Challah-lujah!

I’m sure some of you have heard of using your alumni network for reconnecting, job opportunities, and recommendations. You know what I use mine for? Recipes. That’s right. Just the other day, I got an email from UChicago entitled “A Holiday Gift from the College.” And inside? “Well-Tested Recipes.” That’s what I’m talking about!

My Jewishness recently awakened and Chanukah in its 4th day, I couldn’t resist trying this delicious recipe for challah bread, courtesy of Bob and Joan Fefferman (Robert is the dean of Physical Sciences at the University of Chicago.) I found this particularly ironic since I never really excelled in the physical sciences – but by God I would get an A on this challah!

Raw Materials
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 – 3/4 tsp salt (use less to make the bread sweeter)
1 package active dry yeast
About 3 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup water
3 eggs
Poppy or sesame seeds for the top of bread (optional)
Tools & Bakeware
large greased bowl and a cover for it
rolling surface dusted with flour
greased cookie sheet
(moist) towel

What I did and what you should do given what I did (Warning: this will take several hours, but there’s plenty of inactive time, waiting for the dough to rise. ):
1. In a bowl, combine sugar, salt (when I did mine, it came out a touch more salty than I’d like, so I’m putting in maybe only 1/4 tsp of salt next time), yeast, and 1 cup of the flour. In a saucepan, heat oil and 3/4 cup water until very warm (about 125F). With a mixer set at low speed, beat liquid into dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Reserve 1 egg yolk for later, when we’ll need it to dust the bread.

2. Add one egg white, 2 eggs, and 1 cup flour to the mixture; beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in 1 1/4 cup of the flour. On a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, working in about 1/4 cup more of the flour.

3. Shape dough into a ball and place in a bowl greased with butter, turning dough to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. Punch down dough; turn onto a floured surface; cover; let rest 15 minutes. Cut 2/3 of the dough into 3 equal pieces; roll each into a 13-inch rope. On a greased, large cookie sheet, place ropes side by side and braid together; pinch ends to seal. Cut remaining dough into 3 pieces. Roll each into a 14-inch rope; braid as above.

5. Place small braid along center top of large braid; tuck ends under to seal and keep braid in place. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled. Some people cover it very gracefully with a somewhat moist towel. The point is to create a humid, warm environment for the yeast to do its work, so whatever you decide to do, keep that in mind.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a cup, beat remaining egg yolk; brush onto top of loaf. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if you’d like. Bake 30 minutes or until loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool loaf on a rack.

And drumroll please……***…..***….tadaa!

Happy Holidays (& Bon Appetit)!

P.S. My good friend, Ms. Sangeeta Nair-Collins just started her very own food blog, quickly filling up with yummy recipes. And having tried her cooking, I’m an ardent supporter! So, if you’re looking for delicious vegetarian options (seafood included!) – visit her at Sane Cooking, also found under my links section on the bottom right. Happy eating!

The Imperial Russian Pavlova

Let’s begin this story with this question: what does one do with heaps of leftover egg whites? While some of you may have plenty of answers (feel free to comment and share!!), this is the predicament this beginner baker found herself in one fine evening, prior to a certain housewarming – that has by the way yielded enough recipes to share for the entire 2011 blogging year. What do you do? Traditional meringues can be tricky, if not done right. Macaroons? Too much fuss and time. In either case, I was stumped. Thank god for David Lebovitz and Google – otherwise, I would never have connected with this very useful post.  After some poking around on what exactly could be done with said egg whites, I was intrigued by the Pavlova – mostly because it looked beautiful, ethereal, and was softly tugging on some familiar memory that was only a brush away from surfacing.

What is a Pavlova? For those that are familiar with ballet, Anna Pavlova is easily recognized as one of the world’s finest classical ballerinas, and was the principal ballerina for the Imperial Russian Ballet. She too was delicate, beautiful, and is credited for bringing to life the eternal grace of the “dying swan” choreography in Swan Lake. Hence, the name of the dessert. What can I say, I had to make it!

What I wasn’t expecting was how easy it would be (a mixer here is a must because it’s only easy when it’s doing all the real work!) or how delicious. And that memory tugging in the back of my mind? This dessert, so ironically “rediscovered” by me in my mid-twenties is the very same dessert I loved as a child in Russia – only there, it is called the “Bizet.” Yes, after the French composer. Go figure! Without further delay, here’s what you need to do to experience real sugary joy (this recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes). Serve it with a homemade Chantilly cream and fresh fruit.

Raw Materials
Meringue (makes 8-10)
1 1/2 tsps of pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of cream of tartar
1 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
6 large egg whites (about 6 oz)
Pinch of salt
Chantilly Cream (i.e. fancy whipped cream)
1 cup of heavy (whipping) cream
1 tbsp of granulated sugar (add more if you prefer a sweeter cream)
1/5 tsp of pure vanilla extract
Tools & Bakeware
Electric mixer with whisk attachment
Baking sheet(s)
Parchment paper

What I did and what you should do given what I did:
Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 275F.

2. Stir the cornstarch into the sugar in a small bowl.

3. In a large bowl of a mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt for 2-3 minutes, starting on low, increasing gradually to medium speed until soft peaks/trails start to become visible, and the egg white bubbles are very small.

4. Increase the speed to medium-high, gradually pouring in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Continue to mix for a few minutes.

5. Slowly pour in the vanilla and increase speed to high. Whip until meringue is glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes. The good thing is that you can’t really overdo it here. The longer the mixture is whipped, the stiffer it becomes, which is great!

6. Spoon the meringue into 8-10 large round mounds onto your parchment-lined baking sheet. With the back of a spoon, create an indentation in the middle of the mound for holding the filling once the meringue is baked, or you can create a nice peak formations if you don’t want any fillings.

7. Place baking sheet in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the meringues are crisp and dry to the touch on the outside, and white, not discolored or cracked. Check on the meringues at least once during the baking time, and then regularly starting at 50 minutes. Sometimes, 50 minutes is all my pavlovas needed, but sometimes a little extra baking time was required. If they appear to be taking on color or cracking, reduce temperature 25 degrees, and turn the pan around. This may also be a good sign that they are over-done and it’s time to take them out!

8. Once out, let them cool. If tightly sealed in a container, these will keep for up to a week. I personally cannot guarantee more than 3 days, because this is the longest they’ve lasted in my house

9. For the Chantilly cream, you’re about to get a lesson in easy breezy fancy whipped cream: In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until the cream takes on a fluffy thick consistency and soft peaks have begun to form. Use immediately or refrigerate until serving.

And Voila! I love to top these mini-meringue cakes with bright colored berries to accentuate the lovely presentation (blueberries featured below). Let me just say, if you’ve never had a Pavlova before you are in for a treat. When my Mom tried my version of this all-too familiar dessert, she said it was like having the most luxurious, decadent ice cream straight from the creamery. The crispy shell of the meringue, the soft marshmallow interior, topped with fresh Chantilly cream and a sauce made from blueberries and a bit of sugar tossed around in a saucepan (featured below) – this was “Bizet” like she’s never had it before. And now you can too!

Bon Appetit!