Hamentashen

Hamentashen is a traditional Jewish pastry made for the holiday of Purim. In the Purim story (called the Megillah, there is a malevolent character named Hamen, who wishes to destroy all the Jews (a common theme in history unfortunately), and he wears a three-cornered hat. Hamentashen means “Hamen’s hat” and it is a triangular pastry. My Grandma Wachspress’s recipe for hamentashen, provided below in both a wheat version and a gluten-free version, uses the Hungarian Jewish kipfel dough. To make the hamentashen, first you prepare the kipfel. 

Ingredients 

For the kipfel:

½ lb. butter (2 sticks) softened

½ lb. cream cheese softened

2 c. sifted flour (use whole wheat flour or, for a gluten-free pastry, use brown rice flour)

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. honey

¼ tsp. salt

For the hamentashen filling:

1 c. poppy seeds

¼ tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/3 c. honey

1 tbsp. grated lemon rind

¼ c. raisins 

Directions 

To make the kipfel dough, blend the ingredients well, working the butter and cream cheese into the flour. This dough has so much butter and cream cheese in it that it falls apart unless it’s chilled. Once you have it blended into a ball, put the kipfel in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or the freezer for 20 minutes before attempting to work with it. When you roll it out, only roll out half the dough at first, while leaving the other half in the refrigerator to stay chilled. Then roll out the other half of the dough.

While the dough is chilling, put the hamentashen filling ingredients  (except for the egg, leave that out for now) into a food processor and whirl them up for a couple of minutes. Honestly, the traditional way to make hamentashen requires that you grind the poppy seeds into a paste with a mortar and pestle, which Grandma W. did. I have done this and it makes the filling wonderfully flavorful; but I confess that I rarely have the patience to grind poppy seeds. Whirling them in the food processor works well enough for me, but for the gourmet version you can get out your mortar and pestle and go for it. After you whirl everything but the egg for a couple of minutes, then add the egg and whirl the filling some more to mix in the egg.

When the kipfel is chilled, roll half the dough out and cut it into 3-inch circles. I suggest using a drinking glass as your cookie cutter. For the gluten-free version, put a piece of parchment (wax paper works OK, just not quite as well as parchment) on the cutting board before you roll out the dough to prevent sticking. Rice flour dough tends to be more gooey, fragile, and harder to work with than wheat flour dough.

Drop a teaspoon of hamentashen filling into the middle of each round and fold up three edges to form a triangle (Hamen’s hat). Pinch the corners firmly to secure the dough and to prevent it from unfolding in the oven. You should be able to still see a little bit of the filling (about as much as the size of your pinky fingernail) in the middle of the pastry, but be sure to fold the kipfel tight or it will open up and flatten out while baking.

Bake the hamentashen on a greased cookie sheet at 375º for 20 minutes or until done. The gluten-free version needs to bake for a little longer than the wheat version – 25 minutes should do it.

It’s challenging to use up all the dough and all the filling in the hamentashen. I finish up this recipe by rolling out the last piece of dough into an oval and filling it with the last of the hamentashen filling, folding it over on itself and baking it for 20-25 minutes, then slicing it up (see my rugelach recipe).

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Rugelach

This version of the famous rugelach is not the fancy kind you find in a New York deli, but believe me when I tell you that this pastry is one of the seven wonders of the Jewish world. This is a simple way of making rugelach that has been passed down in my family. These rugelach are not individually rolled, as you shall see. The secret is in the Hungarian kipfel dough, which my Grandma Wachspress made with cream cheese and butter. I also offer you a gluten-free kipfel version. For rugelach you first need to make the kipfel dough so the following recipe is broken into two stages. First the dough, then assembling the rugelach. 

Ingredients

KIPFEL

½ lb. butter (2 sticks) softened

½ lb. cream cheese softened

2 c. sifted flour (use whole wheat flour or, for a gluten-free pastry, use brown rice flour)

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. honey

¼ tsp. salt

RUGELACH “FILLING”

Honey (indeterminate amount, see directions)

Cinnamon (indeterminate amount, see directions)

1/3 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

1/3 c. chopped raisins (optional) 

Directions 

To make the kipfel dough, blend the ingredients well, working the butter and cream cheese into the flour. This dough has so much butter and cream cheese in it that it falls apart unless it’s chilled. Once you have it blended into a ball, put the kipfel in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or the freezer for 20 minutes before attempting to work with it. When you roll it out, only roll out half the dough at first, while leaving the other half in the refrigerator to stay chilled. Then roll out the other half of the dough.

Roll the kipfel (first half, then second half) out in an oval shape about 5 inches wide and a foot or more long. Try to keep the width as uniform as possible. The kipfel should be about ¼-inch thick. Spread the honey (generously) on the dough with a knife, covering to within about ½-inch of the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon liberally on top of the honey. Then distribute the walnuts and/or raisins if desired. Gently roll the dough up like a rug, the long way. This is why we call it rugelach, which means something like “little-rolled-up-thing” in Yiddish.

For the gluten-free version, put a piece of parchment (wax paper works OK, just not quite as well as parchment) on the cutting board before you roll out the dough to prevent sticking. Rice flour dough tends to be more gooey, fragile, and harder to work with than wheat flour dough.

Bake the rugelach on a greased cookie sheet at 375º for 20 minutes or until brown and done. The gluten-free version needs to bake for a little longer than the wheat version – 25 minutes should do it. After taking the roll out of the oven, put it on a cutting board or plate and allow it to cool for a few minutes, then slice it in 1-inch-wide segments with a sharp knife.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously! 

Kipfel Dough (Hungarian Style)

This standard, rich Hungarian Jewish pastry dough can be used for rugelach, hamentashen, cookies, and other treats; and yes, I can offer you a gluten-free version. Here is the straight up recipe for the dough, right out of my grandmother’s kitchen. Check out my rugelach and hamentashen recipes for delicious ways to use this dough to make traditional Jewish pastries.

Ingredients 

½ lb. butter (2 sticks) softened

½ lb. cream cheese softened

2 c. sifted flour (use whole wheat flour or, for a gluten-free pastry, use brown rice flour)

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. honey

¼ tsp. salt 

Directions 

Blend the ingredients well, working the butter and cream cheese into the flour. This dough has so much butter and cream cheese in it that it falls apart unless it’s chilled. Once you have it blended into a ball, put the kipfel in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or the freezer for 20 minutes before attempting to work with it. When you roll it out, only roll out half the dough at first, while leaving the other half in the refrigerator to stay chilled. Then roll out the other half of the dough.

Once it’s chilled, this dough is quite versatile. See my rugelach and hamentashen recipes. You can transform this dough into cookies by rolling it out (about ¼ inch thick) and using cookie cutters or a glass (for rounds) to shape the cookies. To sweeten the cookies, brush them with honey and sprinkle cinnamon on top or spread jam on them. Bake the cookies on a greased cookie sheet at 375º for 20 minutes (until they brown and are no longer doughy).

For the gluten-free version, put a piece of parchment (wax paper works OK, just not quite as well as parchment) on the cutting board before you roll out the dough to prevent sticking. Rice flour dough tends to be more gooey, fragile, and harder to work with than wheat flour dough. The gluten-free version needs to bake for a little longer than the wheat version – 25 minutes should do it.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Persimmon Bread (Gluten-Free)

This gluten-free sweet bread is a terrifically satisfying baked treat. Unlike many gluten-free desserts that are a “decent substitute” for treats made with wheat, this moist and light persimmon bread is a strong contender matched against any wheat bread (with no explanations or excuses needed). Use soft-ripe persimmons (such as the Hachiya) rather than crunchy persimmons (such as the Fuyu). The persimmons must be very ripe and squishy (so that they are at their sweetest). Remember that the soft-ripe style of persimmons are astringent until they become ripe. Even overly ripe persimmons work well for this bread. You can use this recipe for making persimmon muffins too, just note the reduced baking time. 

Ingredients

2 c. soft-ripe persimmons (approximately 6 persimmons)

4 eggs

½ c. coconut oil
½ c. melted butter

1 c. honey

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1½  c. teff flour

2 c. brown rice flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. orange peel

½ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. allspice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Peel the skin off the persimmons. Swirl the persimmon meat in the blender until smooth. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Melt the butter. Combine the oil, butter, and honey in a large mixing bowl. Add the swirled persimmons, beaten eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and blend them together well.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir them together (scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl) until they are fully blended. The mixture will remain a little lumpy because of the orange peel, but try mix in all “bubbles” of flour, without over-mixing (since over-mixing can cause the batter to become tough and make the bread heavier.

Divide the batter into 2 oblong standard-sized bread-baking dishes. Bake the persimmon bread for one hour at 350°. Bake muffins (in muffin tins) for 30 minutes at 350°. Bread or muffins are done when a knife inserted comes out clean.

You may wish to get creative by adding ½ c. of walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, chopped dates, and/or crystallized ginger chunks to this recipe. Personally, I love this bread just plain with butter, soft goat cheese, or cream cheese spread.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Winter Squash and Wild Rice Platter

This is a winter squash-lover’s delight. It is a simple dish but the flavor is wonderfully complex because of the variety of ingredients.

Ingredients

 

½ c. uncooked wild/exotic rice (a blend of black japonica, red, and wild rice is my favorite)

1 c. water

1 good-size butternut or kabocha squash (or 2 acorn squash)

8 oz. sundried tomatoes marinated in oil (julienne cut)

6 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚.

Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, cover tightly, and cook on a very low temperature until all the water is absorbed (about 50 minutes). Fluff with a fork and allow to sit for 5 minutes covered.

While the rice is cooking, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Put the halves upside down on a cookie sheet with a little water in it (up to about ¼ of an inch). Bake at 350˚ for about 40 minutes or until the squash is clearly soft when pierced with a fork. Check frequently after 30 minutes in the oven so as not to overcook. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the squash meat and mash it until smooth.

Grate the cheese.

When the rice is cooked and the squash is baked and mashed, then you are ready to assemble the ingredients in layers. In a pie plate or on a platter, spread the squash as the bottom layer. Spread the cooked rice across the squash as the next layer. The third layer is the sundried tomatoes. Spread the tomatoes evenly and drizzle the oil marinade from the jar evenly. Finally, spread the grated cheese across the top.

Place the dish in the oven at 350˚ for 10 minutes to melt the cheese and warm the sundried tomatoes or, alternatively, microwave the entire dish for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Greens, Asian Pear, Pecan Salad

This variation on my kale salad has a gourmet kind of twist to it. Enjoy this terrific combination of flavors, including sweet Asian pears, sesame oil, and kale. 

Ingredients

½ bunch of kale chopped coarsely

½ bunch of chard chopped coarsely (red chard makes for a pretty presentation)

1 c. shredded romaine lettuce

1 Asian pear

¼ c. pecan halves (or more if you like)

2 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. maple syrup

½ tsp. onion granules

Directions

Remove the stems from the kale and chard and then chop it. Shred the lettuce. Chop the Asian pear. Combine the greens in a bowl. Add the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and onion granules, and toss the salad until the greens are fully coated with the dressing. Add the chopped Asian pear pieces and fold them into the top of the salad gently. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!

Kale Salad

This is, without a doubt, the prettiest salad. Make it with a combination of purple kale and green kale for even greater beauty. It not only looks gorgeous but it tastes delicious, and what could support better health than a plate of kale, cabbage, and carrots?

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale chopped coarsely

1-1/2 c. loosely packed shredded red cabbage

2 large carrots grated

3 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. onion granules or 1/3 c. chopped onions (see below about onions)

Directions 

Remove the stems from the kale and then chop it. Shred the cabbage and grate the carrot. Combine the vegetables in a bowl. Add the dressing ingredients and toss the salad until the kale is fully coated with the dressing. I prefer not to overpower the taste of this beautiful salad with the flavor of onion, so I simply dust it with finely ground onion granules (or powder). If you love onions, you might wish to add more onion flavor by chopping onions and including them in the salad. Add onions or onion powder to suit your taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds for an added treat.

Serve this dish right away for the best texture; however, it will keep fairly well in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours or thereabouts without becoming too soggy to still enjoy.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!