Kosher Baking A-Z

With all of the packaged Passover cakes and cookies sitting in the grocery store aisles weeks before the holiday starts it is no surprise that many a store-bought Passover cake tastes more like the cardboard it is packaged in than like a delicious dessert.  Sure, they are convenient, but as someone who strongly believes that dessert is not worth eating unless it is truly delicious, to me they are just not an option. Instead I use Pesach as the perfect opportunity to make homemade desserts that would be welcome on the table anytime of year. It isn’t enough for them to be “good for Pesach”. They have to be good period. The key is using quality ingredients and finding appropriate substitutions for ingredients like flour that can’t be used on Pesach.

Some of the most common ingredients in Passover cooking are nuts. It is truly amazing how many pounds of nuts we go through on Passover, between the charoset, mock chopped liver and all the desserts. Finely ground nuts make up the base for all kinds of flourless cakes and nut butters are a quick and easy way to whip up a batch of last minute cookies. (Like these Almond Butter and Jelly ones)  This Honey Nut Tart brings the nuts out of the background and puts them center stage. It has the texture of a pecan pie but instead of just pecans the filling is made up of walnuts and pecans suspended in an orange scented honey custard. It is a delicious combination that is sure to have people coming back for “just one more sliver”.

With all the heavy food on Passover it is sometimes nice to have a lighter dessert. This Lemon Mouse is light and refreshing. Made up of a butter-less lemon curd lightened only with egg whites the pure lemon flavor really shines through. It is delicious served chilled but is also tasty served frozen. It would be a great dessert to serve after the seder along with an assortment of cookies and Pesach candy.

With the many varieties of candy available for Passover it might seem silly to take the time to make homemade candy, but there is nothing like some homemade Raspberry Truffles to round out a cookie platter. These truffles use raspberry puree as the base and pack an intense punch of chocolate and raspberry flavor. Be sure to use good quality chocolate, the kind sold for eating rather than baking, because the flavor of the chocolate is what makes these truffles stand out.

Whether making treats for a few friends or for a huge crowd these delicious homemade desserts make Passover a time where we can truly celebrate just how sweet freedom really can be.

For more of Shoshana’s Passover desserts check out Delicious Passover Desserts.

I used to be terrified of baking for Passover, it’s tough! A dessert that is “good enough for Passover” is just not good enough for me. I pride myself on serving up delicious desserts at all times, no exceptions, no excuses and baking without flour makes baking very difficult. I used to just take off from baking over Passover, but last year I decided to take the challenge on. I am currently on a mission to develop at least one delicious dessert every Passover. I am excited to share my recipe for chocolate chip cookies with you!

As I was browsing the Passover baking aisle in the grocery store I came across vanilla pudding mix. I have a recipe for regular chocolate chip cookies that calls for a package of vanilla pudding mix. It makes the cookies soft and chewy. I went home with the pudding mix and put this recipe together. I substituted matzah cake meal for the flour and mixed up a batch of dough. The cookie dough looked perfect, just like regular cookie dough, so I put the cookies in the oven and crossed my fingers. They came out of the oven looking great! Looks can be deceiving though, how did they taste? Delicious! If I hadn’t baked these with my own two hands, I would not have believed they are Kosher for Passover!

These cookies are so great for Passover because they are non-dairy and can be served at any time of the day. They also do not contain nuts like most Passover desserts. Every Seder (traditional Passover meal) should end with these cookies. If you are only baking one dessert this year, make it these cookies. Skip the cake mixes; you won’t be disappointed!

Passover Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Passover!

Purim is the one time of year when we go to synagogue and do all the things we would never do any other time. And we encourage our children to do them too. By that I mean: we laugh and talk loud and generally misbehave. There we are, at services and we’re yelling, cavorting and making a racket! Our kids grog their groggers, make loud hissing sounds and stamp their feet whenever Haman’s name is mentioned, so they can wipe out the evil name. Don’t we all just love it too!

Really, it’s okay, all this acting out. According to the Megillah, we’re actually commanded to right? This is the way it’s supposed to be on a day when we celebrate a victory over an enemy who tried to destroy our people.

We eat well too. If we’re lucky, someone has made old-fashioned kreplach. But of course there’s always Hamantashen, those fabulous cakey-cookies fashioned to resemble Haman’s tri-cornered hat. Hamantashen may now be readily available all year long but they taste especially good on Purim as we remember our sweet victory.

In the midst of all the merriment though we should stop for a moment to think about one of the other, more serious and significant lessons in the story of Queen Esther, and that is the importance of our continuing relationships with our family, friends and all who make up our community. It is always a mitzvah to give food to those in need. But it has become especially fitting on Purim to perform the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot, to reach out to those whom we care about by offering gifts of food.

Purim food gifts shouldn’t be a matter of one-upsmanship with anyone. You don’t have to spend a lot of money buying stuff that’s elaborate, fancy or expensive. In fact, a homemade morsel of something delicious may be just the right thing to show you care. Homemade candy or scones or salsa or chutney or pie or cake. Anything really. Maybe Lemon-Blueberry Muffins or Banana-Cranberry Streusel Muffins. Or both!

With Purim right around the corner there is a lot of excitement in our house right now.  My son asks me every day “how much longer until purim”? One of the fun things about Purim is that it is an opportunity to get dressed up and act with a kind of irreverence that most of us don’t have in our everyday lives. On Purim things are not always quite what they seem, and that is a wonderful thing. In that vein this candy sushi is the perfect treat for a Purim party or to send in misloach manot. It looks like sushi but tastes like candy. While it is not an elegant treat by any stretch of the imagination it never fails to bring a smile to people’s faces. The kids absolutely love them! They would be adorable packed in bento boxes for mishloach manot, maybe with a small bottle of sake and some nice chopsticks.

 Candy Sushi

For a more elegant Purim treat these meringues are a wonderful addition to any Persian banquet. With the flavors of rose water, saffron, and pistachio the meringues highlight the Persian elements of the Purim story. Since the obligation for mishloach manot is to send foods that require two different blessings these meringues are a great item to include along with the hamentashen.

Pistachio Meringues

I have to admit I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to hamentashen.  While hamentashen are like a blank canvas of flavor possibilities, without fail the poppy seed ones are the first to go in my house. That is not to say that a variety of flavors are not appreciated. But I have learned that at least half of the total hamentashen I make for family need to be poppy seed. Of course that doesn’t stop me from experimenting with new hamentashen flavors. I generally make one new interesting flavor each year so that there will be a good balance of interesting and traditional. Over the years I have made all kinds of varieties, from Cranberry White Chocolate to chocolate peanut butter and they have all been delicious, but this year I wanted to try something new. These Pecan Pie Hamantashen taste just like pecan pie in a bit sized cookie. I made one recipe and so many disappeared as “taste tests” I had to make another to put in our mishloach manot.  (To make these hamentashen gluten-free use this recipe for the dough. Omit the orange zest, use water in place of the orange juice and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Whether you make Purim treats that are elegant, fun, or just plain delicious they are sure to bring a smile to the face or everyone who shares them. And for me that is the best part of celebrating Purim.

Purim is my absolute, hands down, favorite holiday!  I don’t only love it because it happens to be my birthday (I was born on Shushan Purim), but for other reasons as well.  Getting dressed up in costume is super fun; who doesn’t love to play pretend from time to time!  I also love coming up with fun themes for my shalach manot.  I don’t go overboard, I keep them simple- Pesach is approaching, after all, and who needs so much candy in the house.  Now for my favorite part which should be obvious since I am a pastry chef…I love baking hamentaschen.

Hamentaschen are probably the perfect cookies in my humble opinion.  What is better than a sweet cookie filled with delicious jam?  When I was younger, my mom and I had to make so many batches of hamentaschen because my family and friends would gobble them up so quickly.  My mom tried to hide them so we wouldn’t have to keep baking them every night, but that never worked-someone always found them.

While I love the classic hamentasch, I kind of get bored of the same old thing.  I need to mix it up a little, turn a classic recipe on its head.  We used to experiment with different fillings a lot when I was younger.  We would try filling the hamentasch dough with chocolate chips, marshmallows, chocolate spread and other various creations that didn’t go so well.  We also used to try a peanut butter and jelly filling.  For some reason, the peanut butter didn’t really bake well.  It would dry out and become crumbly.  I thought to myself, what if I make a peanut butter dough and fill it with delicious fruit jams!  Peanut Butter and Jelly Hamentaschen!  This was my mini aha moment.  I was so proud of the idea.  The only problem was that I hadn’t seen it done anywhere which means there are no recipes available.  I was challenged with developing my own recipe and I am so happy with the results.  These are a great alternative to the classic and will appeal to the kid in everyone.  Chag sameach!

The way I see it, there are two kinds of pie in this world: Perfect pie and imperfect pie.

To make a perfect pie, you have to get all the steps and proportions and assembly just so. But if you make a galette, you can relax. This free-form pie is supposed to be rustic and homey — not bake-shop perfect. And don’t worry, it tastes just as good (if not better).

As I took my first bite of fresh apple galette, my husband called out with a “How is it?”

I was in buttery-dough, caramel-topped-apple heaven. But I managed to get one word out. “Awesome.”

“Really? Awesome?”

“Mmm-hmm. Nothing short of awesome.”

A brown-butter apple galette would make a decadent dessert for any nice milchig occasion. But if I was a kid home from school for Presidents Day Weekend, I’d think that was occasion enough.

There’s nothing more American than apple pie, and nothing better to bake with kids than a dish that isn’t supposed to look perfect. Put them together and you get a brown-butter apple galette with caramel glaze.

Sounds fancy, but it isn’t hard at all. I’ll show you.

Make the dough in your food processor, then roll it out and brush a tablespoon of brown butter over the surface. (To brown your butter, just let melted butter sit over the heat a bit longer than needed. Keep an eye on it to make sure you don’t end up with black butter!) Then start laying out your apple slices in a spoke pattern.

See? Already so pretty.

Now brown a bit more butter and brush it over the apples before folding the crust in towards the center.

Moisten the folds of dough by brushing on a bit of whole milk. Sprinkle the whole thing with a little sugar (vanilla or light brown are both great), and stick it in the oven.

Lookin’ good!

As it cools, make a quick caramel glaze and then drizzle your little heart out.

There you go.

The only thing that’s missing right now is…

Vanilla ice cream. Clearly.

Muuuuch better.

Click for the full Galette Recipe.

I recently had the chance to spend a day in the Brooklyn kitchen of Alan Broner, one of the partners of Jacks Gourmet sausages. Not only does he make delicious sausages he is also a master bread maker. (He also smokes a phenomenal salmon). He invited me to come over so I could learn some tricks of the trade and taste the results of our hard work.

Beef Bacon n Eggs

Before we got started on the breadmaking, I have to tell you that Alan cooked me breakfast. He is such a foodie that he is always trying out new recipes. He came up with a kosher beef “bacon”. I have to say, it looked like the real thing. Never having tasted real bacon, I can’t say that it tasted the same, but boy did it taste good fried up with a couple of eggs. Salty…. But oh so good.

Alan has an insert for his oven that helps in baking the bread evenly. It’s called a HearthKit oven insert and turns a regular oven into a hearth oven which helps those crusts be extra crispy.

No Knead Bread Dough

The day before I came, Alan had started the dough for the No Knead Bread  – it needs at least 24 hours rising time. This was a fun bread to make – you just mix all the ingredients together, let it rise, pop it into a warmed ceramic or Pyrex baking dish and bake. Such a deliciously fluffy bread – perfect with butter and strawberry jam.

No Knead Bread - Soft and Moist

Alan uses a breadmaker just to mix the dough – never to bake it. When I bake bread I tend to do it all by hand – but I do have to say having the breadmaker knead the dough is less labor intensive and does allow you to concentrate on other things.

We made a lovely dark whole wheat bread using coffee as the darkening agent. I learned that molasses can also be used for this purpose as can cocoa. The recipe for this bread is top secret – but I will have to say that I plan to nag Alan until he shares it. I brought the loaf home for the family and they devoured every crumb. Alan taught me how to use a razor (!) to get those stunning lines on the top of the bread. Simple yet so elegant.

Rye Bread

We also made a rye bread, which was my favorite by far. Alan explained to me how rye flour that you find in stores doesn’t give you that rye taste that you look for when eating rye bread. So he buys his online – and it’s a much deeper rye flavor. I learn that putting cornmeal under the dough helps it slide out of the pan very easily. A trick I have started using myself. What was so interesting when this bread came out of the oven, was when we put it on the cooling rack there was a low crackling noise – the crust starts to crack as the bread cools. The hard part with all the breads was waiting the 30 minutes until we could slice them. This rye loaf is perfect for your deli sandwiches – and once you make it yourself, you will never buy it from the store again. Nothing tastes as good as home baked bread.

Hamentaschen are in-arguably the dessert du jour for Purim, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no room for creative interpretation.  Iron out the corners, add a lollipop stick handle for grab-and-go fun, and you’d get these stunningly simple Pie Pops.  Between the tender crust and fruity center, what are they but miniature, triangular pies, after all?

Familiar fillings with small twists liven up the standard pastry, sure to satisfy the traditional and adventurous palate alike. Not to mention, the downsized format is perfect for portion control.  Right at home in a basket of mishloach manot, recipients both young and old alike can find flavors to enjoy.

Creamy Chocolate Mousse is a fool-proof pick for any crowd, possessing a richness and depth of flavor unexpected from such a simple preparation. As long as you don’t mention the secret ingredient (tofu!) no one would ever be the wiser.

Pecan pie, that sweet southern belle, meets with the decidedly northern delight of maple syrup.  Crunchy, nutty, nectarous and salty, this study in contrasts comes together harmoniously in each bite.

Finally, the last filling is not one to share with the kids, Poached Pear is a treat for the adults to fight over instead.  Tender pieces of ripe pear are gently simmered in and infused with cider and red wine before being stuffed inside those flaky pastry cases.   Family-style pies can only dream of being this elegant and fun all at once.

Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to be a baker. I always loved baking with my mother for Shabbos and Yom Tov. I remember helping my mom measure out the ingredients and mixing up the batter. The best part was always licking the bowl. I loved going with my mom to the local bakery to pick up fresh challah and desserts for Shabbos. I always got to pick a cookie from the case to eat right there in the store! When I got older, I got a job at a bakery and learned all the ins and outs of commercial baking and instantly fell deeper in love! In the bakery kitchen I feel like I am home. Well, home away from home, anyway. There is nothing more satisfying than perfectly measuring out ingredients, mixing up dough in just the right way, and baking up a perfect dessert every time. I love braiding hundreds of challahs, or piping out tray after tray of lace cookies. I know that this may sound crazy to some, but this is all truly relaxing to me.

When I worked at a bakery my main job was cake decorating. Whenever I finished my work early, I would help out my fellow bakers. My favorite thing to help out with was rolling up rugelach. I love the challenge of making each one look exactly like the last. When they are all rolled up, they look like cute little croissants.

Lemon Rugelach

My all-time, absolute, hands down favorite rugelach flavor is definitely vanilla. It needs to be made from yeast raised dough, though. Don’t give me any of those cookie rugelach or the ones made from flaky pastry dough. And nothing with nuts or raisins either. I love a classic sweet vanilla rugelach. Some people may think that vanilla is just a plain flavor, but to me vanilla is perfection. It’s like the little black dress of dessert flavors. It is perfect on its own, but pairs well with almost any other flavor. The secret to vanilla rugelach is filling the dough with a mixture of sugar and vanilla sugar. As soon as they come out of the oven, I brush them with a vanilla sugar syrup. Trust me, one taste and you will be hooked. Baking a batch of vanilla rugelach at home fills the whole house with the sweet smell of Shabbos. Too bad that most of the little fresh pastries don’t even make it until Friday night, they need to pass my family’s “quality control”.

Vanilla rugelach are pretty fantastic but I also enjoy putting a modern twist to a classic dessert. I have never heard of one before but I didn’t see why I couldn’t create a lemon rugelach. I tweaked my vanilla dough recipe and added fresh lemon zest and nutmeg. I let the dough rise, rolled it out into a circle and drizzled on freshly squeezed lemon juice. I then sprinkled on sugar that was mixed with lemon zest, nutmeg and ginger. I cut the dough (like a pizza pie) into 16 sections. Then I rolled up each triangle starting from the wide end. After the shaped rugelach are left to rest for 20 minutes, I baked them for 20 minutes. As soon as they came out of the oven, I brushed them with a sugar-lemon syrup and allowed them to cool. Once cool, I mixed up a quick confectioners sugar icing and drizzled that on top. I am so happy with the results! They are soft, gooey, sweet, fresh and tart. Bake these today!

Winter is officially here and with cold weather comes major cravings for my favorite seasonal comfort foods! Every year I look forward to creamy eggnog on the store shelves, fresh sufganiyot in the bakeries, gingerbread-house competitions on The Food Network, and sipping warm apple cider under a cozy blanket in my living room. In case you are like me and crave these seasonal traditions all year round, you can now have them whenever you like! Why wait for the cold weather blues to savor delicious eggnog and gingerbread when you can make it fresh and delicious all year round?! And even better than that, why not make it pareve so you can eat it after any meal!

Gingerbread Loaf

The sweet aroma of ginger, cinnamon and cloves filled my house while my first from-scratch Gingerbread Loaf baked in the oven. I’ve made the boxed variety before but nothing comes close to earthy and sweet homemade gingerbread! After preparing the thick gingery dough and adding hot water and smooth molasses, I added a few tablespoons of chopped crystallized ginger to add extra spiciness and texture to the densely moist cake. What came out of my oven was gingerbread — so intensely dark, chewy, heavy, and spicy in all the right ways! This is not your garden-variety gingerbread loaf and I have to warn you that it could easily be devoured in one sitting.

Non-Dairy Eggnog

Since my house was already filled with the scents and flavors of winter, it was clearly time to add creamy Homemade Non-Dairy Eggnog to the mix. I’m sure you’re thinking eggnog made with soy milk could never taste as good as the dairy variety, but this recipe will change your mind! In fact, I think this homemade version, with its thick creamy texture and spicy nutmeg flavor, tastes better than any eggnog I’ve tried in the past.

I stirred the eggs, sugar and soy milk continuously for around 45 minutes to create an egg custard, then mixed in vanilla extract and nutmeg to sweeten the mixture. After the mixture cooled and I was ready to serve the eggnog, I whipped up a small batch of whipped cream and folded it into the cold custard. The flavors of the eggnog developed into a sweet, creamy, and blissful reminder of the best parts of winter.

Gingerbread Eggnog Muffins

Since I could now have two of my favorite winter treats whenever I wanted, it was time to turn it up a notch. So instead of eating my homemade gingerbread loaf with a swig of non-dairy eggnog to wash it all down, I combined the two recipes and created Gingerbread Eggnog Bread Pudding Muffins to snack on at any time of the day. By using my basic bread pudding recipe for inspiration, I was able to create the ultimate winter wonderland on a plate. I soaked two loaves of spicy gingerbread in cold creamy eggnog, added flour, margarine, baking powder and spices and baked the mixture in a mini muffin cake pan until ready to eat.

All of this joyous baking means I no longer have to wait for the cold weather to come around in order to sit under a warm blanket in my living room, sip on my warm apple cider and snack on my favorite winter flavors. I can now eat my little gingerbread eggnog bread pudding muffins whenever I want!

I close my eyes and I can feel the warm sun kissing my face. Eyes open I can see the passersby strolling along in pairs or scurrying about pushing strollers and gathering up children to quickly reach a destination. Me I’m alone, sitting on the corner of a Parisian avenue; I can feel the bumpy cobblestones beneath my feet. The air sweeps by with the aroma of crusty bread and sweet butter. As I sip espresso the waiter presents a small dish with a bouncy piece of brioche à tête. I gladly take the offering and tear into it…heaven!  “Mommy”, my son says, “When is the challah ready?” I look around large windows, stacked bowls, and amass of toys scattered about.  I snap out of it I’m not in Paris at all but in my kitchen, the wafting scent coming from the oven has transported me into another one of my day dreams. Looking down into a pair of dark brown eyes I smile and reply “it’s not Challah, its Brioche”. “What’s Brioche?” He asks innocently.  Well…

Some consider Brioche a pastry instead of bread, its high fat content makes it much more desirable in texture and flavor. With a rich yellow color, it is sweet and slightly yeasty. In the mid 1600’s Nicolas de Bonnefons was selected by Louis XIV to write a cookbook for the more affluent populace who escaped the cities for a provincial life in the countryside. With their wealthier tastes for costly butter and eggs; an appetite for an alternative to the rustic loaves usually prepared by the local baker had arisen. Bonnefons offered up a recipe with fresh yeast cultivated from beer, fine white flour, and butter, eggs, milk and crème fraiche.

Sweet Potato Brioche

I have chosen to add Parve Margarine and Sweet Potato to the dough so as to modify the recipe without taking away from the lavishness of the crumb. In the winter months I start craving root vegetables, especially sweet potatoes which possess a silken, sugary interior; perfect for incorporating in pies or breads. The sweet potato gives the dough a luminously amber hue that doesn’t just bring allure and flavor to our recipe, but it is also rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin B₆.

A sponge is made by mixing the yeast with the first couple ingredients, letting it sit while the yeast activates and bubbles are formed.  This will create an acidic flavor and tender dough structure. Eggs, sugar, flour, and sweet potato are added and finally the margarine is incorporated last to give the dough a laminated finish reminiscent of croissant or danish dough.  The final product has a thick dark crust and delicate yellow crumb.

I kneel down and take my son by the hand. “What is brioche, why don’t we taste it and find out?”

Since the main focal point of the Thanksgiving meal is almost always a beautifully cooked turkey it is imperative that the rest of the dishes are parve in a kosher Thanksgiving feast. One year I decided I was missing out by not having an opportunity to try all the side dishes I was reading about in the glossy cooking magazines that called for things like Mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. To solve this problem we decided to make a dairy meal for the Shabbat after Thanksgiving made up almost entirely of assorted side dishes. Besides the fact that two huge heavy meals in a row was perhaps not the best idea we enjoyed having a chance to try all those dishes but in the end decided that there were plenty of delicious parve options and it wasn’t worth the trouble.

The big surprise of that experience was the pumpkin pie. The parve pumpkin pie I made (based on the recipe on the back of the Libby’s Pumpkin Puree) for the real Thanksgiving meal tasted identical to the dairy version I made the following night.  This pie is sure to please anyone looking for the classic Thanksgiving standard, and it is super quick to throw together which is an added bonus.

Quick Pumpkin Pie

In our family we don’t just make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. There has to be pecan pie too. This Pecan Pie is a parve adaptation of the pecan pie recipe from Cooks Illustrated Magazine. I make it every year even though it is more work than a standard pecan pie. Rather than just stirring everything for the filling together and then pouring it into the crust, the filling is cooked over the stove first. This deepens the flavors and makes the pie so much more delicious. This is especially important when there isn’t the automatic flavor boost of butter to rely on. Every year as I am standing over the stove stirring the filling I question if this step is really worth it, but one bite of the finished pie and I am sold on this recipe once again.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

While pie is traditional for Thanksgiving this Pumpkin Ice Cream is a nice change of pace. Easy to throw together, with all the flavor of pumpkin pie this ice cream is a nice compromise if you don’t want to make several different pies but want to make something for those who think Thanksgiving can’t be complete without something pumpkin. (Another great option is this Pumpkin Pot de Crème)

Whether at a Thanksgiving feast or as a delicious treat anytime these desserts are a wonderful way to celebrate the season. Especially if served with a scoop of Homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream.

Hi.  My name is Harmony and I’m a dairy addict. I dream about mounds of real dairy ice cream topped with fresh whipped cream, oozing milk chocolate. I cannot resist crispy butter cookies or a velvety custard. Yet I have often turned up my nose to many Parve desserts. ‘No, thank you. I’m full.’  A pastry chef who turns down desserts?  Say it isn’t so!

Don’t get me wrong.  I love dessert and I enjoy sampling all different kinds of confections, amusing my palate. It is just rare to find a Parve dessert that can measure up.  But I love a challenge and finding substitutions that taste just as great and sometimes are actually healthier can be thrilling. So my mission as a frum Jew has been to search for the perfect non-dairy dessert to pair with our meat meals, something light and creamy for that scrumptiously sweet bite after a satiating feast.

My favorite dairy dessert is Panna Cotta,a smooth clotted cream, thickened with gelatin and flavored to your heart’s desire. Panna Cotta originated in Northern Italy, born in the mountainous countryside, where the locals would thicken the fresh cream by boiling it with animal bones – a problematic recipe within the confines of a kosher diet.

I’ve been struggling for years to come up with the ideal substitute and have finally composed a wonderfully balanced and refreshing dessert, using almond milk instead of heavy cream.  Almond milk is actually not milk at all but made by brewing almonds slowly in water until the flavor and oils infuse the water. Almond milk is not only delicious, but also a healthier option as it’s lower in calories, has less sugar per serving and is cholesterol free. Almond milk is also a good source of calcium, vitamins D, E and A.  This recipe is thickened using a combination of rich dark chocolate and Kosher Gelatin. Kosher Gelatin can be made from vegetable gums, seaweed products, or even Fish bones. For this recipe I use Gefen clear Jello.

Panna Cotta can be topped with a variety of toppings, such as toasted nuts, fresh berries or chocolate cigars. My personal favorite is a crunchy cookie to complement the delicate cream, like a Ginger Snap Tuile.   This Chocolate Almond Panna Cotta is a wonderful end to a meal, requiring very little preparation and cooking time, With such a light and airy texture, I might even go for seconds!

As a pastry student and an avid baking blogger and blog reader, I’m constantly looking to enrich my knowledge on the basics.  At the root of all truly great desserts lie the basic techniques and recipes that, once truly understood and mastered, allow for application in the most creative ways possible.  The lovely recipe I’m thrilled to be sharing today is a rich and nutty Frangipane Tart with Amaretto & Honey Poached Pears.  And, while the assembled dessert may look extravagant, it’s actually relatively simple in that it is composed of three basic techniques or mini-recipes that can be used over and over again and adapted to fit into many of your existing favorite and future dessert recipes.

The rustic beauty of this special dish makes it a perfect option for a Sukkot dessert and the fact that it can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature makes it even more irresistible.  The parve shortcrust recipe, however, is the type of “go-to” basic that will easily become a household favorite.  Contrary to other pie or tart shell recipes, both with butter or dairy-free, this sucree (pastry) can be rolled and maneuvered with the greatest of ease and bakes up to a golden brown finish that is sweetly delicious.

Above the crisp, melt-in-your mouth shortcrust is the rich frangipane filling.  Frangipane is a decadent, moist, almost cake-like almond filling that is widely used in many French pastries, pies, cakes, and tarts.  Once you’ve made it once, you’ll fall in love with the simplicity of the recipe, the versatility of its’ uses, and the divinity of the flavor and texture of the finished product.  My favorite way to serve frangipane is as described in this tart recipe, made complete with a glistening brush of honey-amaretto syrup and a sprinkle of crunchy toasted almond slices.

There’s something strangely beautiful about the blackened curve of each of the pear stems arched towards the glistening surface of the almond-speckled golden brown tart, so be sure to choose fresh, ripe pears with their full stems in tact.  Larger Bosc pears can be trimmed down to fit comfortably into the tart, while smaller, sweet Bartlett pears need only be peeled and cored before being poached and arranged nicely into the shell.  Smaller pears also work wonderfully when placed in a circle and baked into an eight- or nine-inch round frangipane tart to serve a smaller crowd.  Even simpler yet, use the poached pear recipe and techniques described, adding an extra 10 or so minutes to the poaching time, and you’ve got an easy, delicious, stand-alone dessert of poached pears like your guests have never had them.

There you have it! Sweet shortcrust, almond-y decadent frangipane filling, and honeyed pears poached to tender-crisp perfection… three fantastic, complimentary components to make up one incredible dish.  By giving this terrific tart a try, you’ll not only create a tasty treat for your loved ones, but you’ll be introducing yourself to some great dessert basics that can be enjoyed for seasons to come.  Happy Sukkot!

Sukkot, while known primarily as our Festival of Booths, is also the Jewish harvest festival celebrating nature and the ingathering of the fruits of the earth. As such, on Chag HaAsif, the “Feast of Ingathering,” vegetables and fruits are the theme of the meals eaten in the Sukkah as well as the décor of the Sukkah itself. What better way to honor this holiday of harvest than by utilizing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts in delicious treats to adorn our tables and share with our family and friends.

In our home during the holidays, sweet treats are not only limited to the desserts served after a festive meal. We enjoy bringing the sweet yom tov spirit into every meal by enjoying healthier home-baked goodies for breakfast, snacks and as dessert after meals as well. Muffins are usually our treat of choice as they are pre-portioned, are not too sweet, can be filled with healthy, nutrient and fiber boosting ingredients (don’t tell the kids), and most of all our kids love them. The Triple Apple Muffins and Pear Zucchini Muffins are two of our family’s favorites, and are also the perfect anytime treat to enjoy in your own Sukkah.