest Honey Challah

Harvest Honey Challah
Dough: 1/2 cup lukewarm water, 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1/4 cup honey, 2 large eggs, 3 - 4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast.
Filling: 2 cups dry cherries (cranberries or dark raisins), 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, fresh zest from 1/2 of lemon, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Glaze: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, coarse white sugar, optional
To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with a dash of flour and sugar. Combine all ingridients except flour in a food processor. Add yeast mixture, turn on the motor and slowly add flour. Immediately stop adding a flour, when a soft and smooth dough is being formed.

Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan that's at least 2" deep. Or grease a 9" or 10" spring form pan.
Preparing filling, thoroughly mix sugar and zest, add cinnamon.
Gently deflate the dough, transfer it to a lightly greased work surface, and flatten it into a rough rectangle, about 8" x 10". Spread cinammon mixture and dry cherries all over the dough. Roll the dough, using the dish towel to help. Take a bench knife or a knife, or even a pair of scissors, and cut the cherries-filled dough into 16 pieces. To achieve this, cut the rolled log horizontally into 2 parts, then cut each part into 8 pieces.Lay the dough chunks into the pan; crowd them so that they all fit in a single layer
Cover the challah gently with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it's a generous 2" high. It should just crest the rim of a 9" round cake pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325°F. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the dough with the egg mixture, and sprinkle heavily with the coarse sugar, if desired. If you're going to drizzle with honey before serving, omit the sugar.

Place the bread in the lower third of the oven. Bake it for 55 minutes, or until the top is at least light brown all over, with no white spots. Remove the challah from the oven, and after 5 minutes loosen the edges and carefully transfer it to a rack.

Serve the bread hot, warm, or at room temperature. Drizzle with honey just before serving, if desired; or serve with honey for dipping.

Idea for the recipe from King Arthur Harvest Apple Challah

Ricotta raisin bread

Ricotta raisin bread

You will love this bread from the beginning. Simply speaking, it's delish....

Recipe came from Rose Levy Beranbaum's blog

I just rolled out the dough, sprinkled with raisins, baked and glaze with my universal lemon drizzle..

Universal Lemon drizzle: 1 tbsp margarine, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 c icing sugar Mix together completely softened margarine with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and the icing sugar.Make a thick paste, add more lemon juice to make a thickish but pourable drizzle.
Here's a reprinted recipe from Rose Levy Beranbum's blog
This recipe was adapted from one that came to me as a gift from Diego Mauricio Lopez G. of Pandora bakery in Columbia South America after the publication of The Cake Bible in 1988.


Equipment: A baking sheet lined with parchment, or sprinkled with flour or cornmeal. A baking stone or baking sheet.
If using active dry yeast proof it. To proof, dissolve it with a big pinch of the sugar in 2 tablespoons of the water warmed only to hot bath temperature, 110°F./43°C. Set it in a warm spot for 10 to 20 minutes. It should be full of bubbles. Add it when adding the ricotta.
Mix the Dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and instant yeast. Place it in a food processor with the dough blades. Add the ricotta, softened butter, egg, and salt and pulse about 15 times. With the motor running, add the cold water. Process 60 to 80 seconds but be careful not to allow the dough to get hot—i.e. not over 80°F/27°C. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is not soft, spray it with a little water and pulse it in. If it is sticky, transfer it to a counter and knead in a little flour at a time. After the first rise it will become firmer and difficult to shape if it is not soft. The dough will weigh about 2 pounds, 5 ounces/1048 grams.
Let the Dough Rise
Place the dough into a 4 quart or larger container, coated lightly with cooking spray or oil. Press down the dough and lightly spray or oil the top of the dough. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape mark on the side of the container approximately where double the height would be. Allow the dough to rise, ideally at 75 to 80°F./24 to 27°C., for about 2 hours or until doubled Preheat the oven to 375°F./190°C. at least 30 minutes before baking time. Have the oven shelf at the lowest level and place an oven stone or heavy baking sheet on it and a cast iron pan on the floor of the oven before preheating. (You can line it with foil to prevent rusting.)
Rolled out the dough, sprinkle with raisins and roll in shaping as a bread. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk about 1 hour. Mist the dough with water and quickly but gently set the baking sheet on the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet. Toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath. Immediately shut the door and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (A instant read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 200°F./93°C.). Halfway through baking, turn the pan around for even baking.

Transfer the loaf to a rack and brush with the drizzle if desired. Cool until barely warm—at least 1 hour.

Butter Knots (Eggless rolls)

Butter Knots (Eggless rolls)
Click on image for the recipe.

Булочки на дрожжах и без яиц
24 булочки.

1/4 чашки сливочного масла, 1 чашка молока, 3/4 чашки итальянского творога (ricotta cheese), 1 чайная ложка соли, 3 столовые ложки сахара, 1 пакет сухих дрожжей, 1/4 чашки теплой воды (105-115Ф), 3 & 1/2 - 4 чашки муки (2 чашки обычной белой муки + 2 чашки муки грубого помола (whole-wheat flour)), 1 яйцо для смазки.

Для теста: просеять муку. В небольшой кастрюле нагреть сливочное масло и молоко до полног растворения масла. Добавить итальянский творог, соль и сахар. Снять с огня и дать немного остынуть. Все масса должна быть немного теплой.

В емкость влить теплую воду, выложить дрожжи, добавить 1-2 столовые ложки муки и дать дрожжам подойти. Вылить подошедшие дрожжи в творожную смесь. Полученную смесь вылить в кухонный комбайн. Замешивать дрожжевое тесто с помощью комбайна очень просто. Взбивая массу, тесто насыщается кислородом, поэтому тесто получается воздушным. Не выключая комбайн, постепенно всыпать муку. Как только тесто начнет отходить от стенок комбайна, станет мягким и элестичным - муки больше не добавлять. Вынуть из комбайна и замесить тесто. Уложить в сухую, смазанную растительным маслом емкость и накрыть пищевой пленкой. Оставить на 2 часа в комнатной температуре, обменать тесто нужно 3-4 раза.

Руки припудрить мукой, брать тесто и придавать ему форму колбаски. Закруть колбаски как показано на рисунке. Нагреть духовку до 425Ф. Противень смазать растительным маслом. Каждую булочку выложить на противень, смазать яйцом, посыпать кунжутом и поставить выпекать булочки в духовку до готовности (20-25 минут). Вытащить противень с готовыми булочками, дать им немного остыть. Подавать с любимым выреньем и фруктами