Jewish Foods, by Course: Desserts & Cakes

Arak Cookies | Baked Apples with Almonds and Raisins | Baklava (honey and nut pastry) | Cheese Fritters (Sirniki)
Cheese Souffle | Cherries in Rum | Crisp Moroccan Cookies
Fruit Salad | Halvah Parfait | Halvah Parfait (II) | Hamentaschen Cookies
Honey Cake | Honey Cake with Nuts | Honey Cream | Kichlach
Moroccan Cookies Spange | Moroccan Date Cookies | Pears in Wine Sauce | Rose Petal Sherbet
Rugelach | Sorrel & Raisin Pie | Spiced Pear Flan | Sponge Cake
Stuffed Dates | Sugared Figs | Wonder Cake | Zabaglione | Moist Chocolate Apple Cake with Coconut Cream Ganache
Tahini Chocolate Chip Sesame Cookies| Sufganiyot | Gluten Free Chocolate Orange Cake

1 1/4 cups butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3 Tbsp. arak liqueur (can substitute ouzo or Pastis)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup blanched almonds, ground finely
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Let the butter soften at room temperature and cream it together with the sugar and egg yolks. Add the arak and cream together again. Sift the flour and baking powder into this mixture and knead into a firm dough. Add the almonds and knead again.

Form the dough into 3" (7 1/2 cm) crescents and place these on an ungreased cookie tin. Bake in a medium oven until the cookies are done (20-25 minutes). Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. May be served hot or cool.

Serves four.

 

6 large apples, for baking
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter*, melted and cooled
85 gr. blanched almonds, lightly toasted and ground
3 Tbsp. raisins
3 Tbsp. light rum
3 egg yolks
lemon juice as required

In a small saucepan, mix together the rum and raisins with 5 Tbsp. of water. Heat gently until warm. Remove from the heat and let stand.

Peel and core the apples, leaving a base of about 1/2" (1 cm.) at the bottom and a hollowed cylinder of 1 1/2" (4 cm.) in diameter. Rub the apples with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolks, 6 Tbsp. of the sugar, the almonds and the butter. Drain the raisins - reserving the liquid - and add them to the egg mixture.

Fill each apple with about 2 Tbsp. of the filling. Place them in a shallow ovenproof pan and pour in the liquid reserved from the raisins. Pour in another 1/2 cup of water and the remaining sugar. Bake in a medium oven, basting occasionally and adding more water if the pan dries out. Cover and bake about 15 minutes longer until the apples are tender. Serve hot or warm.

* If serving the apples with a meat-based meal, substitute parve margarine for the butter.

 

Baklava is a delicacy found throughout the Arab world. The Jews who came to Israel from Arab countries continue to prepare and enjoy the taste of baklava. This sweet pastry is sold in both Jewish and Arab markets, and comes in a multitude of varieties.

Pastry
1 lb. phyllo pastry sheets
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1-1/2 cups melted sweet butter
Dash of ground clove
5 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups walnuts, pistachio nuts or hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Syrup:

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
3 slices orange & lemon rind
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 tsp. lemon juice

Pastry: Place sheets of phyllo pastry in a 13x9x2 inch pan, brushing every other sheet evenly with butter. When ten or twelve sheets are in place, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and clove, and spread 1/3 of this mixture over the sheet. Place another five or six buttered sheets of phyllo on top of nut mixture. Repeat this process two more times, alternating nut mixture with five or six sheets of buttered phyllo. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C). With a sharp knife, cut baklava into diamond-shaped pieces. Heat remaining butter (there should be about 1/2 cup) until hot and light brown. Pour evenly over the baklava. Sprinkle a few drops of cold water on top and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 300 deg F (150 deg C) and continue to bake for one hour.

Syrup: In a saucepan combine water, sugar, honey, lemon juice, orange and lemon rind, cinnamon stick and cloves. Heat mixture until a drop forms when placed into a cup of cold water, then simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Strain. When the baklava is baked, pour syrup over it. Makes 30-36 pieces.

 

Michael Romanov, the first tsar of Russia, claimed that he invented this dish somewhere about 1625. This makes for a nice story, but it simply is not true. Greeks have been dining on fritters made from an identical recipe at least since the time of Plato. However, most Russians remain steadfast in the belief that the dish is theirs.

4 cups cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. white pepper
3/4 cup flour, sifted
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
butter for frying
sour cream for serving, well chilled

Mix together the cottage cheese and the white pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Place the cheese in toweling or cheesecloth and carefully squeeze as much moisture from it as possible. Rub the dry cheese through a sieve. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, flour, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Knead together well and roll into 3" (7 1/2 cm) thick tubes. Refrigerate for about 1 hour and then slice the rolls into 2 1/2 cm. slices.

Melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a skillet and fry the slices until golden brown on both sides, adding butter only if the skillet becomes dry. Serve hot with sour cream. (May be served as an appetizer or a dessert).

 

butter and flour (to prepare the souffle dish)
1 cup butter
1/4 cup flour, sifted
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
dash Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 cups milk
125 gr. Gruyere, Emmenthal or sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 eggs, separated

Generously grease the bottom and sides of a souffle dish with butter and then sprinkle the buttered surfaces very lightly with flour. Preheat the oven to hot.

In a double boiler, over boiling water melt the butter and to this add the flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Tabasco. Mix well and gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Into this slowly add the cheese, stirring regularly until well melted and the mixture is uniform. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks until light and gradually pour these into the cheese sauce. (Note: To this point the souffle may be prepared several hours in advance if the surface is dabbed with butter, covered and refrigerated).

Clean a bowl thoroughly, making sure it is neither greasy nor damp. In this bowl beat the egg whites (by hand or with an electric mixer but not with a food processor) until they are stiff. If the cheese mixture has been prepared in advance reheat it to the point where it is hot to the touch and then fold it into the egg whites. Pour the mixture into the souffle dish and place in an oven that has been preheated to 200 degrees Celsius Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 190 degrees and bake until the souffle has risen 5 - 8 centimeters over the rim of the mold and is nicely browned on top.

Note: Because souffles begin to sink as they cool, they should be served as soon as possible. A well cooked souffle will remain puffy for about 5 minutes in the oven, but be sure to turn the oven heat off.

(Serves 6)

 

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp. each butter and sugar
1 kilo canned cherries, drained, with the juices reserved
3/4 cup rum
juice of 3 or 4 lemons
2 cups sour cream

Place the butter and sugar in a heavy skillet and place over a low flame. As the butter starts to melt add the cherries and continue to heat for 2 - 3 minutes longer, stirring regularly.

Pour the rum over the cherries, let warm and then carefully flame. When the flame dies down, pour in the juice of the cherries and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and add the sour cream. Just as the mixture returns to the boiling point remove from the flame. Serve hot in champagne or wine glasses. Excellent with champagne.

Serves 6-8.

 

400 grams margarine or unsalted butter
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking flour
5-7 cups flour-simply add 5 cups and the remainder
Add gradually until the dough is soft and not sticky

Sift flour; mix all the dry ingredients together (if you like, you can add up to five cups of flour at first, and then add additional flour slowly as necessary) (if you want, you can add the seeds to the five cups of flour and then add more flour gradually as necessary) cut the butter into small pieces. Mix everything together to get a fine smooth dough. Make cookies. (Bake the cookies)

It is advisable to add a mixture of seeds-like granular Sunflower, flax, caraway seeds, anise, whole sesame seeds, sesame seeds white, black, or possibly poppy seeds.

It's possible coconut, or only sesame.

If you are adding to it many seeds, like in the crisp Moroccan cookies recipe -One must reduce the quantity of the flour.

And take account the stripe that is usually on the cookie does not become like a smooth pastry cookie without garnishment.

 

The abundance of fresh fruit in Israel, ripe from the fields and orchards, makes fruit salads a natural choice. After a good meal, nothing is more refreshing than this cool dessert.

3 oranges
2 apples
lemon juice
nuts
1 tbs. sugar
2 fresh peaches
grapes, melon, pears, or 1 can fruit cocktail

Cut the apples and oranges into small pieces. Add lemon juice and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients a short time before serving.

 

Although many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients and dishes have become part of the repertoire of chefs throughout Europe and North America, the only dish invented in Israel to attain international acclaim has been this one. Originally devised by Tsachi and Linda Buchester, the dish was widely copied locally, and many Tel Aviv and Jerusalem chefs even began to believe that they and not the Buchesters had invented it. So it seems to be in America, France and Belgium today, where the dish now appears as the "unique invention" of the chefs in many highly prestigious restaurants.

1 cup (225 ml.) sweet cream
6 Tbsp. sugar
6 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. Amaretto liqueur
150 gr. halvah, broken into small pieces

In a bowl whip the sweet cream until it forms stiff peaks. In a small saucepan mix the sugar with 6 Tbsp. of water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

In the top of a double boiler, over but not in boiling water, place the syrup and add the egg yolks and Amaretto. Mix with a hand mixer without stopping until the mixture is thick in texture and lighter in color and begins to form a foam on the surface. Remove from the heat, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the halvah. Mix at a high speed without stopping for 15 minutes and then fold in the whipped cream, mixing gently with a plastic spatula until the mixture is even throughout.

Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in the freezer for a minimum of 6-8 hours. Serve in thick slices as a dessert.

Serves 4-6.

 

The Crusaders were particularly amazed at the rich sweetmeats common in the East, whose preparation was based on the local sugar cane - a plant that was completely unknown in the colder climate of Europe. They were also very fond of halvah, made from sesame seeds. The modern recipe which follows would have undoubtedly delighted them.

Ingredients:
300 gm halvah
1/3 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
250 ml. whipping cream

Melt the sugar with 1/4 cup water in a small pan. Bring it to the boil and add the halvah. Cook until the halvah has completely dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the yolks and beat until the mixture turns whitish-yellow and foams up.

Place the bowl in a pan of boiling water, lower the heat to obtain a gentle boil, and continue to beat the mixture for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Whip the cream until stiff and fold it into the halvah mixture.

Transfer to a loaf pan or to individual bowls. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for at least 12 hours before serving.

Serve on a large plate with passion fruit or sabra fruit sauce, garnished with fruit, pistachio nuts, and mint leaves.

 

For adults and children alike, the food most often associated with Purim are the cookies known in Hebrew as osnei haman (literallly, Haman's Ears). Although these can be purchased in every bake shop in the land, there is great fun to making these marvelous cookies at home. I personally guarantee that the following recipes will delight everyone who samples them.

For the Dough:
21/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
21/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg, beaten lightly
3/4 cup milk
filling of choice (immediately following)

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well. Add the milk, melted butter and egg mix again. On a floured board knead well and then roll out to about 1/4 cm. thickness. Cut out rounds about 6 cm. in diameter.

On the center of each round place 1 heaping tsp. of the filling. Pinch the three sides of the round together to form a triangle and place individually formed cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius until the cookies are golden brown (25 - 30 minutes). (Yields about 30 cookies).

Date Filling:
4 cups chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dry or sweet red wine
1/4 cup butter
3 tsp. cinnamon

Place the dates, wine and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture is paste-like (about 8 - 10 minutes). Allow to cool 10 minutes and then stir in the cinnamon and nuts.

Prune Filling:
1 cup prunes, pitted
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup ground poppy seeds
21/2 tbs. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Soak the prunes in water to cover for about 3 hours. Drain and chop finely. Combine all the ingredients (except the vanilla) in a saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, over a low flame until the mixture thickens (about 20 minutes). Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then stir in the vanilla.

Raisin and Nut Filling:
11/4 cups seedless raisins
1 cup milk
1/2 cup each ground poppy seeds, chopped walnuts and sugar
3 tbs. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Soak the raisins in water to cover for 2 hours. Drain and chop finely. Combine all of the ingredients, except the vanilla, in a saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, over a low flame until the mixture thickens (about 20 minutes). Allow to cool for 15 - 20 minutes and then stir in the vanilla.

 

Honey cake is the traditional cake of the "Land of Milk and Honey." Honey cake is a must for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, since its sweetness symbolizes the wishes for a good year ahead.

3 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup nuts, walnuts, or almonds
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cups dark honey
1/2 cup brewed coffee

Optional

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. powdered cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger together (spices depend on your personal taste).

Beat eggs, gradually adding the sugar. Beat until thick and light in color. Beat in oil, honey and coffee; stir in flour mixture and nuts. Grease an 11x16x4 inch baking pan and line with aluminum foil. For 2 smaller cakes, use two 9 inch loaf pans. Turn the batter into the pan(s). Bake at 325 deg F (170 deg C) 1-1/4 hours for the large cake, 50 minutes for the 2 smaller ones, or until browned and cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack before removing from pan.

 

225 gr. very fine sugar
1/2 cup honey
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
225 gr. flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
225 gr. walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 eggs, separated, at room temperature

In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup of water and in this dissolve half the sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the honey, lemon juice and half of the cinnamon and simmer, stirring for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the flame and let cool for 1/2 hour.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, half the nuts and the remaining cinnamon.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and remaining sugar until light in color. To this mixture add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well. Beat in the walnut mixture.

In yet another bowl, beat the egg whites stiff and gently fold these into the nut and flour mixture. Transfer to a well-greased baking tin about 8" (20 cm) square, sprinkle the top with the remaining nuts and bake in a medium oven until a wooden toothpick placed in the center comes out clean (about 50 minutes). Remove the cake from the oven and cut into square or diamond portions in the baking tin. Pour the cooled syrup over and let stand, covered, overnight. Serve at room temperature.

Serves four to six.

 

100 gr. (6 oz.) very fine sugar
1 1/4 cups sweet white wine
5 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
pinch of ground cinnamon
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks

In a heavy skillet, slowly heat the sugar in 2 tsp. of water, stirring regularly, until the sugar has melted and turned into a caramel syrup. Immediately pour the syrup into a cake tin, tilting so that the entire bottom of the tin is coated. Let cool.

Heat the wine and honey in a saucepan, stirring until the honey dissolves. Add the cinnamon and lemon rind, stirring well. Remove from the flame and let cool 5-6 minutes.

Beat together the egg yolks and whole eggs in a mixing bowl. Add these to the honey-wine mixture, beating until well blended, and pour into the cake tin. Place the tin in a large pot of water (be sure that the water is not higher than 1 cm. (1/2 ") from the lip of the tin) and bake in a medium oven until the mixture is set (about 45 minutes). Let cool for 15-20 minutes and then refrigerate.

Just before serving, run a thin knife blade around the edges to loosen the sides and invert onto a chilled serving dish.

Serves 6-8.

 

In Israel, all young men and women are required to enlist for military service at the age of 18. The soldiers, who manage to get home only once every several weeks, enjoy getting parcels with sweet things from home; and mothers are very efficient in keeping them well-supplied with cakes. Derived from central Europe, the popular kichlach are to be found in many of the packages destined for young soldiers. No adequate substitute has so far been found for the homemade product. The word kichlach is Yiddish for cookies.

3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs. sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbs. poppy seeds (optional)

Beat eggs until light, then beat in oil, sugar, flour and salt. Beat until very smooth. Stir in poppy seeds, if you desire. Drop by the teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each (they spread and puff while baking). Bake at 325 deg F (170 deg C) for 15 minutes or until browned on the edges. Makes approximately 36 cookies.

 

2 tablespoons beer yeast
1 kilogram flour
4 cups warm water

Mix all the ingredients together and let them rise for 2 hours. Kneed dough again, and let the dough rest. Make into balls, with a hole in the middle (like a doughnut shape) and fry in a deep pot of boiling oil.

 

Date cookies with nuts and almonds

Dough ingredients:

200 grams margarine
4 cups of flour
1 package baking powder
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water

Filling ingredients:

2 teaspoons vanilla
1 package dates (like a paste)
100 grams chopped walnuts
100 grams chopped almonds

Put all the dough ingredients together and make a dough. Put the dough aside for 20 minutes. Mix all the ingredients of the filling. Take a piece of the dough, flatten it, fill it with teaspoon of filling, and make a ball. The balls should be put on a baking pan that is covered with baking paper and put in medium oven for 20 minutes.

Cookies are ready when the bottom turns golden. When the cookies are cooled, spread with powdered sugar and store in a sealed box.

 

1 cup sugar
4 slices lemon
4 sticks cinnamon
8 pears, peeled but not cored, with stem intact
1 1/2 cups dry red wine

In a saucepan, combine the sugar with 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil, add the lemon slices, cinnamon and pears, reduce the heat, cover, let simmer for 10 minutes and then add the wine.

Remove the pears, bring the liquids to a light boil and let the sauce thicken to a syrup-like consistency. Return the pears to the syrup and let stand, covered, at room temperature overnight. To serve, core the pears, cut in slices and arrange in overlapping rows on dessert plates. Spoon over some of the syrup. Serves 8.

 

1 cup rose petal jam
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups pineapple, shredded
1 Tbsp. rose water
crystallized rose petals for garnish (optional)

Note: Rose petal jam, crystallized rose petals and rose water may be purchased in most health food and natural food shops.

In a small saucepan, gently heat the jam and then strain well. Dilute with 3 cups of water and add the lemon juice and pineapple. Heat through and then remove from the flame and let cool for 20 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to chilled ice trays. Cover with foil and place in the freezer until the mixture is thick. Stir well and refreeze. Stir once more when the mixture is thickened but before frozen through. Let freeze solid. Remove from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with crystallized rose petals.

Note: This recipe will serve 8-12. The unused portions may be kept in the freezer nearly indefinitely.

 

On Fridays, you can smell the distinct aroma of rugelach on every street corner in Israel. People anxious to buy them for the weekend will line up at their neighborhood bakery to get them hot out of the oven. Unfortunately, due to their small size, there never seems to be enough of these delicious pastries to go around.

Dough

5 cups flour
2 sticks margarine
2 oz. fresh yeast
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs (beaten)
2 cups milk or water

Filling

jam
mixture of 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa

Mix yeast with 1 tsp. sugar and 1/2 cup of lukewarm milk (or water), until yeast starts bubbling. Mix in rest of ingredients and knead until dough doesn't stick to pan. Cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Roll dough into a flat sheet. Spread jam on dough and spread sugar, cocoa mixture on top. Cut into triangles and roll starting from the base of the triangle. On a cookie sheet, bake at medium heat (375 deg F, 190 deg C) until golden (25-35 minutes). Makes approximately 40.

 

pie crust for one 9" (23 cm) covered pie
300 gr. sorrel leaves, with stems removed, chopped
(if sorrel is unavailable, substitute 450 gr. spinach)
100 gr. each sultanas and seedless raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
sweet cream, as required*

Roll out the pastry dough and fill a 9" (23 cm) pie tin with the larger portion. Chill well.

Combine the sorrel with the sultanas, raisins, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Fill the chilled pie crust with this mixture. Cover the pie with the remaining pastry, pinching the crusts together. Brush the top with the egg mixture, pierce the crust twice with a fork and bake in a hot oven until the top is well browned (about 25 minutes). Serve hot with light cream or well chilled with heavy cream.

Serves 4-6.

* Note: If serving the pie with a meat-based meal, substitute parve cream for the sweet cream.

 

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 kg. brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. each ginger and cinnamon, both ground
3 eggs, lightly beaten
6 firm pears, peeled, halved, cored and sliced thinly
whipped cream for serving

Beat the butter until creamy and then beat in 2/3 of the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Combine the flour with half of the cinnamon and all but a pinch of the ginger. Sprinkle these over the butter, add the eggs and beat together well.

Transfer the mixture to a 9" (23 cm.) flan mold and smooth over the top. Place in a preheated medium oven and bake until the mixture is firm and has pulled back from the sides. Turn onto a wire rack and allow to come to room temperature.

Put the remaining sugar into a saucepan with 4 1/2 Tbsp. cold water, and heat over a low flame, stirring until the sugar is completely absorbed. Add the pears and remaining spices. Heat until the mixture begins to simmer, cover and cook very gently until the pears are tender and nearly translucent (about 10-15 minutes). Uncover, increase the flame and cook until the liquids are reduced to a glaze. Turn the pears out onto a lightly dampened plate and let cool completely.

Decorate the cooled flan with the pears and serve with generous amounts of whipped cream.

Serves 6.

 

This is the traditional cake of Israel-and it is exceedingly popular. It has no Hebrew name but is called by the European designation, tort. This cake appears in many shades and shapes and is covered in a variety of ways. A typical method involves cutting the cake horizontally in two and covering it with fresh strawberries (for which Israel is famous), jelly and whipped cream.

6 egg yolks
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Beat egg yolks; gradually add sugar, beating until thick and light in color. Stir in lemon juice and rind.

Beat egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Pile on top of the egg yolk mixture. Sift flour mixed with baking powder over egg whites and fold in carefully. Turn into a 10 inch tube pan.

Bake at 325 deg F (170 deg C) for 50 minutes or until browned and free from sides of pan. Invert and let cool.

 

375 gr. dates, pitted
1 cup each peeled, ground almonds and sugar
about 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg white

Mix the ground almonds, sugar and egg white together. Put this mixture in a skillet and cook over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes sticky. Add 1 tsp. water and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the flame and let cool for several minutes. With this mixture stuff the dates and roll in confectioners' sugar. Serve while the filling is hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

 

The Middle East is the true home of the fig, which is one of the seven species mentioned in the Torah. The fig was regarded as the fruit of desire. Anyone who has held a fig, looked at its beautiful exterior, opened it and studied its wonderful juicy interior, smelled its sweet heavy scent, and bitten into it will understand why. The taste of a fig is the taste of summer in the mountains of Jerusalem.

Figs may be served in an attractive bowl with ice cubes. A wonderful way of enjoying figs is to score them with two cuts in an X-shape, open them, and sprinkle with a few drops of arak or fresh lemon juice. Fresh figs are marvelous served chilled, accompanied by sheep or goat's cheese, such as Bulgarian cheese.

Peeled figs can be served with vanilla cream or zabaglione, plum sauce, or stuffed with almonds, ground pistachios, or fresh pomegranate seeds. In Moroccan cuisine, figs are stuffed with ground meat.

1 kg fresh figs, green or purple; they should not be bruised or too soft
850 gm sugar
3/4 cup water
Juice of half a lemon

Place the figs in a bowl of water. Rinse them carefully - do not do this under running water - and put them on a towel to dry.

Pierce each fig a few times with a fork.

Place the sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Drop the figs into the pan one at a time and boil for 3-4 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer gently.

Cook for about two hours. After one hour, add the lemon juice.

Transfer the hot figs and syrup to clean jars and close immediately.

The jars may be pasteurized and kept for more than six months. In order to do this, cover the jars with towels and boil in a large pan of water for 20 minutes.

 

Because of conventional meal times in Israel (main meal between 12:00 and 2:00 pm; supper at 7:00 pm), many Israelis have coffee or tea with cake between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. It is not considered proper in Israel to offer someone coffee or tea without cake. This is one of the most popular cakes in Israel.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 tsp. salt
confectioner's sugar

Cream shortening and beat in sugar. Add one yolk at a time, beating after each addition. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and add to batter, alternating with milk. Beat in vanilla. Grease a 10 inch loaf pan and dust lightly with flour. Pour in batter. Bake at 350 deg F (180 deg C) for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

 

8 eggs, separated
1 cup extra-fine sugar
1/2 cup Marsala or Madeira wine

Mix together the egg yolks and sugar and beat until very light. Place this mixture in the top of a double boiler over but not in boiling water. Take care that the bottom of the pot with the ingredients does not come in contact with the water. With a wire whisk beat until the custard is foamy and then add, gradually, while continuing to beat, the wine. Continue to beat until the custard has doubled in volume and begins to thicken. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold these into the custard. Serve in sherbet or wine glasses while still warm.

(Serves 4 - 6)

Because of conventional meal times in Israel (main meal between 12:00 and 2:00 pm; supper at 7:00 pm), many Israelis have coffee or tea with cake between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. It is not considered proper in Israel to offer someone coffee or tea without cake. This is one of the most popular cakes in Israel.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 tsp. salt
confectioner's sugar

Cream shortening and beat in sugar. Add one yolk at a time, beating after each addition. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and add to batter, alternating with milk. Beat in vanilla. Grease a 10 inch loaf pan and dust lightly with flour. Pour in batter. Bake at 350 deg F (180 deg C) for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Apple Mixture:
3 apples, preferably green or pink lady, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch cloves

Cake Batter:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground espresso coffee

Coconut Ganache Glaze:
1 cup room temperature coconut cream, mixed well
200 grams (7 ounces) dark chocolate
1 tablespoon honey

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine chopped apples with brown sugar and spices. Mix well and set aside.
3. Line a 10-inch tube pan with baking paper.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and water.
5. Sift in dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
6. Fold in apple mixture, and pour into pan.
7. Bake 55-60 minutes.
8. For ganache: Heat coconut cream in the microwave for one minute. Break chocolate up into squares and let sit in the hot cream. Stir until fully dissolved. Add honey for a shiny finish.
9. Flip cake out of the pan when it is cool enough to touch.
10. Let cool completely and drizzle with the coconut ganache.

*The coconut flavor isn’t detectable here and is used for parve reasons. You can also swap out the coconut cream for regular whipping cream.

 

Place 1 cup of butter, cut into cubes, into the mixer
Add 1 cup of sugar and start creaming
Add ¾ cup raw tahini paste, 1 tablespoon vanilla, a few drops of almond extract
Gradually add 3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, a pinch of baking powder
Fold in 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Scoop into tablespoon sized balls and roll in ½ cup of sesame seeds
Bake on a lined cookie sheet for 12 minutes at 350°F / 180°C

 

Makes approximately 33 small donuts

560g (4.5 cups) flour
1 tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoons salt
70g (1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons) sugar
50g (1/4 cup) butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Up to one cup of milk

Directions for making dough:

1. Mix flour with yeast, salt and sugar, mixing after each addition.
2. Add softened butter in chunks, and work into the flour mixture with your fingers.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, and work into the mixture.
4. Add most of the milk, but not all, and mix into a workable dough.
5. Turn out onto your work surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
6. Form a ball, place in the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 1 ½-2 hours.

Directions with ready dough:

1. Flour surface, roll out dough to 1 cm thick.
2. Cut circles with a cookie cutter.
3. Set on tray to rise for 20 minutes.
4. Heat oil on a low flame until it reaches 165-170 degrees C (330-335 degrees F).
5. Fry in batches of 4-5, cooking 2-2.5 minutes on each side.
6. Take out of oil and let cool in a large bowl lined with paper towels.
7. Fill with jam (blend or whisk jam before putting in the squeeze jar), and garnish with powdered sugar. Squeeze a drop of jam on top for garnish.

Melt 2 cups dark chocolate chips and 1 cup butter in a double boiler or microwave.
Remove from heat, mix in zest of 1 large orange or 2 small ones.
Add in 1½ cups light brown sugar.
Separate 5 eggs. Mix the egg yolks into the chocolate.
Using a mixer, whisk the whites to stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the chocolate mix.
Pour half the mixture into an 8-inch springform pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-35 minutes until the top has set.
Take out of the oven, then add the rest of the mixture (stir it before if it’s thickened).
Continue baking for a further 30-35 minutes until the top has set.
Cool in the pan completely before serving.