The Cinco de Mayo Blog: Mexican Chocolate Sauce

It is Cinco de Mayo weekend and time for a fiesta!  For me, Cinco started last week when I was on two morning news shows promoting Mrs. Wages salsa, guacamole, and queso dip. What fun!

See the clips here:

This one is my favorite! Tim Ezell and April were a hoot!

http://fox2now.com/2013/05/02/easy-salsa-guacamole/

Elliot politely refused my sombrero but it didn’t stop me from having a blast!

http://fox2now.com/2013/05/03/three-amigos-of-cinco-de-mayo-snacks/

For my own Cinco celebration at home with friends, I wanted to do something special after the tortilla chip crumbs were brushed away—so, for dessert, I served  Ibarra Mexican Chocolate Sauce over vanilla bean ice cream!

Ibarraaaaaah!

Ten years ago I went with my husband to a conference in San Diego. We stayed at a hotel that overlooked the bay and had a view of Coronado Island.

At the time, my boys were little, 2 and 5, and my girl was not yet on the horizon. It was the first time I was getting on a plane to go somewhere without my kids. It was just two years after 9/11 and getting on a plane was still a little anxiety provoking, to say the least.

The third Lord of the Rings movie had just come out in theaters, and I was almost done reading Return of the King, rushing to finish before seeing it in the theater, which we planned to do on New Year’s Eve on our trip.

We lived in a small town at the time, Winona, Minnesota, and the New Yorker in me was desperate to go to a city, any city, and eat great food and be around hoards of people. So off we went.

It was an icy December, and getting on a tiny propeller plane from La Crosse, Wisconsin, to the Twin Cities was no comfort as it shook and shivered to get off of the ground. I watched the blinding whiteness of snowy Minnesota disappear as we headed to what I hoped was a lush, green California.

When we got to San Diego we were told they were having the coldest winter in recent history. I pulled my coat tightly around me and braced myself for the chilly California weather and an exciting week without my two loves I had left far behind at home.

Return of the King weighed heavily on my mind—I fretted as I read.  Frodo had risked everything to travel far and away and save Middle Earth. Surely I could make it through the week without going to pieces over missing my boys. Frodo and I, we were in this together.

On December 31 we took the bright red trolley to Old Town. A couple of stops further and we would have been in Tijuana. I wouldn’t have dared to travel over any borders with my kids so far behind, so Old Town was as far as we went.

We spent a very enjoyable day browsing ceramic lizards and other hand painted pottery in the Mexican art galleries. We ate delicious Mexican food and drank wide and wobbly glassfulls of margaritas rimmed in salt with clinking cubes of ice. We sat outside under a chilly sky with brightly colored restaurant décor and lively music playing all around us.

That night we would ring in the New Year by sitting through a late showing of Return of the King, too excited to do anything else. But first we would shop at a the Mexican stores—our Minnesota house was too tiny for more art, but the grocery store was pure delight. One of the things I purchased that day was a large box of Ibarra chocolate with plans to make hot cocoa as soon as we returned home from our trip. It was something I could share with my boys from our trip that would warm us up together from the harsh Minnesota cold.

Ibarra

I kept the bag of Ibarra on my lap during the movie that night, and clutched it tightly as I watched Frodo destroy the ring and restore balance to his world. We would go home the next day.

Home was filled with hugs and kisses and joy and cups of hot Mexican cocoa.

All of these years later I rediscovered the yellow box of Ibarra, 5 more paper-wrapped discs waiting patiently to be transformed into more cocoa. But instead I made something much, much better: Mexican Chocolate Sauce.

Ibarra disc

On our table I put out the sombreros from my TV cooking demo from earlier in the day. I hung the paper Mexican flags from our window and made bowls of queso, salsa, and guacamole. We had our Cinco de Mayo dinner with friends, and for dessert, little white bowls of vanilla ice cream topped with warm Ibarra chocolate sauce: the flavor rich and spicy; the texture enhanced by the slight sugary crunch and the subtle hint of cinnamon; the chocolate flavor deepened by a splash of Kahlua and silky cream.

Ooooo

We were transported to magical places…

Ibarra Mexican Chocolate Sauce

• 5 large disks or a scant pound of Ibarra chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua

1. Place the chocolate and the cream in a microwave safe glass bowl. Microwave it for 1 minute, stir, and microwave it for another minute. Continue to heat in 20 second increments, stirring each time until the cream is very warm and the chocolate begins to melt. Let stand for a few minutes and stir until smooth.
2. Let cool to room temp and serve over vanilla ice cream.

Yum!

Almond Macaroon Cookies, Two Ways

Chocolate Almond Macaroon Cookies

Chocolate Almond Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 cup ground almonds (I use Trader Joe’s Almond Meal but you can grind your own using blanched almonds)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix together the almonds and the sugar, then mix in the egg whites.  Next, gradually add the cooled chocolate, stirring until mixture is smooth.
3. Make twelve 1-inch balls of batter and place them on the baking sheet. Or you can use a medium cookie scoop and drop them onto the baking sheet if you prefer.  Flatten them slightly, so they have a smooth round shape.
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove macaroons from the oven and cool on a rack. When completely cool gently peel them from the parchment paper and enjoy!

Simple Almond Macaroon Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ground almonds (Trader Joe’s Almond Meal works great or you can grind your own using blanched almonds)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the almonds with the sugar and extract.
3. Add the egg white and and work the mixture very well holds together in a stiff paste.
4. Make twelve 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and flatten them slightly, or you can use a medium cookie scoop and drop the batter onto the parchment paper.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until very lightly colored.  They will be soft, but they will harden as they cool.  Leave on tray until firm before removing from parchment paper.

Ground almonds and sugar

add egg whites and vanilla

mix into a paste

roll into balls

flatten

bake

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart with Almond Macaroon Crust

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart with Almond Macaroon Crust

 

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart

 

For the crust:

• 2 cups almond meal ( I get it at Trader Joe’s but you can grind your own)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg white

 

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Generously butter a 9-inch tart pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the almond meal, sugar, vanilla, and egg white.
3. Spoon it into the prepared pan and gently press it into the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on a rack. While crust is cooling, make the caramel.

Butter the tart pan

Mix the almonds, egg white, and vanilla

Into the pan

Press it into the pan

Baked and cooled

 

 

For the caramel:

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

 

To make the caramel:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the sugar on medium-high heat. Stir constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula until the sugar melts. Caution: melted sugar is very hot! Once you have started to melt the sugar do not stick your finger in or lick the spoon to taste—you will get burned!
2. Heat the sugar until it turns a golden caramel color. If you have an insta-read or candy thermometer it will be ready at 350F. If you don’t have one, just go by the color. But be careful—the caramel will go past that point very quickly and burn fast. Remove it from the heat as soon as it turns to caramel—it will continue to cook even after removed from the heat.
3. Add the butter and whisk until butter is fully incorporated. The caramel may bubble up as you to do this.
4. Add the cream and whisk until the caramel becomes smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and whisk again.
5. Let cool slightly and pour into the macaroon crust to completely coat the bottom. Now you are ready to make the chocolate glaze.

I’m melting

Melting

still melting

caramel!

Butter

add cream then whisk until smooth

Pour into crust

 

 

For the chocolate:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top

 

 

To make the chocolate glaze:

1. Put all chocolate glaze ingredients into a bowl and microwave for one minute. Let stand for a minute or two and then stir until smooth.
2. Pour the chocolate glaze over the caramel filling and lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let chill in the fridge until firm about two hours.

In the bowl

into the microwave

stir

pour

a sprinkle of salt

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart

 

 

Lemon Tart with Coconut Macaroon Crust

This one speaks for itself:

Lemon Tart for Passover

Lemon Tart with Coconut Macaroon Crust

For the crust:

• 3 ½ cups sweetened coconut
• 3 large egg whites
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large lemons, juiced (1/2 cup) and zested

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter a 9-inch tart pan. In a medium bowl mix together the coconut, egg whites, and vanilla extract. Lightly press mixture against the bottom and sides of the tart pan to form the walls of the crust.
2. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack while you make the filling. Lower oven temp to 325°F.

To make the filling:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour the filling into the cooled shell and bake until just set 15-20 minutes. Set on a rack to cool, then refrigerate until chilled.

Mix the coconut, egg whites, vanilla

Butter the pan

Into the prepared pan

Form the crust and bake

While the crust cools make the filling–egg yolks

Sweetened condensed milk

Add vanilla

and lemon zest

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

Whisk it together

Crust is ready to be filled

Bake it

All set

Glistening gorgeousness

Chill it

Lemon Tart for Passover

The Real Deal Matzah Ball Soup

“Of soup and love, the first is best.” ~Old Spanish proverb

I have to confess, I don’t have a family recipe for chicken soup. Nothing has been handed down from generation to generation. No one carried a recipe over to Ellis Island sown into the lining of their coat.

Not my actual family

There wasn’t a magic formula with my name on it either. Until now.

Matzah ball soup with the works

I did have my grandma Esther’s knedelaich recipe, in her handwriting too! But one day I was reading the recipe and measuring the matzah meal from the box, and noticed that her recipe was THE SAME EXACT ONE AS ON THE BOX!!! Well, either she was a trendsetter, or she got it from there as well. So much for my family recipe!

Grandma’s recipe on the back

There are many different permutations for matzah balls, light and fluffy, egg white only, ginger and almond, baking soda and seltzer. Well my friends, you could use ol’reliable on the side of the box of matzah meal, or you can use this recipe for matzah balls seasoned with Herbes de Provence which I make for special occasions. If you aren’t keen on something so adventurous (it is pretty subtle, really), then just leave out the herbs and you will have a light yolk-free matzah ball.

Herbs de Provence

As a child, I would do anything for soup. It didn’t matter if it had noodles or rice or kneidelach (Yiddish for matzah balls). I would eat it from a package or pot or can.

My childhood comfort food

Almost everyone in my family made soup, and thanks to some sort of wonderful mutant food related super-power, I can remember the taste of them all.

I come from a long line of cooks that cook by eye, throwing in this or that, although all had a signature style.

My dad would overload his with root vegetables and fresh dill, while my mom showed restraint–except when it came to green peppers.  My grandmother Esther’s was simple and straightforward, just like her. My aunt Becca would add spoonfuls of turmeric to turn her soup golden.  I loved them all, the people and the soup. Their style said a lot about them, and I think about them every time I make my own soup.

I’ve been making chicken soup ever since college, when I would occasionally put aside the ramen noodle.

College staple

I don’t think, in the years since, that I’ve made two soups that were the same. Sure they all had similarities—it is soup of course—but they varied greatly. I’ve ranged from following in the footsteps of my parents to spanning the world to my exotic aunt’s golden soup, and I even have tried a few vegetarian versions. Most were good, some even great, all dependent on the quality of the chicken and the veggies.

Kosher chicken is the best for soup

I vary the recipe slightly depending on what in the fridge needs to go. Sometimes I will save up leek greens, or parsley stems, or celery leaves. I vary the ingredients slightly in amount—more carrots and parsnips for a sweeter soup, russet potatoes or yams for a heartier one.

Sometimes at the end I will snip fresh dill and sprinkle it on, especially in the spring (my Dad would approve).

Dill-icious!

But good news, folks—I’ve finally found myself. And this is the soup I will pass down to my grandchildren.  More or less.

Aura’s Chicken Soup

• 12-16 cups water (note: less if it is just for my family, more if company is coming)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt now, plus more later
• 4 to 6 chicken thighs and legs (quarters), preferably Kosher, with skin and bones (see note above)
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 6 green onions or 1 large leek, washed well and chopped
• 4 to 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (on the diagonal is pretty), preferably organic
  

  Carrots cut on the bias

• 1 or 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks (to add a little umami)
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
• 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup tiny noodles (alphabet, stelline, orzo, or for Passover Manischewitz KFP noodles, cooked separately
  

  With alphabet noodles

• Double batch of yolk-free matzah balls (recipe follows)
• Fresh dill, optional, but not to my dad
• More kosher salt, up to 1 tablespoon, to taste depending on size of soup

1. Fill a large soup pot with the water. Put in the chicken and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes without stirring. After 20 minutes, skim off any foam that rises to the top.
2. Add all of the other veggies: onion, green onions or leek, carrots, turnip, sweet potato, celery, tomato, parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and turn down heat to medium-low and simmer. Cook uncovered for 1 ½ hours, until the soup has reduced a bit and become more concentrated.
3. Taste and add more kosher salt.
4. If you like clear soup (we do on holidays or for company), then let soup cool a bit and strain the soup through a large fine mesh colander into another large pot or bowl. If you like carrots or chicken in the soup, then pick those out of the colander and add them back to the soup. In my house we eat it chunky-style with everything in the bowl (except for the chicken skin and bones).
5. At this point you can refrigerate it (it will keep for a few days, just bring it back to a simmer for 5 minutes before serving. You can also freeze it.
6. And as for that bay leaf, in my house, whoever gets it in their bowl has good luck. But who needs luck when you have someone to make you soup.

Herbes de Provence Mini-Matzah Balls

• ¼ cup canola oil
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 ½ teaspoons Herbes de Provence (sold in the spice aisle)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup cold water
• 1 ½ cups matzah meal

1. In a medium-sized bowl, using a fork, mix together the oil and egg whites.   Then add the herbs de Provence, salt and pepper, and mix well. Stir in the water, and then the matzah meal, mixing well. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface of the mixture, and let chill in the fridge for an hour or more.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add a tablespoon of salt. Wet your hands and a small spoon, and make balls of the mixture about 2 inches in diameter. Roll them until they are smooth and then drop them gently into the boiling water. Repeat until all of the batter is used up.
3. Cover with the lid partially vented and simmer for 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer the matzah balls to a pot of your favorite chicken soup or store in the fridge, covered for up to 2 days. Makes about 30 mini-matzah balls or 6 servings. Feel free to double the recipe or even double the size of the matzah ball.

Matzah balls cooking

Keen on Quinoa

Before quinoa became popular, my mother had it in her pantry when I was growing up. Back in the ‘70’s, it was hippie dippy health food and had a picture of a Native American on the box to show how natural it was. I am sure my mother made it once, and it was either tolerated at one weeknight dinner, or rejected entirely, and then left for dead on the shelf, in memory of mom’s attempt to try something new.

But now it has made a re-appearance in grocery stores, and healthful minded people are turning to it for a low-carb, gluten-free substitute for other grains. Understanding what it is and how to cook it can keep its popularity stats up at your dinner table.

First thing you should know is that it is not a grain, although it looks a lot like couscous.

Uncooked quinoa

My husband thinks it looks a lot like bird seed and jokes that we are sharing dinner with our pet parakeet.

Bird seed

Our parakeet, Happy Love

 

Quinoa is related to beets and spinach and is high in protein and iron. It is the seed of its plant, and, if you look closely at it after it is cooked, has a lot of personality—it is curly, just like me!

Curly when cooked!

It is also accepted as kosher for Passover—just think, it is the only kosher food that has a curly tail!

Curly close-up

During Passover I leave a big bowl of it in the fridge, and it will save me from sobbing into my matzah on day 3 of the holiday because I can’t go one more day without my beloved couscous, rice, or pasta (carboholic in the house, yo).

I recommend the Ancient Harvest brand, which is pre-rinsed to remove the bitter coating on each grain of quinoa, which is called saponin.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa

Other brands, such as Trader Joe’s still have the coating, and personally I will do anything to save a step, even one as simple as this. If you do buy a brand that you need to rinse, then do so with a fine mesh colander or you will wind up washing a heck of a lot of it down the drain.

I recommend cooking it in broth, not water, no matter how the instructions on the box insist either way will be fine. The broth will give it some flavor, and anything this healthy needs every bit of flavor on its side to make sure it will always have a place at your dinner table.

Cook it in an uncovered pot for about 15-18 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and there are some “holes” in the top of the quinoa.

Broth and quinoa

Cook uncovered

 

Done

See the holes

 

Many recipes will tell you to put the cover on the pot, but I find that then you will have to drain it, and you already know how I feel about saving a step. Since you are not cooking rice, you do not need the cover.

Once it is cooked you will notice that it has changed a little bit—it will now have the cutest little curlicue shape to it. And when you taste it, it will not be mush, but will have a bit of bite to it and a pleasant texture.

Let it stand for about 5 more minutes off of the heat, then, using a fork, gently fluff it out onto a large platter or wide serving bowl, and let it cool a bit. At this point you can add in any mix-ins to help it along and win over your family.

Mix-ins

Chopped and ready to go

Pretty

Mixed

Add feta and eat!

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad and other ideas

• 1 cup quinoa (I recommend the Ancient Harvest brand so you can skip step 1)
• 2 cups broth
• 15 pitted Kalamata olives
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil
• ½ red bell pepper
  

  Israeli Feta

• 2 green onions
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled (I love the Israeli feta from Trader Joe’s)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place quinoa in a mesh colander and rinse to remove bitterness (see note above).
2. Place the quinoa and the broth into a pot, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. If there is any liquid remaining, drain in the colander and let quinoa cool to room temp.
3. Chop olives, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, red pepper, green onions, and feta cheese. Mix into the quinoa and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Qunioa Mix-in Ideas:

• Sautéed chopped onion, sliced grilled chicken, chopped fresh spinach, squeeze of lemon and drizzled of olive oil
• Diced cooked asparagus, goat cheese, quartered cherry tomatoes, fresh chopped thyme
• Sliced green onions, dried cherries, apricots or dates, chopped pistachios, almonds, or cashews, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Thinly sliced red onion, crumbled feta, diced cucumbers, and halved grape tomatoes, chopped fresh mint
• Eat any of these quinoa salads as is or in a lettuce wrap.
• Stuff any of the quinoa salads into a hollowed out Roma tomato, portabella mushroom, zucchini, or eggplant, and baked in the oven at 350° F until the veggies are tender.

Slow & Low Kale Chips

“Slow and low that is the tempo.” ~ Beastie Boys

By gollly, I’ve done it! After many misleading tips on the interent (who woulda thunk!), I have finally cracked the kale chip code.

It is not like roasting other vegetables. It is its own thing entirely.

More like meringues (well, only sort of), it is a drying out process of properly spaced items on a baking sheet.

To make a lot, two bunches of kale, about 8 ounces each will do it. My local grocery store has curly kale for 99 cents per pound. It also carries organic dino kale, which I love, for $5.98 per pound! It doesn’t seem fair, but it is what it is. I went with the more affordable option for today.

Remove the kale from the stem and rip it into little bite sized pieces. Wash it well, and spin it in your salad spinner to remove excess water.

Wash

Into the salad spinner

Spin dry

Lay it on clean kitchen towels or paper towels to air dry completely.

Air dry

You can store the washed and dried kale in Ziploc bags in the fridge for a few days. Or, if you are ready to cook ‘em, then do so now.

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line 2 half sheet sized baking trays with foil. Place the kale on the trays. Drizzle each tray with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with course sea salt. You don’t need much, just a little to give the chips some flavor and offset some of the pleasant bitterness of the kale. Toss with clean hands and then make sure the kale pieces are scattered about on the tray in a single layer with space between them.

Place the kale on the tray

Two trays full

Add oil, salt, toss, and spread

Bake them, one tray at a time (I have a double oven so can do two at once) for a total of 30 minutes, stirring halfway.

Let cool on tray for a few minutes and pour them into a serving bowl.

Cooling

Taste for salt and devour!

Start snacking!

Any leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge and snacked upon as necessary. If you need to crisp them up you can just put them back in a low oven for a few minutes.

Slow & Low Kale Chips

• 2 bunches kale, any kind, about 8 ounces each
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Course sea salt

1. Remove the stems and discard. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry very well, leaving out to air dry on kitchen towels or paper towels if you must.
2. Preheat oven to 275°F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Divide the kale between them and drizzle each batch with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with a little of the sea salt.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway. Let cool for a few minutes on baking sheet and then taste for salt and serve.
   

   Slow & Low Kale Chips

You’re Doing it Wrong: Hard-Boiled Eggs

I like to help (queue theme from Superman). And I’m here to save you.

I’m guessing that 9 out of 10 of you have never had a properly hard -boiled egg. I know this is true because until recently, neither had I.

I thought I had, but then as I was watching Food Network, I noticed that Nigella’s eggs did not look like mine. Her yolks were gloriously golden. Mine were yellow. And I thought that was what they were supposed to be.

Wrong.

With Passover and Easter right around the corner, now is the time to set things straight this Spring, as they are officially the “hard-boiled holidays.”

If you find yourself choking down chalky green-tinged egg yolks and rubbery whites, or cursing out loud in front of the kids as you struggle to peel a hard-boiled egg and gouge out chunks of it as you go, or you are just unsure of when your eggs are done, then keep reading folks!

The first thing you need to know is that if you want the shell to peel off your eggs easily, then you need to plan ahead. Since Passover is just 2 weeks away (from the time of this blog post), buy your eggs now. Yes, right now. Actually, last week or the week before would have been better, but it will be ok. With most things, fresh is best, but in this case, slightly older is better. Two to three weeks is ideal—it gives the egg time to let air seep into the hermetically sealed shell. Then when you hard boil it there will be some separation between the shell/connective membrane and the delicate white of the egg.

When you are ready to cook your eggs, get out a large pot, big enough to put the eggs into it, cover them with cold water, plus one extra inch of water.

Eggs in the pan + water

Bring to a boil

 

Bring the uncovered eggs and water to a boil for exactly one minute.

Boiling!

One minute

 

Then clamp the cover on and remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit for ten minutes if you like your white to be delicate and your yolk to be buttery and golden and tender. Twelve minutes if you want it a little more done. But that is it!

Ten minutes later

Now quick–remove the eggs from the hot water and plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. And by ice bath, I simply mean a bowl filled with ice and water.

If you are out of ice, then then even very cold water will do—the important thing is to stop the cooking process.

Next, tap each egg so the shell forms a crack and lets some of the ice water in. When the hot egg and the cold water meet, the white and shell will make some space for one another.

As soon as the eggs are cool enough to handle, crack them lightly all over on the counter top, gently roll them under your hand, and carefully peel them, under running water if you’d like. They should just slip out of their shell as easily as you would slip out of your winter coat on a temperate Spring day.

Tap, tap

Crack and roll

 

If you have any difficulty, find a spot on the egg, the top or the bottom where the shell is a little “looser” and begin to peel it there. Find your way under the connective membrane that holds the shell together and peel it from there, in big pieces if you can. And holding it under a little running water sometimes helps to ease things along as well.

Delicate white revealed

Voila!

 

 

Peeled hard-boiled eggs will keep for about 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.

Gloriously golden

Perfection

 

Gloriously Golden Hard-boiled Eggs

• Eggs, 3 weeks old, give or take
• Water

1. Place desired amount of eggs in a pot and cover with water by one inch.
2. Bring to a boil on the stove top, uncovered.
3. Let the eggs boil for exactly one minute and then clamp the cover onto the pot and immediately remove from heat.
4. Let sit for 10-12 minutes.
5. Plunge the eggs into an ice bath and give each a little tap to make a small crack.
6. When cool enough to handle, crack the eggs all over, and then roll, using the palm of your hand.
7. Gently peel the shell off and eat warm or cold sprinkled with salt.

Whoop! Here it is–The Whoopie Pie Blog

If you haven’t noticed, I have a lot of opinions about food. My opinion about Whoopie Pie is, that it is good. But these, my friends, are great!

Whoopie pie!

These can be made hamburger-sized, bun and all, but you can make them smaller if you are into mini things. Part of their charm, if you ask me, is the size, and are not necessarily meant to be delicate. But do as you will.

I say make them big and eat one for lunch.

Lunch is served

The soft, moist, fluffy chocolate cake will stick to your fingers, reminiscent of the cream filled snack cake in little plastic packages from your childhood, but fresh and homemade.

Chocolatey good

The cream is somehow very un-marshmallow-like and more the stuff that dreams are made of, if one were to dream about cream-filled dessert.

I do…

Dreamy

They are just about foolproof, so go ahead and mis-measure a little, sift or not, substitute here and there–it is entirely up to you.

The only few things I will insist upon, is that you must use vegetable shortening & butter when specified to get the proper texture of cake and cream; and it is the Marshamallow  Fluff  brand I recommend since both the brand and the dessert are classics.

This is the shtuff

So experience a little high, and get it on with these Whoopie Pies.

Classic Whoopie Pies

For the chocolate cake:

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of wax paper.
3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (yes, you can just use a hand-held mixer instead), beat together the butter, shortening, and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.
4. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk mixture to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and the rest of the milk and beat until completely combined.
5. Using a cookie scoop (sm, med, or lg), drop batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart (1 Tablespoon for 2” cakes, 2 T for 3”, and 3 T for 4”).
6. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 48 two-inch cakes which will make 24 Whoopie Pies, or 36 three-inch cakes which will make 18 W.P.’s., or like I did, 24 four-inch cakes for 12 hamburger sized W.P.’s!

For the marshmallow filling:

• 1 ½ cups Marshmallow Fluff
• 1 ¼ cups vegetable shortening
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing the medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla, and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

To assemble:

1. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon put a large dollop in the center of half of the cookies. Top with another cookie and gently press down to help the cream spread. Eat right away or store between sheets of wax paper in a sealed container large enough to fit the Whoopie Pies.

Flour

Cocoa

The sifter

Adding cocoa to the flour

Ready to sift

Sifting in progress

Done sifting

Ready to cream butter and sugar

Creaming

Vanilla

An egg

Mixin’ it up

Add egg and vanilla

Add half the milk

Add half the flour mixture

Batter mixing

Almost done

Scrape down the sides

Beautiful batter

Get the scoop

Drop it

Ready to bake

All lined up

Transformed

Chocolatey good

All fluf

Whip it

Add vanilla

Dreamy

A scoop

Filling in place

Beginning to look like dessert

Yum

Lookin’ good

mmm…

The topper

Whoopie pie!

A small army of dessert

Heavenly

Whoopie!

Yum

Lunch is served

Happiness

On Top of Spaghetti Squash

Winter squashes have it hard.

No really, they do. But only on the outside.

I know some folks choose to struggle to saw through the shell with their sharpest kitchen knife or workshop tool.Others flirt with the produce man at the grocery to get him to slice one. While still others, may microwave the squash for a few minutes to be able to cut through the tough exterior.

But I have  a better way. And in this case, it is to cook spaghetti squash:

In the mood for pasta? Of course you are! I am too, but I am trying to make sure I eat healthfully since New Year’s is just a few paces behind us and I can still see it glaring at me and my resolutions when I glance over my shoulder.

So spaghetti squash will stand in for noodles, this strange pale-yellow orb, uncanny in its ability to almost trick the eater with its ribbon like strands and its talent for holding on to butter and parm even better than actual spaghetti.

It has an added benefit of having a high amount of beta carotene which will be better absorbed by your body if you have a little fat to help it along. No,by fat I mean the butter you will put on the squash, silly, I was not implying that you, my beloved reader has any fat at all.

OK, I’ve rambled on long enough– here is my trick for easy spaghetti squash cookery:

Take a long narrow sharp pointy knife and make 5 deep slits all around the squash, making sure that your knife plunges down to the center of the squash. Cue theme from Psycho now.

If you have trouble getting the knife back out, envision yourself as a young King Arthur pulling Excalibur from the stone. Awesome, you are now king of the realm.

If you don’t pierce the squash down to the center, it will explode in the microwave and crack in half like an egg. I know this because some of my friends have told me it is so (Right, V. P. & E.P.?). Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Put it on a plate and put it in the microwave for 20 minutes.

Take it out and let it cool until you can handle it without burning your hands.

Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and discard them.

Then using a fork, scrape out the strands of squash that look eerily like spaghetti and place them in a bowl.

Toss with a couple of tablespoons butter, a couple of pinches of kosher salt, and a few spoonfuls of grated parm.

You are almost fooled! And no power tools required!

Microwaved Spaghetti Squash with Butter and Parm

• 1 spaghetti squash
• Butter, a tablespoon or two
• Grated parmesan cheese, a few spoonfuls, to taste
• Kosher salt, a few good pinches, to taste

1. Pierce the squash with a long narrow knife 5 times around, making sure to plunge the knife deep into the middle.
2. Place on a dish to catch any escaping juices
3. Cook in the microwave for 20 minutes and then let cool for about 15
4. Cut in half, discard  the seeds, scrape out the strands of squash into a bowl using a fork.
5. Top with butter, parm and salt.
6. Eat!

Bombshell Blondies

We all know blondies have more fun and I’m here to prove it to you.

Now, I like a good brownie now and again, but I will tell you there is not too much variation when the point is chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.

But blondies on the other hand are like a blank canvas, waiting for the artist to color it in.

And usually folks fall on one side of the camp or the other, and I am on Team Blondie all the way.

I am not a chocoholic as many people proclaim to be.

Carboholic, yes (see All Hail Kale), but chocolate, not so much, and prefer it as more of an accent to something else rather than the main attraction.

I’ve been asked what the difference is between these and a “pan cookie” and I can tell you that this isn’t any old drop cookie recipe shoved into an 8 x 8 pan. Instead, it is a carefully thought out combination of ingredients, each having its own special job, but together create a taste explosion.

The texture, chewy and dense, will satisfy the most hardcore brownie lover (you are a tough bunch, btw).

The sugar and butter caramelize and people will ask what your secret ingredient is, and even try to guess (butterscotch, caramel, toffee). But no, alas, it is just the transformation of seemingly everyday things that creates this illusion.

And as for the kosher salt, well, this in fact is key here. It gives the blondies balance so they do not come off cloyingly sweet or garish in their dessert-ness, and instead create a depth that brings out all of the other flavors, especially enhancing the bit of chocolate that goes in.

These are buxom blondies, that eat like a meal with their hearty, toothsome, cakey texture, the meatiness of the nuts, the ever-pleasant burst of chocolate in every bite. They sit in all their glory on their plate waiting for someone to fall game to their voluptuous appeal, laden with deliciousness.

This is dessert after all and it doesn’t play fair.

But alas, life is not always fair, and blondies really do have more fun. Feel free switch it up and add raspberries and coconut, or chopped peanut butter cups, or nothing at all.

But this is how I like it and I am a fun gal, after all.

Me being fun

 

Bombshell Blondies

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into the measuring cup and then leveled

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt, slightly rounded

1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (okay, make it heaping if you must)

¾ cups chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square baking pan. Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 sides; then butter the parchment (the butter here will help form a crisp exterior).

2. In a large bowl, melt the 2 stick of butter and let cool for a few minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4. Into the large bowl with melted and slightly cooled butter, whisk in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.  Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined (do not overmix). Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans.

4. Spoon the batter in the prepared pan and even out the top. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 minutes for a 9 x 9 pan, and 45 minutes for an 8 x 8. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack.  Holding the paper overhang, lift out the blondies. Cut into 16 squares (or cut them again to make 32 slices or triangles).

We are all fun over here at my house!

Perfect Potato Pancakes: A Latke Tutorial

Now come on, don’t be shy, raise your hand if you have never attempted to make your own latkes. That’s better.  It feels good to share, doesn’t it.

 
Or more likely, you have made latkes, and year after year you wonder why they are not turning out crispy outside and melt in your mouth creamy inside. And why, oh why, don’t they taste like Grandma’s???

 
Don’t worry, help is here!

 
I have a foolproof latke recipe for you, and it is low-fat!  Okay… I am totally lying about the low-fat part.

 
You can read this blog, or you can watch me make them live on TV here, or both:

 
Aura Makes Latkes on KMOV’s Great Day St. Louis

 
Tis the season to make latkes, so either way, get out your food processor, your frying pan, and let’s go!

 
Latke 101

 
The goods:

 
Potatoes. You can make these with any kind of potato and any kind of vegetable, really. Cooks are always throwing in everything from zucchini and carrots to sweet potatoes and curry. But for traditional latkes, I recommend using Russet potatoes because of their high starch content.

 
Onions. You can’t make a good latke without a good onion. Use a 2 potato to 1 onion ratio here folks.

 
Eggs. Keep it together folks. I know the onions made you cry, but in this case I mean the latke. It will help hold it together.

 
Salt. Yes, mmm… good. You can’t make a decent latke without the proper amount of salt. Besides, the right amount will help the water drain from the potatoes and onions. I’m a fan of kosher salt.

 
Flour vs. Matzo Meal vs. Potato Starch. Ok, sit down for this one: I don’t add any flour or matzo meal to my batter. I find it makes the batter gummy and heavy and you will still have liquid in the bottom of the bowl as the potatoes and onions will continually give off water. Instead, I use the potato starch that naturally comes out of the potatoes in my bowl (instructions and photos follow). And the liquid, well, you just keep mixing it back in. If you find you absolutely must add flour and can’t accept the concept of a flour-less potato pancake, then go ahead and add a little, you have my blessing. But don’t keep adding when you see liquid in the bowl, just mix it back in.

 
And oil. This is the most important part here. You want to use peanut oil. It is the best. Its high smoke point allows you to get through the whole batch of lakes without setting off the smoke alarm. You can also use canola or vegetable oil, but it won’t have the same results. Peanut will give you the crispiest texture. See below for more on oil.

 
Helpful tips:

 
Skin the potatoes. But someone I know leaves them on and boy does that save a lot of work, not to mention keep some extra nutrients in. But I haven’t tried it myself, so for now I say skin ‘em.

 
Use a food processor. I know plenty of people swear by hand-grating. But the people I know who usually do this, well, the latkes are the only thing they will cook all year so they have energy to spare. You grandmother grated by hand. She suffered so you don’t have to.

 
You can double or triple this recipe. But if you do I recommend crushing a vitamin C tablet and adding it to your mixture to keep the batter from turning brown.

 
Make sure your oil is hot, hot, hot, like the Buster Poindexter song. You can put in a wooden chopstick as the oil heats, and when bubbles form around it and are moving rapidly you will know your oil is ready. Pretty cool, huh? And I def don’t advise throwing droplets of water into your oil to see if it spatters–it will, and you will have a mess and could possibly get burned.

 
Flip once, not twice, unless you want to give you latke a bath in the oil. Yuck.

 
Don’t press down with the spatula. You want it to have a little body, not be an oily potato chip. And the expression “flat as a pancake,” well don’t press down on those either.

 
Feel free to make these ahead and freeze. They are extra crispy when reheated. Try 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes per side.

 

 

Need more help? Ask me!

 

 

Aura’s Traditional Potato Latkes

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup peanut oil

1. Using the grating disc of your food processor, grate the potatoes and the onion.

2. Remove the shredded potatoes and onions and put them into a mesh colander sitting over a large bowl.

3. Change the blade of the food processor to the chopping blade. Put most, but not all of the shredded potatoes and onions into the work bowl of the food processor and pulse until you have a smoother texture.

4. Put the mixture back into the colander over the bowl and press down to help the potatoes release their liquid.

5. Remove the colander from the bowl and you will see the liquid from the potatoes with the white starch settled at the bottom. Pour off the water being careful to save the potato starch.

6. Put the potato-onion mixture into the bowl with the potato starch, add the egg, salt and pepper, and mix well.

7. Pour the oil into a large frying pan and heat to medium high. Place a wooden chopstick into the oil and when bubbles form around it you know the oil is the right temperature for frying.

8. Carefully drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Let the latkes cook for about 3 minutes until golden and then carefully flip and cook on the other side.

9. Remove them from the pan and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining batter.

10. Serve with applesauce or sour cream.  Makes 18 latkes.

Aura is interviewed about Chanukah Traditions and cooking in the Ladue News

Lazy Day Noodle Soup

Baby, its cold outside and winter lethargy has set in. You need something hot and you need it right now.

OK, well in reality, it is December and freakishly warm where I live. And although it has been 70 degrees for the last few days, my body knows it is soup season.

This will never replace your mom’s chicken soup recipe, which of course is the best. But it is better than anything canned, packaged, or processed. It is simple and honest and easy and fast. And you probably already have everything in the house.

I am a big fan of slaving away over a hot stove any day of the week. I love wielding knives, mixing, measuring, mashing, stirring, kneading, etc. But this is not that recipe.

All you do is throw a few things in a bowl, stick it in the microwave, and walk away. Of course you can go back and sit on the couch, or in front of the fireplace, the TV, the wall, or whatever you like to stare at. When your work is done, you will be rewarded with a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup.

 

Quick Chicken Noodle

 

• 1 medium carrot, sliced thin
• 1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed up a little
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes and 4 1/2 cups water (or you can use 4 cups broth and ½ cup water)
• 1 generous cup fine egg noodles, slightly broken up

 

1.  In a large microwave-safe bowl, place all of the ingredients.

2. Cover and cook the soup in the microwave for 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

3.  Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and serve with crackers, if desired.

 

 

 

Cloud Cookies, aka Chocolate Chip Meringues

It is just after Thanksgiving and probably best to take it a little easy when it comes to eating dessert.  If your family served nine kinds of pie—This. Means. You.

I don’t mean anyone should skip dessert entirely—I would never suggest anything as radical as that—but here is an opportunity to eat something a little lighter.

I wouldn’t call this healthy or good for you, but honestly, it is not too bad, as far as desserts go.

These are easy to make, so if you just spent days cleaning and cooking for T-Day, then this is surely the way to go. And you probably have all of the ingredients in your house already, since there are only four. But note: don’t make these on a rainy or humid day—ironically these Cloud Cookies won’t turn out.

It starts off simply–first you take three large eggs and leave them at room temp for about an hour or so. If you don’t have time to spare, then take your three eggs and put them in a bowl of hot tap water for 5 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 275° F and line a large baking sheet or two with parchment paper and set aside.

Next, you crack the eggs, and separate the white from the yolk using any one of the following methods:

1. Pour the yolk from shell-half to shell-half, letting the white drip down into a bowl.

2. Crack the egg into a bowl and carefully reach in and take the yolk out with your hand.

3. Buy a fancy-schmancy egg separator from a high-end food store and let gravity do the work.

Put your room temperature egg whites and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.  And yes, you can use a hand-held mixer if that is what you have.  Let the eggs whip for a few minutes on high until billowy peaks form. Add half of the sugar and beat some more.

Add the rest of the sugar, so as not to deflate your whipped whites, and continue to whip until glossy firm peaks form.

At this point their shiny white ethereal beauty will tempt you to stick a finger in to taste, as they will resemble the most gorgeous bowl of whipped cream, but I’d advise against this as salmonella is an ever-looming threat of un-cooked eggs.

Resist, and then finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

 

Dreamy

For the next step you could pipe them prettily onto your baking sheet, but I say, just grab two spoons and go for it.

 

A spoonful…

Take a small spoonful and use the second spoon to push it off to make little dollops in rows leaving a little space between each. Don’t worry about making them perfect—they are much more fun to eat when they have a little bit of personality.

 

Little spoonfuls

Bake time will be an hour total, but don’t think of this as baking per se, but instead think of it as a drying out process that will give the cookies their magical crispiness. Place them in the oven for 30 minutes at 275°F. And then lower the temp to 250°F for the final 30 minutes.

 

Little clouds

Remove the cloud-like meringues from the oven and let them cool on a rack, although admittedly, I never can wait and always burn my tongue a bit. When you sink your teeth into these and experience the sugary sweet shattering of the meringue’s exterior and are rewarded with a little burst of chocolate in each bite, you will be pleased.

Yum!

Warning: be sure to eat over a plate as sugary shards will fly:

Once bitten

 

Cloud Cookies or Chocolate Chip Meringues

• 3 egg whites, at room temp
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cups sugar
• ¾ cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 275°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer with a pinch of salt. Whip until they go from clear to white and frothy and keep mixing, stopping to check when soft peaks form.
3. Add half of the sugar and continue to whip until firm peaks form.
4. Add the rest of the sugar and whip until glossy.
5. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Using two spoons place dollops of the mixture onto the parchment paper in rows.
7. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Then lower the oven temp to 250° and let bake for another 30 minutes.
8. Remove trays from the oven to a rack and let cool.

3…

2…

1…

All gone.

 

 

 

 

Sriracha Challah

Yep, in fact I am doing a little dance right now.  The Sri-ra-cha-cha!

 
We had always seen the bottle in stores, at restaurants, at friend’s houses, but somehow, never thought to try Sriracha Sauce. I am not sure how we overlooked it, but the important thing is that we have it now..

 

And we will always be together.

 
I’d heard mention of “rooster sauce” but never before had we heard anyone openly gush about it, until we professed our new found love on Facebook—since then, friends have been coming out of the woodwork to tell us how much they love it too!

 
Now, we have had hot chili sauces before, many kinds, many times. In fact I would go as far as to say that my father-in-law is a connoisseur of hot sauce and he has probably never missed an opportunity to try a new kind, no matter the hotness—it doesn’t scare him.

 
Well, I have to confess, that I guess I was a little intimidated by the fiery red color, the thick viscous texture, and the size of the bottle–Tabasco is tiny in comparison!  The rooster looked a little suspicious to me, as if to warn me: danger, danger ahead, danger of ruining your already spicy food with more spice.

 

Maybe size does matter…

But I am a gal who can admit a mistake. And I was wrong.

Oh, Sriracha, how I misunderstood you!

 
Now my whole family is addicted to it, with no end of things to try it on! As a dip for fresh spring rolls, on chicken quesadillas, in vegetable soups, and now baked into bread. Instead of having a meal and thinking we can add Sriracha to it, we have been planning our meals around what we can put the sauce on.

 
Our world revolves around Sriracha. Here is our new philosophy:

 

My husband, is in a rock band called The Mack Daddyz.  He is very particular about the T-shirts he will wear at a performance and bought a Sriracha shirt to proudly display his new obsession. He is rockin’ that T, let me tell you, and he has as many fans compliment the shirt as they do his guitar shredding, 80’s rock style of course!

 

So, as a cook, and a creative-type at that, I think like this: how many things can I do with this that maybe no one has thought of before! And the carb-a-holic in me, well, my mind goes straight to bread.

 
And what a bread it was!

 
Soft, fluffy, warm, orange, like a summer sunset, flavorful, reminiscent of Thai chilies, deep, and complex, and then, the slow pleasant burn begins. It will leave you wondering: is it bread, or is it a miracle?

 
And now I bring you….drumroll please…my recipe for Sriracha Challah!!!

 

 

Sriracha (Bread Machine) Challah

 

• 2 cups bread flour (King Arthur is the best!)
• 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour (Ditto)
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoon active-dry yeast
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup Sriracha Sauce
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, set aside

1. Place all ingredients into your bread machine in the order that your manufacturer specifies. Set to dough cycle and press start. For the first five minutes or so, stand there with a rubber spatula helping to incorporate the ingredients. If it is too dry, add a little more warm water. If it is too wet and sticky, add a little more flour. Stop when the dough is nice and smooth, not too sticky and no longer clunking around hitting the sides, then shut the door and walk away.

2. When the dough is finished rising in the bread machine it will be a little smaller than regular challah dough, but no worries, just let it sit in the machine another 15 minutes or so, until it almost fills the pan. Remove the dough from the bread machine and transfer it to a lightly floured board.

3. Fold it over a few times, pat it into a rectangle and flour it lightly. Using a scissors, a sharp knife, or a bench knife, cut it into 6 even pieces. Braid 3 strands together, tucking the ends underneath. Then repeat with the other 3 strands. It is okay of the strands aren’t smooth ropes–it will all work out perfectly after the next rise, so braid away.

4. Using a baking stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the loaves onto the parchment paper and then lightly brush the tops of the challot with the egg wash.

5. This part is a little different but it really works! Preheat oven to 170 degrees F for exactly one minute to warm it, and then shut the oven off immediately. Place the baking tray into the middle of the oven and shut the door. Let it rise for about 40 minutes and DONT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!

6. After the 4o minutes, turn the oven back on to 350 F and set the timer for 30 minutes. The challah will continue to rise a little more and then bake into the golden-orange beauties you see in the photos. Check them after the 30 minutes (you may open the oven door now) and if you like them a little more golden, continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a rack. Eat now or later, or freeze for another time. Enjoy!

My son loves this bread with all of his “heart!”