Piña Colada Challah

First of all, I want to thank all of you that have kept The Challah Blog in your readers over it's somewhat lengthy hiatus these past few months.  As I've alluded to a few times, we have had some very emotional times with the extended illness and hospice-care of a beloved family member.  That, coupled with returning to school to begin my PhD studies, has created a bit of a void in creativity for baking and a need for basic, safe, and utterly delicious "plain" challah (challah is never really plain, is it?).

However, we're slowly getting back to creative recipes and lots of fun times.  I hope you'll all have us back again.  We're glad to be here.

This week's recipe has been in our queue for quite some time. A friend of ours who teaches, mom of four, and teacher in the religious school at our synagogue suggested it to us many, many months ago. And, Yael, you were right! It was great!

I admit, I was definitely a little skeptical at first, because I was worried that this challah would be a bit too sweet. Another friend pointed out that sweetened pineapple wasn't terrible different from adding raisins (shudder!) to dough... just an added sweetness, this time with a bit of tang.

But, it was the coconut that surprised me. The coconut was actually quite mild in the dough itself, almost completely melting away. And on top of the bread, it was DELICIOUS. It crisped up, tasted nothing like those awful Passover macaroons, and was really a treat. I'm excited now, because I feel like the discovery of coconut in challah opens up a few new doors for us... Almond Joy or Mounds Bar Challah, anyone? I think they're coming soon! Here's what you'll need for Piña Colada Challah...

A challah recipe of your choice -- for these proportions, I used one half of our half batch recipe... about 1 1/2 cups of flour. You'll want to adjust proportions accordingly.

For the 1 1/2 c flour dough, you'll need...
1/4 c plus about 2 Tbs sweetened flaked coconut (from the baking aisle)
1/4 c (about a handful) dried, sweetened pineapple, cut into about raisin-sized pieces

I think this recipe might also benefit from a splash of rum to make it truly Piña Colada-flavored. However, I've never introduced alcohol into bread, so I'm not sure where else you'd need to adjust proportions.

Chop your pineapple into small pieces with a large, sharp knife.
After your dough is risen and ready to be braided, plop the pineapple and 1/4 c coconut on your dough and knead by hand. Have extra flour on hand in case its sticky (it will be).

Using a sharp knife, divide your dough into the number of strands you'd like to use. Braid as normal.

 

After the egg wash, top your challah with shredded coconut. When baking, you'll probably want to foil the top of the loaf near the end (last five minutes) to prevent over-browning.

Enjoy with your tropical self, and be proud of a very unique challah. In this coooold winter weather up her in Wisconsin, this challah reminds me of summer!

Shabbat Shalom from our bayit to yours!

Rosh Hashanah 5773 | Pomegranate Challah & A Giveaway!!! {closed}

As I wrote about in my post on pomegranate-shaped challah, it's no secret that I love pomegranates. I have a pomegranate-shaped necklace, and our ketubah has a pomegranate on the scroll. There is a powerful symbolism around pomegranates and fertility, abundance, and the new year. Many people eat them on the second night of the holiday as their traditional "new fruit." Additionally, pomegranates supposedly contain 613 seeds, the same number as the mitzvot in the Torah.

This challah turned out to be quite a challenge, but I learned a few things in the process of making it. Besides a recipe, I'm excited to share with you the amazing way of removing the seeds from a pomegranate without staining your fingers and your clothes (no kidding, I actually wore a white shirt while seeding my pomegranate... totally clean!). Pomegranate seeds--arils--are watery, sweet, and crunchy. For some reason, I sort of expected them to change consistency in baking... which they really didn't. I had an idea that they'd become like cranberry texture. They don't. But don't let that deter you. This bread is delicious and the additions of extra aromatic spices and pomegranate juice are a fun twist.

1/2 c water
2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry or instant yeast
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp sugar or more for a sweeter challah
2 egg plus 1 more for egg wash
1/4 c neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
3 1/2 c bread flour
1 tsp salt
scant 1 tsp cinnamon
pinch ground cloves (just a pinch)
3-5 tbsp pomegranate juice (I used Trader Joe's organic)
Arils (seeds) of 1 pomegranate

Yield: 2 nice-sized round challot. You can either coil or make a braided round.

Please note, adding juice to challah may change the brakha said of this bread depending on the customs of your community. Check with your rabbinic authority for clarification on the laws of challah.

Place very warm but not boiling water in mixing bowl. Add yeast and honey, mixing lightly. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.  Add eggs and vegetable oil and mix with wood spoon.  Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, and pinch ground cloves.  At this point, your dough should be on the shaggy side because it's lacking in liquid.  Don't worry too much about this.

If you have a stand mixer, beat dough hook or knead by hand. Add the pomegranate juice slowly (I poured it into a glass) until a ball forms and holds together, cleaning the sides of the mixing bowl.  This dough has a lovely dark color due to the addition of the juice.  If the dough is very sticky, add more flour.

Turn the ball out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times until very smooth.  Place in oiled bowl and cover in plastic wrap or a towel.  Now you can prepare your pomegranate!  Place a piece of paper towel over your cutting board and cut open the pomegranate (the paper towel keeps those staining juices from trickling down onto you and your clothes).  Take half of the fruit and place it a bowl of water, using your hands to break out the seeds underwater.  The heavy seeds will sink to the bottom, while the membrane and skins will float.  Amazing right?  No mess!

When you're done, you can skim off the membrane and skin and then pour the contents of the bowl through a strainer.  Ta-da!

Allow to rise at least one hour, preferably more (usually about an hour and a half), until doubled in size.   With some extra flour ready, knead the pomegranate seeds into the dough by hand and shape as desired.  I ended up adding about 1/4 c of additional flour.

Allow to shaped loaves to rise an additional 20-30 minutes. Top with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Since round challot tend to be doughy in the middle, check at 20 and 25 minutes, foiling the top as necessary to prevent over browning.  The challot are ready when internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

As I said, these challot are different. The seeds are a little juicy and a little gummy. They pop in your mouth and have a lovely tang. The spices of the bread are aromatic which I think is one of my favorite parts along with the pomegranate juice. This particular pomegranate also didn't seem quite as ripe (the seeds weren't all bright red like you sometimes get). However, I'm calling this a success. The Hazz and I enjoyed one loaf, and we're freezing the other to serve in a few weeks. I can't believe it's already the middle of Elul!

This High Holiday season, Nirbeh zchuyoteinu k'rimon, may our merits increase like the seeds of a pomegranate.

Rosh Hashanah Blogger Party & Giveaway

This week, I am thrilled to be participating in the Rosh HaShanah Blogger Party where you'll find some AH-MAZING links to other great recipes this year for your High Holiday table.  I'm so happy to be included, and I can't wait to try some of these recipes out!

Welcome to the first ever Jewish Holiday Blog Party, hosted by Jessie of Taste and Miriam of Overtime Cook, and sponsored by Kitchen Aid! As you may know, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year is coming up, and Jewish bloggers from all over the world are celebrating with all kinds of twists on traditional Rosh Hashanah foods. 

To kick off the celebration, Levana Kirschenbaum is giving away a copy of her fabulous new book, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen to three lucky winners. To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing with me your favorite part about Rosh Hashanah (it can be food, services, family, whatever you like!). Limit one entry per reader per blog so click over to the other participating blogs below for your chance at additional entries! Giveaway ends 5 am eastern time on September 11th, 2012. 

Prize is sponsored by Levana and available to readers from all blogs participating in the Rosh Hashanah Blog Party. Prize can only be shipped within the US. 

This is the first of hopefully many exciting Holiday Blog Parties, so if you would like to join in the fun, please email holidayblogparties@gmail.com.

Stop by and check out some of these amazing Rosh Hashanah themed recipes on the following blogs: 

Challah and Bread:

Marlene of The Jewish Hostess made Apple Challah

Amanda of The Challah Blog made Pomegranate Challah

Shelly of The Kosher Home made Apple, Honey and Pomegranate Challah!

Sides, Salads and Starters: 

Sarah of Food, Words, Photos made Tzimmes (Rosh Hashanah Carrots)

Tali of More Quiche, Please made Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash

Roberta and Lois of Kosher Eye made Simanim Salad

Chanie of Busy In Brooklyn made Pomegranate Coleslaw

Rivki of Life in the Married Lane made Super Salad

Hannah of Cooking Manager made Beets Marinated with Ginger and Garlic

Sina of The Kosher Spoon made Pomegranate, Almond and Raisin Couscous 

Shulie of Food Wanderings made Rosh Hashanah Salad

Hindy of Confident Cook-Hesitant Baker made Warm Roasted Beets with Farro

Sarah of Kosher Street made Sweet Potato Apple Tzimmes

Main Dishes:

Jessie of Taste made Smoked Salmon

Samantha of The Little Ferraro Kitchen made Chicken with Dates

Michele of Kosher Treif Cooking made Coconut Chicken Strips with two dipping sauces

Melinda of Kitchen Tested made Key Lime Glazed Duck

Stephanie and Jessica of The Kosher Foodies made Chicken Braised in Pomegranate 

Liz of The Lemon Bowl made Beef Brisket

Estee of Anyone Interested? made Easy Breazy 5 Minute Brisket

Desserts and Drinks:

Miriam of Overtime Cook made Mini Apples and Honey Tarts

Laura of Pragmatic Attic made Fresh Ginger Honey Cake

Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen made Honey Caramel Apple Galette

Danielle of Hugs and Cookies xoxo made The World's Best Rugelach

Amy of What Jew Wanna Eat made an Apple and Honey Cocktail

Nick of The Baking Process made Apple and Date Honey Squares

Lisa of The Monday Morning Cooking Club made Honey Chiffon Cake and Traditional Honey Cake

Leah of Cook Kosher made Pomegranate Ice Cream

Nossi of The Kosher Gastronome made Non-dairy Key Lime Cheesecake Bar with Key Lime Caramel

Red, White, and Blue{berry} | Part II

Sometimes, chaverim, challot just don't turn out the way I envision them.  In my mind, they're so tasty that I think I can actually sense the flavors.  In my mind, they smell heavenly.  In my mind, they're gorgeous.

This recipe totally fit that bill, but it didn't taste great.  It tasted... fine.  It smelled... fine.  Actually, it smelled a little like vegetables.  And it looked... pretty good.  But, the taste and the smell... *sigh*

There are lots of recipes out there for beet bread.  Bright, gorgeous red loaves.  I wanted to try it with my own fresh garden beets, so pretty and so fresh.

After a bit of research, I decided not to roast the beets and instead just shred them first with a box grater and then with a my food processor. Perhaps this was my first mistake. If I'd roasted them, I could have made more of a think puree. The dough was certainly lovely, if not a bit magenta-ish pink. I hoped for the best.

In the meantime, I whipped up a small batch and added some wild blueberries to half. Once the doughs were ready, I laid them out, said a few more prayers that this might work and braided!

It certainly was a lovely challah and, visually, exactly like I planned. I love the idea of braiding two different doughs together.

I baked it like normal, and soon the smell of challah beets filled my house. Uh oh.  This wasn't what I expected.  Everything I had read told me that the beets would just add color but not too much flavor.  Where my garden-fresh beets just too strong?  Had I wasted some precious, grown-from-seed beets on a challah disaster?

I kept hoping.  And out they came from the oven.

Plus a ruby red challah.

I could tell you guys that this challah is awesome. Or, I could not give you the recipe, because it's a total bummer, and I don't want you all to think that everything I make I'm totally satisfied with. I actually threw a smaller, three-strand away :( because it looked weird, and it tasted LIKE BEETS. The remnants of these challot have been saved... The Hazz hasn't tried them yet, but he wants to give them a go. I don't know. It was a firework of an idea, but a total dud in reality.

Do you ever try new challah recipes that just don't work out? Don't give up! Shabbat Shalom from our bayit to yours!

Red, White, and Blue{berry}

More on this adventure soon! Have a wonderful day!

Strawberry Basil Challah

So, apparently Strawberry + Basil is a trendy combination of flavors.  And all of these look really awesome.  Strawberry Basil Lemonade sounds very refreshing.  However, when I started seeing some baking recipes with this flavor, it got me thinking... could I turn Strawberry Basil Scones and Strawberry Basil Cupcakes into Strawberry Basil Challah?  Well, I gave it a go...

One of thing things that I love, love, love about warm weather is my garden. The Hazz gave it to me for our first anniversary last year {coming up on two years on June 13th!}, and it's one of my favorite places.

And one of the best things about the garden is the herbs... particularly... THE BASIL!

I was very excited to spot these sweetened dried Strawberries at Trader Joe's, similar to the dried blueberries we used in Wild Blueberry Challah in April. A combination of both berries in one challah... definitely coming up in a next few months! Yum!

1/2 c water
1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp white sugar
1 egg (split, I beat it then used "most" in the dough)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
Small handful of fresh basil, chopped
Dried Strawberries

I based this recipe off of my REALLY Small Batch Challah, a challah I created to "test" recipes. I was apprehensive about this recipe working... so the yield is low. One small-size loaf.


The method here is similar to other challah, but since the recipe is so small, you might need to mix by hand instead of with a hook if the dough ball is too small for your mixture. Proof the yeast in the hot water with the sugar. While you're waiting, chop the basil and strawberries.

After the yeast is frothy, add most of the egg (reserve a small amount to be used in the egg wash), vanilla, and oil. Stir in the flour, salt, and basil.

Knead with a dough hook on 2 or by hand until the dough just starts to hold together but is still shaggy. Add the strawberry pieces all at once. Continuing kneading until the dough holds together as a ball.

Cover and place in a covered, oiled bowl. Let rise until doubled bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface. Braid as normal, trying to keep the strawberries on the inside of the dough.

Let rest for about a half hour. Egg wash with the reserved egg. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

This challah is really different. The basil aroma comes across much more than the basil flavor. The whole result--the fresh basil marrying the sweet strawberries--is a lovely combination... I completely understand why the flavors are so popular. I think when I make this challah again, I'll add more strawberries and perhaps put a little vanilla in the egg wash to sweeten the whole thing up. I also tried it toasted with a bit of lemon curd... delicious and it made me feel so fancy!

Are YOU incorporating garden fresh ingredients in YOUR challot?

Wild Blueberry and Agave Challah

I doubly experimented with this week's challah, and I'm so glad I did!  Last summer, Leigh Ann wrote a guest post on blueberry challah.  She got a pretty good result using frozen blueberries but she ultimately decided it wasn't such an amazing bread... pretty good, but not great.

But thing about this challah is? Once you finally, ecstatically, bite into it…it’s really nothing to write home about. It’s still beautiful, even more beautiful than before it was baked. Certainly, there’s nothing WRONG with it. But it’s kind of bland, with not much real character to differentiate it from other challot - a Mary Sue, if you will. (Yes. I even crack myself up.) And that’s why I’m calling this “Bella Cullen Blueberry Challah.”

Not to be deterred (am I ever?), I figured I'd give it another go when I spotted Dried Wild Blueberries at Trader Joe's this past week.  (They're even O-U!)  I also grabbed a bottle of Agave Syrup, wanting to give it a try.  A few friends have suggested to me using it in cereal or oatmeal, though I've never tried it with anything.

And then I realized I knew nothing about agave other than it's a really good V-word on Words with Friends.  Well, research is my strong suit, so I started with Chef Google and found a few things...

• Agave nectar is 1.4 to 1.6 times sweeter than sugar. {Source}
• Agave is commonly used as a Vegan alternative to honey in cooking. {Source}
• The taste of agave nectar is comparable, though not identical, to honey. {Source}
• It also has none of the bitter aftertaste associated with artificial sweeteners. {Source}
• One of the most health-promoting properties of agave nectar is its favorable glycemic profile... The carbohydrate in agave nectar has a low glycemic index, which provides sweetness without the unpleasant "sugar rush" and unhealthful blood sugar spike caused by many other sugars. {Source}

I was pretty much sold at that point. But, I'll be upfront with you... I'm not totally sure I taste a difference. The Hazz detects a texture difference, and I think I can. It's a very smooth challah. But I also masked the taste difference by tweaking my recipe a bit. I'll probably try challah next week with a basic recipe and agave instead of honey... I'll keep you all updated!  Without further ado, Wild Blueberry and Agave Challah!

3/4 c warm but not hot water
2 1/4 tsp active dry or instant yeast
1 1/2 tbsp agave nectar/syrup
2 eggs plus 1 more for egg wash
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 c flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
Dried Wild Blueberries


I proceeded normally with this challah.  Proof the yeast in the hot water with the agave.  After the yeast is frothy, add the two eggs and oil.  Stir in the flour and salt.

Knead with a dough hook on 2 or by hand until the dough holds together as a ball.  My dough was particularly soft and sticky this week.  Since I have no science skills whatsoever, I can't make any more of a guess than the fact that the agave syrup is runnier than honey.  So, perhaps it made the dough runnier?  Does that mean anything to those of you out there who understand glycemic index?  Long story short, I had to add a lot of extra flour.  Probably close to a half cup.

Cover and place in a covered, oiled bowl.  Let rise until doubled bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface.  Add generous handfuls of the dried blueberries and knead gently.  The amount you use is up to you.  I sort of flatten my dough and pour berries over top, then knead.  I try to incorporate throughout but not have too many out the outside of the dough or they singe a little in the oven.

Roll into strands and braid as normally.  Again, add flour if your dough seems sticky.

Let rest for about a half hour.  Egg was with a beaten egg, vanilla, and brown sugar {I take no credit for this idea... Leigh Ann did it in her recipe!}  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.  Check regularly to prevent excess browning!

So I'm thrilled. I kind of think this challah tastes like blueberry muffins. It's sweet, it's delicate (the agave?) and it's full of anti-oxidant rich blueberries.   I think that this challah is something to write home about... And I'm not such a dried fruit person (see here).  But this is truly a breakfast challah.  One you want to slather with butter or make into French Toast.  Or serve to your guests at Friday night dinner for a major wow factor.  I'm that pleased.

After Saturday morning Shabbat services, The Hazz asked me, "Is there any more blueberry challah?" Whoops. I'd eaten the rest. (However, there's another in the freezer just waiting to be devoured!)

Psst! We redid the photos for our Basic Challah Recipe. Check it out here!