Ukrainian Summer Fruit Kompot

My grandmother would always make a vibrant, fragrant, ice-cold kompot (compote) in the dog days of summer, often with fruit my family had foraged or harvested in the Pacific Northwest. Kompot is essentially stewed fruit that can be strained and enjoyed as a beverage, or it can be ladled into deep mugs and served like a fruit soup. Rich with berries and stone fruit, the deep purple liquid would cool us down as the temperature climbed.

Kompot is very popular in Ukraine, where my family comes from, and across the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Each home has its own recipe, and it can be made with fresh or even dried fruit. Keeping with tradition, I often squirrel away foraged fruit in the freezer; preserving berries and stone fruit from throughout the season waiting for the right time to make this family recipe. Inevitably, an August heat wave will arrive, and that’s when I take out my grandmother’s big enamel pot and fill it with all that saved fruit. The house will slowly fill with the smell of simmering fruit, and I’ll eagerly wait for the satisfaction of sipping on chilled kompot.

This recipe is very simple and endlessly modifiable and can be made year-round from fresh or frozen fruit.

Ukrainian Summer Fruit Kompot (Compote)
Serves 6-8

• Ingredients
  1½ lbs, mixed berries, fresh or frozen (raspberries, blackberries, currants, strawberries, etc.)

• 1 lb mixed stone fruit, fresh or frozen (cherries, plums, peaches)

• 2-3 small apples, cored and halved

• 1 cup sugar or honey, or to taste

• 8 cups of water 

• Juice of 1 lemon, optional 

Directions:
Clean off the fruit and remove any stems.

Add the fruit, sugar, and water to a large pot.

Bring the liquid up to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes; you want the fruit to release its juices but still hold its shape.

Taste and add more sugar or honey if you like it sweeter. If adding extra sweetener, let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes to let the sugar dissolve. Add lemon juice if desired for a more tart flavor.

Allow the kompot to cool then transfer it to the fridge to fully chill before serving. 

If you prefer a strained kompot, use a mesh strainer, and transfer the kompot into a pitcher to serve cold. If you prefer the kompot with the fruit still in it, serve it ladled into deep cups or bowls with a spoon.

Cherry Vareniki

Cherry vareniki (half-moon-shaped dumplings) in Ukraine are typically made with sour cherries, known as vishnya. They are nostalgic for many from the region — including my family — and were famously novelist Nikolai Gogol’s favorite food. My family immigrated from Soviet Ukraine to Seattle, and after almost a decade of building a new life in America, my parents were able to buy their first home. It had an enormous garden, with an established cherry tree. Soon after moving, when I was a very small child, my grandparents came to visit us from out of town. That summer, the cherry tree was loaded with fruit. I vividly remember picking glossy, red cherries off the tree with my grandmother and brother by my side. There was more fruit than could be eaten fresh, and my grandmother decided to use some of the harvest to make a large batch of cherry vareniki. We sat outside and ate bowls of the dumplings – pillowy and bursting with tart, sweet fruit. 

Vareniki are similar to pierogi or pelmeni; the dough is tender and soft, and the filling is only lightly sweetened so that the flavor of the fruit shines. This dish straddles the line between sweet and savory; topped with smetana (sour cream), one can eat cherry vareniki either as a main course or as a dessert. When using sour cherries, I eat my vareniki as a savory dish; you can get sour cherries fresh for a few weeks each year, otherwise, I pick them up frozen or preserved from Eastern European or Russian markets. When I fill the vareniki with Bing or Rainier cherries, I enjoy these dumplings as a sweet treat.

I love to serve cherry vareniki with a simple cherry sauce made from the extra filling, topped with big dollops of sour cream to balance out the sweetness. Like any kind of homemade dumpling or ravioli, vareniki take some effort to make, but are unquestionably worth the work. They’re ideal to make with a group of friends, and you can double or even triple the recipe as needed. 

Notes:

• Vareniki freeze extraordinarily well, offering a way to preserve the best of fleeting cherry season for future bowls of sweet dumplings. Freeze uncooked in a single layer, then transfer them to a bag or airtight container for three months. 

Cherry Vareniki (Dumplings)
Serves: 4-6, makes about 50 vareniki
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
For the dough:

• 3 cups + 2 Tbsp (400 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting or as needed 

• ¾ cup water

• 2 Tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 tsp kosher salt

For the filling and sauce:

• 1½ lb (680 g) cherries or sour cherries

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• juice of ½ a lemon

• sour cream, as desired, for serving

Directions:

1. Start by making your dough: In a large bowl, combine the 3 cups of flour, water, sour cream, egg and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then transfer to a clean surface and knead until very soft, smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time until it’s easy to knead and doesn’t stick to your hands. 

2. You can also make this dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment by adding all of the ingredients to the bowl, and mixing on the lowest speed until a shaggy dough forms. Turn up the speed to medium-low, and mix until smooth and soft, about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. 

4. While the dough is resting, start on your filling. Wash, dry and pit all of your cherries. If using a cherry pitter, cut the cherry in half after removing the pit. Add the cherries to a bowl with ½ cup of sugar, and let them sit and start to release their juices for a minimum of 30 minutes, or as the dough rests.

5. Once your dough has rested for an hour and your cherries have been sitting for at least 30 minutes, you can begin shaping your vareniki. 

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and heavily dust it with flour.

7. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Liberally dust both your rolling pin and your surface with flour. Roll out each piece of dough very thin, almost as thin as pasta; if you lift it up the dough light should come through it. 

8. Cut out 2-inch rounds of dough using a water glass or biscuit cutter, lightly flour the rim of the glass or cutter before making rounds. Gather up the scraps into a ball and reserve to re-roll the dough one time, after that discard any scraps. Fill each round of dough with about a teaspoon of cherry, about 1-1½ cherries. Seal the dumplings into half-moon shapes, if needed dab the edges with water to help it stick, but the dough should be sticky enough to press together on its own. Using the tines of a fork, press the edges of the dough to ensure they’re properly sealed. 

9. Transfer the formed dumplings onto the lined baking sheet. Reserve any remaining cherries for sauce. Repeat the process until you have used up all of the dough, and then place the dumplings in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes before cooking. While your vareniki are in the freezer you can bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

10. While the water is coming to a boil, add the remaining cherries to a small pot. Bring the cherry mixture up to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the cherries for 10-15 minutes or until they are very soft and broken down. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp of cornstarch with the juice of half a lemon. At the end of cooking the cherries, add the starch slurry, and simmer for an additional minute or until just thickened. If the sauce thickens too much, you can always thin it with water.

11. Add vareniki, in batches if needed, to the pot of water (be careful not to overfill).. Once the vareniki float to the top, simmer them for an additional 5 minutes. If using frozen vareniki, it may take a few minutes longer for them to float to the top. Remove the vareniki from the pot and serve immediately. 

12. Top the vareniki with sour cream and cherry sauce. 

Gogol Mogol (Kogel Mogel)

Whenever I had the slightest hint of a sore throat, the remedy in our Ashkenazi Jewish home was gogol mogol (kogel mogel in Polish). Gogol mogol is a Yiddish word for a shtetl recipe that dates back to 17th-century Central Europe. It’s a simple, sweet treat made with egg yolks and sugar that’s similar to a non-alcoholic version of eggnog or zabaione. 

Gogol mogol is considered both a dessert and a home remedy for colds and throat aches. There is some science behind its healing properties – an Israeli internal medicine doctor found that warm gogol mogol has an antibiotic effect that can speed up recovery for inflamed throats. Even Barbara Streisand’s mother allegedly believed in gogol mogol’s curative properties, and she tried to strengthen her daughter’s vocal cords by serving her this classic concoction. 

Gogol mogol’s origins are unknown, but the concoction may have been inspired by the “Shuclhan Aruch,” the 16th-century Sephardic Jewish code of law, where it is written that one can soothe their voice on Shabbat with raw egg or sweet syrup. Over time, gogol mogol became widely popular across Poland and the former Soviet Union, particularly during interwar periods when sweets were scarce.

There are countless variations of gogol mogol, but it is traditionally made by beating raw egg yolks with sugar or honey until they become thick, light and frothy. My father taught me to use a ratio of one tablespoon for every egg yolk. Often, warm milk is streamed into the egg mixture to make it thinner and easier to consume. Popular additions include vanilla, lemon or cocoa powder; and gogol mogol can be served as an adult beverage with the inclusion of rum, brandy, or cognac. Traditionally it’s served in drinking glasses, but like zabaione, it can also be served with fruit or a warm cake. 

This comforting, cozy, sweet dessert is sure to warm you up in the dark of winter.

Gogol Mogol
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks

• ¼ cup sugar or honey

• ¼ cup hot milk

Optional additions:

• 2 shots of rum or brandy

•  2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp zest

•  2 tsp cocoa powder

Directions: 

1. Using a handheld mixer with the whisk attachment, or using a whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until lightened and thick, and doubled in size – about 3-4 minutes with the mixer, or 6-8 minutes by hand. 

2. Warm up the milk until just hot, and then stream it into the egg mixture, whisking continuously. If including any of the optional additions, whisk them in at this point. Serve immediately.

Apple & Honey Ruffle Milk Pie

Every now and again, you stumble upon a dish you can’t get enough of. Crinkle cakes and ruffle pies have gone viral for a reason, largely thanks to @ramenasaidwow’s viral TikTok crinkle cake. These kinds of desserts are fun and easy to make, stunning to look at, and incredibly delicious. You can find my full article about this recipe over at The Nosher!

Aside from the phyllo, this recipe requires only a few simple ingredients and no special equipment. You can whisk the custard together in a bowl, and form the pie in a standard cake pan or deep pie dish. This recipe can also be made dairy-free and pareve by substituting both butter and milk for plant-based alternatives. There’s just a hint of cinnamon for a little warmth, but if you’re a big fan of spice, you can double the amount. Apple and honey ruffle milk pie is best served warm or at room temperature the same day it is prepared, but it can last up to two days covered in the fridge. 

Apple & Honey Ruffle Milk Pie
Serves 8
Prep time: 20 minutes,
Baking time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 large sheets of phyllo dough (13-14”x18”), thawed 

• 6 Tbsps butter, melted (or vegan butter)

• 2 large eggs 

• 1½ cups whole milk (or creamy non-dairy milk)

• ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar

• 2 Tbsps sugar

• 2 tsps vanilla extract

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp cinnamon 

• 1 small apple or ½ medium apple, sliced very thin

For the syrup:

• ¼ cup honey

• ¼ cup water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line and grease a 9” cake pan with parchment. Metal cake pans are best for this recipe, but you can also use a ceramic or glass deep dish pie pan, or a 9” springform pan. 

Make sure that your phyllo dough is fully thawed according to the package instructions. Phyllo dough dries out very quickly, and in order to prevent that, lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel. Unroll the dough, and lie it flat on a clean surface. Cover it with the damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take out one sheet of phyllo dough at a time, and keep the rest covered. Generously brush the sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Scrunch the dough lengthwise on either side towards the center, so that the buttered phyllo sheet forms a long fan-like ruffle of dough. Starting on one end, loosely spiral the dough into a coil; it will form a rose-like shape. Make sure not to coil the dough too tightly, you want ruffles and height in this pie. Place one spiral of dough into the center of the greased and lined 9” pan.

Continue the process and make a total of 9 more spirals of phyllo dough, or 10 in total. If you’re using smaller sheets of phyllo dough, you may need to add a few additional pieces of dough to fill the pan. Arrange the coiled sheets of phyllo into the pan, and make sure not to flatten any of the dough, adjust to fill out the pan as needed. If you have any leftover melted butter, brush it over the top of the phyllo spirals. 

Cut the apple on either side of the core, then thinly slice the apple into half-moon shapes, about ⅛” thick or less. Gently tuck in slices of apple between ruffles of phyllo dough. Make sure not to press down on the dough, and instead gently nestle in the apple. Use as many apples as desired, about 1 small apple, or half of a medium apple. 

Bake for 20 minutes and the phyllo dough will start to just slightly brown on top.

While it is in the oven prepare the custard. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.

Once the pie has baked for 20 minutes, pour the custard evenly over the phyllo spirals. Bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and puffed up, and the custard has fully set.

While the pie is baking with the custard, prepare a honey syrup by combining the honey and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until a syrup has formed and the mixture has slightly thickened. 

While the pie is still hot, drizzle the honey syrup over it. Be careful to leave some golden brown ruffles untouched by honey, so that they remain extra crispy. Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Pie is best served at room temperature, and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If storing in the fridge, bring the pie up to room temperature before serving, or reheat for 10-15 minutes, covered, at 350°F. 

Garnish with powdered sugar or whipped cream if desired.

One-bowl Sour Cherry Snacking Cake

Sour cherries are only available fresh for a few short weeks in early summer, and are especially good in baked goods, like this one-bowl sour cherry and sour cream snacking cake. This simple recipe can be prepared with either fresh, frozen, or jarred sour cherries, and the sour cream can be substituted for Greek yogurt. The sour cream adds a rich tenderness to the cake that perfectly pairs with the bright acidity of the cherries. If you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative, you can substitute the butter for vegan butter, and the sour cream for non-dairy unsweetened yogurt. This simple cake is perfect as a sweet treat at the end of a meal, or alongside a morning cup of coffee or tea. Whenever you eat it, sour cherry cake will sweeten your day. 

Sour Cherry Sour Cream Cake

Makes one 9” cake

Active time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 40-5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup sugar

• 4 Tbsps (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup (225 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt

• 2 Tbsps lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)

• 2 tsps pure vanilla extract

• 1½ tsps baking powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• 2 cups (290 g) all purpose flour + 1 Tbsp, divided

• 2 cups pitted sour cherries, fresh, frozen, or jarred

• 1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9” square or round cake pan with parchment. 

2. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, sugar, and melted butter. Whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy, and increased in volume, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda and whisk together until fully incorporated.

3. Add 2 cups of flour to the bowl, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix the batter until just combined and mostly smooth — be careful not to overmix. 

4. Dust the pitted cherries in the remaining tablespoon of flour; this helps the cherries from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Add the dusted cherries to the bowl, and mix until just evenly incorporated. 

5. Transfer to the lined and greased baking pan. Top with the Turbinado sugar and a few extra cherries if desired. 

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown on top, and a small skewer or cake tester comes out clean. Cool and serve topped with powdered sugar or whipped cream. Keeps for 3-4 days stored covered at room temperature. 

One-Bowl Blueberry Lemon Snacking Cake (Grain-free/ Dairy-free)

Snacking cakes are typically simple cakes made with one-bowl batters, that use easy-to-find ingredients, and are baked off in a single baking dish. This simple blueberry-lemon version is perfect for Passover, or as a grain-free/dairy-free dessert for any meal. Almond flour replaces regular flour, and well-whisked eggs and sugar help give the cake lightness and volume. You can also replace the blueberries with raspberries or blackberries; frozen or fresh berries both work in this recipe. This cake is delicate, soft, light, and full of citrusy lemon and sweet berry flavor

Blueberry Lemon Snacking Cake (Grain-free/Dairy-free)

Makes 1 9” round or square cake 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 lg eggs, at room temperature

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 2 Tbsps oil

• Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsps)

• 2 Tbsps lemon juice

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)

• 2¼ cups super-fine almond flour

• 1 Tbsp potato starch, plus more for dusting the berries

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1¼ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

• 1 Tbsps turbinado or coarse sugar (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease and line a 9” round or square baking dish with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a whisk or handheld mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until doubled in size and pale yellow, about 5-6 minutes. 

To the egg mixture, add the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract if using. Whisk together until just combined, being careful not to deflate the egg mixture too much. 

To the center of the bowl, add the almond flour, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold the mixture until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the wet ingredients. Toss the blueberries in a spoonful of starch, and add 1 cup of the berries to the batter. Gently fold and combine. 

Transfer the batter to the lined and greased baking dish. Top the cake with the remaining ¼ cup of berries. Sprinkle the top of the cake with turbinado sugar. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until it looks evenly golden brown and set on top, and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to fully cool before serving. This cake is best served the same day it is prepared but can be made one day in advance if needed. Top with powdered sugar, or whipped cream before serving if desired. 

Rice Pudding

Rice pudding may differ by country and region but typically consists of some form of rice, milk, and sugar. In Indian kitchens, you’ll find kheer (or payasam), a rice pudding made with basmati rice, milk, or coconut milk, that is flavored with cardamom or other spices. In many Ashkenazi kitchens, rice pudding took on the form of rice kugel and was cooked in a frying pan. In former Soviet countries, rice pudding is called molochna risova kasha and is simply prepared with rice, milk, and sugar. In Turkish kitchens there’s sütlaҫ, a rice pudding made with rice flour that is served at weddings and holidays. In North Africa, and throughout the Middle East, you’ll find malabi (or mhalbiya/muhallebi), believed to be derived from sütlaҫ, it is a pudding made with ground rice or rice flour that is flavored with rose, orange, or geranium water. Portuguese-speaking countries call their rice pudding arroz doce, and in Spanish-speaking communities, you’ll find arroz con leche flavored with cinnamon or anise. Persian cooks have sholeh zard, a golden saffron-infused rice pudding made with rice or rice flour, that is aromatically flavored with rose water, cardamom, and other spices. Here in the States, you’ll typically find rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and studded with raisins.

This recipe for rice pudding is rich, silky, and deeply vanilla flavored. I recommend using good quality Arborio or short-grain rice, as it offers a firmer and creamier texture in the pudding; but you can substitute Arborio for long-grain rice. Whole milk and a little half & half make this pudding decadent and silky, but you can substitute whole milk for reduced-fat milk for a lighter and slightly less creamy pudding. For a non-dairy version, substitute the milk with full-fat canned coconut milk, and the rice pudding will be just as creamy, but with added coconut flavored. Using a vanilla bean provides a special kind of decadence to this rice pudding; if you can’t get your hands on a whole bean, you can use vanilla paste or extract in its place. You can keep your pudding plain, or add raisins or toppings. I like mine with citrus for a hit of acidity and brightness; and I drizzle date syrup on top just before serving, for an extra molasses-like hit of sweetness. Rice pudding can be served warm or chilled. However you like to eat or serve this pudding, it’s addictively comforting.

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Arborio or short-grain sushi rice

• 3¾ cup whole milk (or substitute with low-fat milk, or coconut milk)

• ¼ cup half & half, or milk

• 3 Tbps sugar

• ½ a vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla paste, or substitute with 2 tsps pure vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• 2 Tbsps raisins or currants (optional)

Toppings:

• Citrus segments or berries

• Date syrup

Directions:

Rinse the rice well. In a medium pot, combine the rice, milk, half & half, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds into the pot, or add the vanilla paste, and stir. If using vanilla extract, do not add it at this point. Bring the mixture up to a boil, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the liquid has reduced and the mixture is thick and creamy, remove the pudding from the heat. Stir in the raisins and vanilla extract if using. Allow the pudding to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or chilling.

You can serve rice pudding warm or chilled. Top with a drizzle of date syrup and citrus segments if desired.

Tahini Coffee Cake

Full article is up on The Nosher.

Tahini Coffee Cake

Makes 1 9x13 cake, serves 15-20

 Prep time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

 For the cake-

• 10 Tbsps (141 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1¾ cup sugar

• ⅓ cup tahini

• 4 large eggs, at  room temperature

• 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tsps vanilla extract

• 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour

• 2 tsps baking powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ cup milk

For the brown sugar ribbon-

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup (62 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp cardamom

For the tahini streusel topping-

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup tahini paste

• 4 Tbsps (56 g) unsalted butter, melted

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp cardamom

• Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.

For the cake - To a large bowl, or to the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature butter, sugar, and tahini. Beat together the butter mixture using a handheld mixer, or the paddle attachment on the stand mixer, until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

To the bowl, add 2 eggs, and beat until incorporated. Add 2 more eggs and beat until they are incorporated. Add the sour cream, sesame oil, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.

 In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, with half of the milk. Stir until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture to the batter, and the rest of the milk. Stir until just combined, be careful not to overmix (your batter may be slightly lumpy).

For the brown sugar ribbon - In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom.

For the tahini streusel- In a bowl, using a fork, combine the flour, brown sugar, tahini, melted butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until the mixture comes together and forms pea-sized crumbles.

To assemble and bake- Add half of the batter to the greased baking dish. Smooth it into an even layer. Top the batter evenly with the brown sugar ribbon mixture. Dollop the remaining batter on top, then carefully smooth it over in an even layer with an offset spatula or knife. Top the cake with the streusel mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool, then serve. Tahini coffee cake can be stored covered at room temperature for 4-5 days, or it can be frozen and defrosted as needed for up to 3 months.

Ponchiki - Russian Donuts

Ponchiki are a type of Russian donut (or donut hole), that is made with farmer’s cheese. I love these for Hanukkah, as they are simple to make, and require know yeast, kneading, or proofing. The farmer’s cheese make them light and bright. Rolling them in sugar makes them perfectly sweet. You can also flavor your sugar with citrus or spices for extra flavor.

Ponchiki

Makes about 2 dozen ponchiki, depending on the size

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 cups farmer’s cheese

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour

• 1.5 tsps baking powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• Oil for frying, peanut or canola

• 1 cup sugar (or as needed), for rolling the donuts in

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and ½ cup sugar. Add in the farmer’s cheese and vanilla, and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the farmer’s cheese mixture, and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix. 

Add about 3” of oil to a large heavy bottomed pot. Using a candy thermometer, heat the oil to 350-360°F, or without a thermometer you will know the oil is hot enough when you stick the end of a wooden spoon into the oil, and bubbles form quickly around it. The key to good ponchiki is to make sure that your oil is not too hot or too cold -- they can easily burn on the outside and stay raw on the inside if the oil is too hot -- turn the heat up and down as needed to maintain the right temp. 

Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the batter into a ball and drop it into the hot oil. Fry, and turn the ponchiki as needed so that they are golden on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer them onto a rack, or paper lined plate to drain the excess oil. Allow them to cool for 30-60 seconds, then roll the ponchiki in sugar. These are best served fresh and warm. 

Apple Sharlotka (Apple Cake)

Apple Sharlotka is a popular Russian and Polish apple cake that is easy to prepare and requires only a handful of ingredients. This dessert is dense with apples, but the cake surrounding the fruit is light and airy.  

Sharlotka comes from a style of cake or trifle called “Charlotte Cakes,” which are typically made with ladyfingers or sponge cake. The first apple Sharlotka is credited to a French chef, who prepared it in honor of the wife of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. While early versions of Sharlotka were decadent and complicated, over time the cake has evolved into a simple treat that can be easily baked at home. My own Ukrainian grandmother made apple Sharlotka more than any other cake, likely due to the fact that it is as easy to make as it is comforting and delicious. Along with a few apples, the batter is made all in one bowl with eggs, sugar, flour, and vanilla. 

Apple Sharlotka is best made with sweet and tart Granny Smith apples, or an heirloom apple, like Winesap. When the cake comes out of the oven it will have a crisp and crackly crust on top that softens the longer it sits. Just before serving, shower the cake with powdered sugar for added sweetness on top. 

Apple Sharlotka

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 3-4 (1.5 lbs/680 g) medium apples, like Granny Smith

• juice of ½ a lemon

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup (220 g) sugar 

• 2 tsps vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour (or sub with 1:1 gf flour)

• powdered sugar, as needed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9” springform pan with parchment paper; you can also use e a 9” round or square baking pan for this recipe. 

Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into 1” pieces, about ¼”-thick. Toss the apples in lemon juice, and then add them to the baking dish. 

In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs and sugar. Alternatively, you can beat the eggs and sugar by hand using a whisk. Beat until the eggs are pale, fluffy, and have doubled in size, about 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat for one more minute.

Sift in half of the flour and salt to the egg mixture, and fold the dry ingredients into the batter. Sift in the remaining flour and salt, and fold them in until they are just incorporated. Be careful to gently fold in the dry ingredients, and to not overmix the batter. 

Pour the batter over the apples in the baking dish. If needed, use a spatula or spoon to smooth the batter over the top so it evenly covers the apples.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and firm on top, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for at least one hour prior to serving. 

Before serving, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Sharlotka can be made a day in advance and stored covered at room temperature, the crust will soften as it sits. 

Strawberry Tiramisu

Strawberry season in the Pacific Northwest is here! Fresh strawberries and cream are classic, and this tiramisu perfectly combines the two in a no-bake dessert.

A note about ingredients: unlike classic Tiramisu, here, the Lady Fingers are dipped into juice (instead of espresso). I used an orange/peach/mango-juice, but a wide variety of juices would taste wonderful here, from regular OJ to passionfruit or pineapple juice (a little acidity is what we’re looking for). For the Lady Fingers, I prefer using Italian brands as they tend to be lighter - I found mine at my local grocery store, and you can also find them at Italian markets. For the strawberries, fresh, sweet, smaller-sized strawberries work best for this recipe. 

STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1½ quarts (6 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled (divided)

• ⅓ cup sugar, plus ¼ cup (divided)

• 1 Tablespoon Chambord, or fruit liqueur (optional)

• 3 large egg yolks

• 16 oz. (1 lb) mascarpone

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• Pinch of salt

• 2 packs (28 oz) Italian Lady Fingers

• 2 cups juice (Orange/Mango/Peach, or any good orange juice), or as needed

Directions:

Wash your strawberries, remove their green tops (hull), and allow them to fully dry on a clean kitchen towel before using. Slice 1 quart (4 cups) of the strawberries, and top them with 2-3 Tablespoons sugar (if your strawberries are very sweet you may need less sugar); reserve the remaining strawberries for the top of the tiramisu. Add a Tablespoon of Chambord, or you can substitute the liqueur with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Stir and allow the berries to sit (macerate) while you prepare the cream filling. 

In a double boiler, or in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, continuously whisk together the egg yolks and ⅓ cup of sugar over a low simmer for 5 minutes; the mixture will double in volume and turn pale yellow, and the sugar will fully dissolve. (This will kill any bacteria in the egg yolks.) Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes, whisking occasionally as it cools.

Once cool, add the mascarpone and heavy cream to the yolk mixture. Using a handheld mixer or a whisk, whip until the mixture thickens and forms soft peaks. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, and mix until incorporated; be careful not to over-beat the cream.

Pour the juice into a bowl that is big enough that the Lady Fingers can be fully submerged in the liquid. 

To assemble:

You will need a 9 x 13 deep cake pan baking/casserole dish for this recipe.

Dip each Lady Finger in the juice for 3-4 seconds, and layer the bottom of the dish with the cookies.

Add half of the cream mixture to the bottom layer of Lady Fingers, spread it out into an even layer. Add the 4 cups of the macerated strawberries in an even layer on top of the cream mixture. Add a second layer of Lady Fingers dipped in the juice, and then top with the remaining half of the cream mixture, spread evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Before serving, slice the remaining strawberries and toss them with a Tablespoon of sugar. Top the tiramisu with the freshly sliced strawberries.

Tiramisu will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, but it is best on the first day.

Labneh Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Cheesecake is a staple of Shavuot, a holiday that celebrates receiving the Torah, and that also celebrates the Spring harvest and the abundance of dairy that come from pastured animals during this time of year. While cream cheese is typically used in cheesecake, swapping it for labneh transforms traditional cheesecake into something lighter, tangier, and silkier. Labneh is easy to make at home, as it's simply yogurt that has been strained in cheesecloth. You can also find it pre-made at Middle Eastern and Kosher markets.  

This cheesecake can be eaten as is, but it levels up with a fruit topping. I’ve included a recipe for strawberry sauce, but any other berry or stone fruit can be swapped for the strawberries. In lieu of a cooked sauce, you could also top this tart with fresh berries and whipped cream. 

This recipe requires no special equipment, and if you don’t have a springform or tart pan, you can use any standard 9” pie dish. A pre-made graham cracker crust is another convenient time-saver; the extra filling can be baked separately in a small ramekin or baking dish. While the pie comes together quickly, it does need to spend time in the fridge to fully set; it’s best to make this the day before you intend to serve it. 

Labneh Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 sleeve (150 g) graham crackers (9-10 crackers depending on the brand)

• 2 Tbsps sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 5 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted

For the labneh filling:

• 2 cups (16 oz) labneh*

• ½ cup (4 oz) sour cream

• ½ cup sugar

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 2 tsps vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp salt

For the strawberry sauce:

• 3 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen

• ½ cup sugar

• ¼ cup water

• Juice of ½ a lemon

• ¼ tsp salt 

• 2 tsps cornstarch + 2 tsps water, whisked together

*To make labneh: line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth, and place it over a large bowl. Add a 32 oz container of plain full-fat yogurt to the lined sieve. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Transfer to an airtight container and discard the liquid. 

Directions

Remove your labneh, sour cream, and eggs so they can come up to room temperature while you make the crust. 

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9” springform pan, 9” pie pan, or 9½” tart pan.

Crush the graham crackers in their unopened sleeve, or if they are open, place them in a bag. This recipe will work with 9 or 10 graham crackers, as different brands carry different amounts of crackers in their sleeves. Crush until the crackers are fine crumbles. Transfer to a small bowl, and crush any pieces that are larger than a pea in size. Combine with sugar and salt.

Add the warm melted butter, and using your hands mix the butter into the crumb mixture until it resembles wet sand. Transfer the mixture into the greased pan. Press the crumbs towards the sides of the pan, making a thin even layer on the bottom. The bottom can be much thinner than you think it needs to be; the crumbs on the sides should be thicker, and should go up about ½-1”-high depending on the pan you are using. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pan. It will seem fragile but will hold up well once baked and filled.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until darker in color and firmer. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. 

For the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the labneh, sour cream, sugar, and salt until smooth.

Whisk in one egg at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Whisk in the vanilla extract.

Pour the mixture into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350°F for 20-24 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to set but the center is still very jiggly when you move the pan. If using a tart pan, the cooking time may be quicker, check after 15 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake the tart.

Allow the tart to fully cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Once it’s fully cooled, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it set for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight. Once set, serve the tart as is, or topped with fruit, whipped cream, or strawberry sauce. The tart will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. 

For the strawberry sauce:

In a medium pot, combine the strawberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until sugar is fully dissolved and strawberries are beginning to soften but still hold their shape. Add in the slurry of cornstarch and water, and simmer for 1 minute more. The cornstarch will immediately thicken the sauce, which should easily coat a spoon.

Allow the sauce to fully cool, then transfer it to the refrigerator. Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and will keep for up to one week in the fridge. 

Blueberry Cheesecake Danish

The danish came into being as a result of a kitchen mishap and a workers’ strike. In the early 1600s, a French baker forgot to add butter to his flour at the “right” time, and in an attempt to salvage his pastry he folded chunks of butter into his flour mixture. He inadvertently created a delicious flaky puff pastry dough. From there, danish-like pastries were made in France, then Italy, and Austria. A few hundred years later during a labor strike in Denmark in 1850, business owners hired bakers from abroad to replace local workers. Several such Austrian bakers began making danish-like pastries, and when the strike was over, Danish bakeries continued to bake and improve upon these newly beloved pastries. In 1915, a Danish immigrant chef baked danishes for Woodrow Wilson’s wedding to great success and acclaim. Soon after, the same baker encouraged a New York Jewish restauranteur to start selling the pastries at his establishments. Danishes have been a staple in bakeries and delis across the country ever since. 

Danishes are typically made with puff pastry, which is a buttery laminated dough. If you love baking projects you can make this recipe with homemade puff pastry. For a quicker and easier danish, pre-made puff pastry is ideal. Any store-bought frozen version will work, but using an all-butter puff pastry will yield better quality and flavor. These pastries are crispy on the edges with a buttery flaky dough, and soft in the middle with a fruity cheesecake-like filling. Always a crowd-pleaser, they’re perfect for any holiday brunch or lunch spread.

Blueberry Cheesecake Danishes 

Makes 12 danishes

For the pastry:

• 1 (17.25 oz or 1 lb) package all-butter puff pastry, defrosted

• 1 egg, beaten

• Turbinado sugar (or any course sugar), for sprinkling

For the cream cheese filling:

• 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese

• 3 Tbsps sugar

• 2 tsps vanilla extract
  
  

For the blueberry sauce:

• 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

• ½ cup water

• ¼ cup sugar

• Juice of ½ a lemon, or to taste

• 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water, whisked together 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the blueberry sauce:

In a medium pot combine the blueberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice. In a small dish, whisk together the cornstarch and water and reserve. On medium-high heat, bring the mixture up to a simmer. When the blueberry mixture starts to bubble, add in your slurry of cornstarch and water. The sauce will immediately begin to thicken. Stir and let the blueberries simmer for 2 more minutes until the sauce is thick, easily coats a spoon, but the blueberries still hold their shape. Turn off the heat and add in the vanilla.

Remove from the heat, and allow the sauce to fully cool. Transfer to the fridge or freezer to cool the sauce quickly.

For the cream cheese filling:

Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. To make this without a mixer, allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature, combine it with sugar and vanilla, and beat vigorously together with a wooden spoon.

Assemble the danishes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Roll your puff pastry sheets into a 12” x 8” rectangle (if it is already roughly this size, there is no need to roll it out). Divide the pastry into even-sized 3” x 4” rectangles. For square danishes, roll your pastry into a 12” x 12” square, and cut them into  4” x 4” squares. 

Using a small paring knife, gently score each rectangle with a ½” border, so that there is an outline of a smaller rectangle inside each pastry. Transfer the squares to two parchment-lined baking sheets, and place them at least 1” apart.

Add a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture to the center of the rectangle. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the mixture into an even layer, so it roughly fills only the interior rectangle of the pastry. Top the cream cheese with a tablespoon of the blueberry sauce. 

Before baking, brush the border edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, and sprinkle Turbinado sugar on top of the egg wash. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the pastry has puffed up and is deep golden brown in color. Allow the pastry to cool for 15 minutes prior to serving. Danishes are best eaten the same day they are made and can be stored at room temperature. If you have leftovers, they can be reheated in an oven or toaster oven the next day. 

To make ahead:

Form the danishes up to the point of topping them with blueberry sauce. Freeze the cream cheese filling-topped danishes in a single layer, then transfer them to an airtight container or bag. If making more than a week in advance, freeze the sauce, and then defrost before assembly. 

When ready to bake, top the danishes with the blueberry sauce as instructed above. Add the egg wash and sugar to the edges of the frozen pastry. Bake as directed until golden brown. Frozen pastry may take 3-5 minutes longer to bake.

Vegan Apricot Hamantaschen with Chocolate Drizzle

Vegan Hamantaschen

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup (6 oz) plant-based butter, at room temperature (e.g. Miyoko’s brand)

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar

• ¼ cup apple sauce

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

• 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour 

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• Pinch of salt 

• Apricot jam, as needed (or your favorite jam)

For the chocolate drizzle:

• 1 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate or chocolate chips

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil or sunflower oil

Directions:

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the vegan and sugar together until fluffy. Add the apple sauce, cornstarch, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined; the apple sauce and cornstarch will act as the binder for the dough. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add the flour mixture to the vegan butter mixture. Mix until just combined.

Transfer the dough onto a clean surface, and form into a disc. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Once the dough has chilled, lightly flour your surface. Roll the dough until it is about ¼”-thick. Cut 3”- 4” circles out of the dough, using a cookie cutter or a water/wine glass. Fill each round of dough with 1-2 teaspoons of jam; be careful not to overfill your cookies. Pinch the edges upward and tightly together to form a triangle. Place the cookies on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet, about 2” apart. Freeze or refrigerate the hamantaschen for 15 minutes before baking (don’t skip this step as it will help your cookies keep their shape). 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown at the edges. Cool on a rack. Once fully cool you can eat them as is, or drizzle them with melted chocolate. Hamantaschen can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

For the chocolate drizzle:

In a bowl, combine your chocolate and coconut oil. Melt the chocolate in a microwave, or in a heat-proof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water (a double boiler). Once the chocolate is just melted, mix until smooth. Drizzle each cookie with the chocolate using a spoon or fork. Let the chocolate harden and set, about 1 hour.  

Queen Esther's Cookies / Mohn Kichlah

Poppy seeds are the key ingredient in these Eastern European cookies. Mohn Kichlach , or Queen Esther’s Cookies, are made and eaten year-round, but they have special significance at Purim. The poppy seeds are meant to remind us of how Queen Esther was able to secretly keep kosher in Ahasuerus’ palace by only eating seeds, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. In fact, at Purim it’s traditional to eat all kinds of dishes with beans, seeds, or that are vegetarian.

These are simple sugar cookies, that are often flavored with almond extract, but here I’ve added lemon zest and lemon juice for their bright and citrusy flavors. You can make and eat these plain, but they are also delicious drizzled with a simple icing or with melted white chocolate. 

This dough can also be used to make hamantaschen; instructions are included at the bottom of the recipe.

Mohn Kichlah - Queen Esther’s Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (275 g) all-purpose flour

• 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks/170 g) unsalted butter

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• zest of one lemon

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

For the icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Reserve.

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, and beat until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 

Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, beat until everything just comes together, be careful not to overmix. 

Form the dough into a disc, and wrap it with plastic or beeswax wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days. 

When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F.

Roll out the dough about ¼”-thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes such as triangles, hearts, or circles. Gather the scraps of dough, and roll them out again until you use up all of the dough. Place the cut out shapes onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1”-2” of space between each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just becoming golden at the edges and starting to firm up. Allow the cookies to fully cool on a rack before serving, icing, or drizzling with melted white chocolate. 

For the icing:

Whisk together the sugar with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. If it is too thick, add a little more juice or water until you have a loose consistency. Drizzle over the cookies with a spoon or fork. 

For Hamantaschen:

You can also use this dough for hamantaschen. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the dough into rounds using a biscuit cutter or water glass. Fill each circle of dough with a small spoonful of jam or your favorite filling. Pinch the sides upward to form a triangle shape, pinch each side closed. Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze or chill for a minimum of 15 minutes. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until firm to the touch and just golden at the edges.

Apple Piroshki

Piroshki are a popular pastry in Russia, Ukraine, and other parts of the former Soviet Union. Piroshki is a catch-all term for a variety of stuffed pastries, often oval in shape. You’ll find piroshki that are fried or baked, made with yeast-leavened dough, puff pastry, or shortcrust pastry. They can be either savory or sweet, and common fillings include sautéed cabbage, mashed potato with caramelized onion, and sweet apple.

 When piroshki are made with fried yeasted dough they are akin to a donut. Hanukkah, and its celebration of fried foods, is my favorite time of year to make apple piroshki. If you have ever made sufganiyot, this dough recipe will be similar in its ingredients and methods. What makes piroshki different from most sufganiyot is that the filling is added before the dough is fried. Like sufganiyot, piroshki benefit from a generous shower of powdered sugar before serving.

 This is the kind of recipe that takes some time and is ideal for a chilly day when being in the kitchen is calming and warm. Like any fried food, these are unquestionably best eaten straight away or on the same day they are made. Warm and fresh, the golden-brown exterior has the subtlest crisp to it, giving way to soft airy dough beneath, and caramelly apple filling inside.

 If you’re steering clear of oil but have an affinity for piroshki, you can use this recipe to make a baked version. Instructions are provided below. Baked piroshki are also best eaten fresh, but can last an additional 2-3 days if they are warmed up again just before serving.

An apple pirozhok is a warm, festive treat for any winter day. If you’ve added enough powdered sugar, when you take your first bite you can happily expect that sugar to somehow make its way onto your upper lip, and maybe even the tip of your nose.

Apple Piroshki

Makes 16

For the dough:

1¼ cup warm milk

2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 Tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3¾ -4 cups (446-480 g)  all purpose flour, start with less and add more flour if needed

1 liter (33 oz) neutral oil for frying (e.g. sunflower, canola, or vegetable)

For the filling:

2½ lbs (about 6-7)  apples, (Crimson, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or any baking apple)

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup light or dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Big pinch of salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the dough-

Warm the milk so that it is just warm to the touch, but not simmering (between 90°F-110°F). Combine the warm milk with the yeast and the sugar. Allow the yeast to activate and become foamy for 5-10 minutes.

 Add the flour to a stand-mixer with the dough hook attachment or to a large bowl if making the dough by hand. Start with 3¾ cups (446 grams) of flour; if you later find the dough too sticky as you are kneading, add more flour one spoonful at a time.  Make a well in the center of the flour.

Add the melted cooled butter, egg, egg yolk, and salt to the well in the flour. Then add the milk and yeast mixture.

Combine the wet and the dry ingredients on the mixer’s lowest setting, or gently by hand. Once the ingredients are combined and start to form a ball, increase the speed on the mixer to medium, or transfer the dough to a flat surface and begin to knead the dough. The dough will be very sticky, especially at first, but as you knead it will become smoother.

Knead the dough until silky, soft and smooth, about 5-6 minutes in the mixer, or 10 minutes by hand. The dough will slightly stick to the sides of the bowl, but will easily form a smooth soft ball in your hands.

 Once the dough is kneaded, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lightly damp towel, and place in a warm part of the kitchen; allow the dough to rise for 1-1½ hours or until doubled in size. While the dough is rising, make your filling.

For the filling-

Peel and core the apples. Dice them small, and add them to a bowl. Combine them with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add them to a deep skillet or large pot, and cook them on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. The mixture will start to look like apple pie filling, the liquid will thicken and become syrupy, and the apples will be golden brown. Turn off the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

To assemble the piroshki-

Line two baking sheets with parchment.

 Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 16 equal-sized pieces. To do so, form the dough into a rectangle, divide it into 4 equal parts, and then divide each section into 4 again. For exact uniformity, weigh each piece. Form each piece into a ball, and cover with a clean kitchen towel so they do not dry out as you work.

 On a lightly floured surface, form the piroshki by rolling each ball into a thin circle, about 4-5 inches in diameter. Add 1½ tablespoons of the filling into the center of the circle of dough. Fold the dough upwards towards the center, equally on each side, and pinch the piroshki firmly closed along the top forming them into a sealed oval shape.

Place the formed piroshki onto the parchment-lined baking sheets seam-side down, 8 per sheet with 2-3 inches between each pastry. Cover the piroshki with loose plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise again, for 30 minutes.

While the dough is rising for the second time, preheat your oil for frying (if baking, see instructions below.)* Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with 2-3 inches of oil. Use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil is at 350°F, you will have to monitor and raise or lower the temperature as needed. If you do not have a thermometer, you will know the oil is ready when you place the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil and small bubbles form around the spoon; if the dough is browning too quickly, lower the oil slightly as needed.

Fry the piroshki-

Once the piroshki have risen a second time you can begin frying or baking the piroshki. Fry the piroshki in batches of 2-3 at a time, depending on the size of your pot; be careful not to crowd them. Place the piroshki seam-side down into the oil and fry for 40-50 seconds on each side, until they are nicely golden brown all over. Transfer to a papertowel-lined rack or sheet pan. Continue to fry all of the piroshki. Once they are done, allow them to cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

*For baked piroshki-

Once the piroshki have risen a second time, beat an egg with a splash of water. Brush the piroshki with the egg wash, and then bake them for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the baking sheets and bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until the piroshki are evenly golden brown on all sides,

Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Raspberry Danish Twist - Entenmann's Style

For the full article, head over to The Nosher!

Entenmann’s Style Raspberry Danish Twist

Makes two danishes, or one large one

Ingredients: 

For the danish-

• 1 cup milk, warmed
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 packet (7 g) active rise yeast
• 3 cups (450 g) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting or as needed
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla powder, or 1 vanilla bean (split, and seeds scraped out)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• 1 cup raspberry jam
• 1 egg yolk plus one teaspoon of water, for the egg wash

For the icing-

• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1½ Tablespoons milk or water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or ½ a teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Grease two 8 x 6 baking dishes and line with parchment paper. You can also make one large danish in a 9 x 11 baking dish.

Heat the milk until warm to the touch but not too hot, about 100°F. Add the sugar and active dry yeast to the milk, and allow the yeast to proof for 5-10 minutes. The yeast will get foamy and bubbly, if it doesn’t your milk may have been too hot or too cold and it is best to start again.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combined the flour, salt, and vanilla powder. Alternatively, you can make the dough by hand, you will just need to mix and knead for longer.

Add the milk and yeast mixture to the dough, along with the two eggs. On medium, mix until a very shaggy dough is formed. Next, with the mixer still on medium, add the room temperature butter one cube at a time; allow each piece of butter to incorporate before adding the next. Once all of the butter is incorporated, the dough will appear smoother and stickier. Switch the paddle attachment for the dough hook, and mix on medium speed for 5-6 minutes, or until a soft, smooth, elastic dough is formed. It will start out looking very sticky and wet, but will ball around the dough hook towards the end. If it looks too wet and does not start forming a ball, you can add a few tablespoons of flour to help with the consistency.

Gently transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl (it will be very soft and pour out), and cover it with a damp clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise until roughly doubled in size,1-2 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it in half. You can make two 8 x 6 raspberry danish twists at this time, or freeze half the dough for future use (just allow it to defrost and come up to room temperature). Dust a clean surface with flour, then take one half of the dough and divide it into three equal balls. Roll each ball into a strand that is about an inch longer than the length of the baking dish, then gently twist each strand and fit them in lengthwise into the baking dish. Cover with a lightly damp clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rise again for another 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the jam to the danish. Between the 3 strands of dough, you’ll make two strips of jam, each about a ¼ cup of worth of jam, or ½ a cup per danish (if using a larger dish, simply evenly add jam between each strand). I gently nudge the stands apart, and with a spoon, fill with jam between the strands. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown on top. Rotate once halfway through baking.

Once baked, allow to cool on a rack. While the cakes are cooling make the icing. Once mostly cooled, you can ice the cakes by drizzling the icing free form with a spoon, or you can fill a small ziplock back with the icing, and snip off a small piece of the corner to ice in any design you prefer.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Galette

Galettes are just about my favorite thing to bake. I like the ratio of dough to filling. I like that the results of most galettes aren't too sweet. And I love the beauty of the arrangement of fruit against a browned flaky crust.

I use my go-to crust recipe/ratios for every galette, but for the filling I rarely use a recipe. I'll use fruit that's in season, toss them with sugar, vanilla/lemon zest, and let them hang out for an hour while the dough is chilling in the fridge. 

This galette was no different. I had a bunch of rhubarb that I brought home from work, and I had a handful of good strawberries too. I also had some rye flour I wanted to use up. The rye flour went into the dough, and the fruit got added to the filling. A short time later, the galette came out of the oven, warm and fragrant. This galette is perfect for any beautiful spring day.

Rhubarb Strawberry Galette

For the crust:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup rye flour (or all purpose flour)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sticks butter, cold and cubed
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 Tablespoons ice water
• 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon of water (for the egg wash)
• Turbinado sugar, to sprinkle on top

For the filling:

• 1 lb rhubarb, cut into equal-sized pieces
• 1 cup strawberries, halved or quartered depending on size
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust:

In a food processor: pulse the flour, rye, sugar, and salt together. Add the cubed cold butter and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. Add the apple cider vinegar and ice water and pulse until the dough just gets combined and forms a ball. Be careful not to over-mix.

By hand: whisk together the flour, rye, sugar and salt. Add the cubed cold butter and combine with the flour with a pastry cutter or by hand until pea-sized crumbs of dough form. Add the apple cider vinegar and ice water and incorporate quickly with your hands until a ball of dough is formed. Be careful not to over-mix.

Form the dough into a round disc shape, and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

For the galette:

Combine the cut rhubarb and strawberries with the sugar and vanilla. Allow to sit for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Roll out the dough into a circle about 1/4" thick. The edges don't have to be perfectly round, and the dough doesn't have to be a perfect circle either. Transfer the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet

Add the macerated fruit to the dough, leaving a 2-3" border around the perimeter. Fold over the dough over the fruit, overlapping as you fold each piece.

Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. You can sprinkle the inside of the galette with sugar if you like it extra sweet, too. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown with tender rhubarb.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Keeps at room temperature. covered, for 1 day. 

Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies (with Rye flour)

For the full article, head over to .alma

...What I love most about these cookies is that they’re endlessly versatile. I like to add rye flour to the batter for extra nuttiness, and flake salt before baking for a pop of flavor and crunch, but you could easily use entirely all purpose flour and leave the flake salt out completely. If you’re not into chocolate, you could substitute the two cups of chocolate chunks with two cups of chopped dried fruit or chopped nuts. If you’re feeling adventurous (or frisky?) you can even use all three. In keeping with romantic cliches, just as in matters of finding true love, these cookies benefit from patience. If you chill the batter overnight the cookies taste even better when you bake them off the next day. But between you and me, you can break the rules and succumb to instant gratification and make the cookies the same day and they’ll still work out just fine.

I always hope that Valentine’s Day can be less a celebration of coupledom and traditional forms of romantic love, and more of a an excuse to celebrate all love-filled relationships, including with one’s self. I can assure you that whether these are made for your partner, secret crush, lonely hearts club band, or for you yourself and only you, making these cookies in all their tahini-chocolate goodness is a rich expression of love and all things good.

Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup all purpose flour

• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons rye flour (optional, can substitute this with all purpose flour)

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ cup tahini

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 2 cups (8 oz) chopped chocolate chunks or chips

• Flake salt, as needed (optional)

Directions:

1.     In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, rye flour if using, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Reserve.

2.     Using a stand-mixer or handheld electric mixer, cream together the tahini, butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. You can also do this by hand, but it will take slightly longer.

3.     Add in the egg, and mix until well incorporated.

4.     On a low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture to the tahini mixture. Mix until just incorporated, be careful not to overmix.

5.     Stir in the chocolate chunks until just incorporated. Ideally, refrigerate the cookie dough for 24 hours or overnight. If you can’t wait that long, let it chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

6.     Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

7.     Scoop out the dough, one heaping tablespoon at a time, and roll into equal-sized balls. You can also use a small ice cream scoop to do this. Place the dough balls on the baking sheets a few inches apart - they will spread as they bake. Sprinkle the dough with flake salt, if desired.

8.     Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

9.     Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Syrniki (Farmer's Cheese Pancakes) with Vanilla Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

As a child, I would often find my mother or my grandmother standing over the stove making a fresh batch of farmer’s cheese. In a large pot, I’d find a wide open half gallon milk carton sitting in simmering water. With a little lemon juice the milk transformed from liquid to solid. Strained of any excess liquid it would be transferred to the fridge, where there seemed to always be a never-ending supply.

That homemade farmer’s cheese (“tvorog”in Russian) ended up in all kinds of things: blintzes, piroshki, and on its own served as a side at breakfast. It also ended up in a pancake form called syrniki (pronounced: syr-nee-kee). Syrniki can be made with farmer’s cheese, cottage cheese, or quark.“Syr” means cheese in both Russian and Ukrainian, and these cheese pancakes are commonly made in those parts of the world; it’s also the part of the world that my family comes from.

I like to think of syrniki as deconstructed blintzes - all the good parts with less work. The outside of the syrniki have a satisfying crispness that differs from grain-based pancakes. The inside stays creamy and fluffy. They are vaguely reminiscent of the best kind of latke. Syrniki are also perfect vehicles for all manner of sweet things, and I love them topped with strawberry rhubarb compote. The sweetness of the strawberry and tanginess of the rhubarb are the perfect compliments to the creaminess of the pancakes.

If you’re not buying into the concept of cheese pancakes, the strawberry rhubarb compote is great all on its own. It also goes beautifully with a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream, or as a topping on oatmeal, scones, yogurt, or your more “traditional” pancake.

Enjoy!

Syrniki with Vanilla Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Serves 4

For the syrniki-

•  1 lb. farmer’s cheese, about 2 cups
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Big pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon oil
• ½ cup all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• Butter or oil, as needed

In a bowl, mash the farmer’s cheese until it is well broken up with a fork. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt to the cheese, and combine until mostly smooth.

In a small dish, combine the baking soda and oil. The baking soda may bubble slightly. Add the baking soda mixture and the flour to the cheese mixture and stir until well-combined.

Generously dust your work surface with flour. Place one heaping tablespoonful at a time (about ¼ cup) of the batter onto the floured board. Sprinkle more flour over the top of each small mound of batter.

Form the batter into round pancake shapes, about ¾” thick. You can be really generous with the flour;  it will help the pancakes keep their shape in the pan.

Heat a large pan or a griddle over medium-low heat (I like to use cast-iron). Add a few tablespoons of butter or oil to the pan. Place the pancakes in the pan and cook over medium-low until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Two important notes: do not crowd the pan as the pancakes expand and puff up as they cook, and do not rush the cooking process. Cook the pancakes in batches, adding more butter/oil as needed. Keep the heat pretty low, and allow the pancake to really cook on one side before flipping. Once it is golden brown, it will begin to unstick and will make flipping much easier. If your pancake falls apart a little, have no fear, you can nudge it back into a circular shape with a spatula and continue to cook it.

Serve warm with compote or your favorite pancake toppings.

For the vanilla strawberry rhubarb compote-

• 1½ lbs. (700 grams) strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 4 cups)  
• ½ lb. (250 grams) rhubarb, chopped into ½” chunks (about 1½ cups)
• ¾ cup (165 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split (or substitute with 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

Combine half of the cut strawberries (about 2 cups) with all of the rhubarb and granulated sugar in a pot. Split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the pot and add the pod as well. Add the lemon juice and salt.

Over medium heat, heat the berry mixture and bring it to a boil. You may wonder how the heap of strawberry and rhubarb will become liquid, but in a few moments the juices will be released and no added water will be needed. Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the rhubarb just starts to break down and is tender, about 5 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the remaining fresh strawberries. Allow the mixture to cool, then transfer to the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight. It keeps well in the fridge for a week.