Whether you are Jewish or not, these are recipes that will bring you inner warmth on a cold day. Or, how about a big hug from your children when they come home from school to find the house smelling like challah baking in the oven? At minimum, these recipes will remind you of a proud heritage that goes back centuries. We invite you to share your favorite family recipe.
Please email: challah@challahconnection.com

Rosh Hashana Dinner

Erev Yom Kippur Dinner

Yom Kippur Dairy Break-fast

Hanukkah Latke Party

Passover

Jane's Favorite Challah

Jane Moritz, Challah Connection Owner has been baking Challah since she was a girl, when she learned how from her Mom, Becky. After many attempts at various recipes, this is her favorite.

Jane's time-saving tip: If you have a bread machine, use it to make the dough. However, be sure to take it out of the machine at the end of the dough cycle and form it and let it rise again before baking. The Challah will be as good as if you kneaded it by hand!

Another Tip from Jane: Use King Arthur Flour This recipe will make 2 smaller Challah or 1 large.

Sponge:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour


• 11/4 cup warm water


• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour


• 2  teaspoons salt


• 1/3 cup sugar


• 1/4 cup vegetable oil


• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk (save 1 egg white for the wash, below)

• 1 egg white


• 1 teaspoon sugar


• 1 tablespoon water


• Poppy seeds (optional)

Back To Top>>
 

Decadent Challah French Toast

This is a truly decadent and delicious version of this classic breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs


• 1 ½ cups milk


• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest


• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract


• 1 tablespoon  honey


• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt


• 1 large loaf of challah
  
• Unsalted butter


• Vegetable Oil

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked french toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Cook  the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it’s all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves and/or confectioners’ sugar.

Back To Top>>

Whitefish Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 4-pound smoked whitefish

• 4 stalks celery, strings removed

• 2 cups sour cream or 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup plain yogurt

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Keeping the skin of the whitefish intact and the head still attached, carefully remove the bones from the whitefish and place the meat in a mixing bowl.

Dice the celery and combine with the whitefish, along with 1 cup of the sour
cream (or yogurt), the mayonnaise, and the pepper. Add the dill and parsley and as much more sour cream (or yogurt) as is wanted.

Stuff the mixture back into the skin of the whitefish, remaking the shape of a
fish. Or, if you prefer, serve in a bowl. Garnish with additional dill and parsley.

Yield: enough for at least 10 people.

Back To Top>>

Homemade Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls
 

Making chicken soup is so easy that anyone can do it! Rinse a whole chicken (between 2 and 3 lbs) and stick it in a pot large enough to accommodate enough water to cover the chicken and added vegetables.

Matzo Balls:
Ingredients:

• 1 cup matzoh meal

• 1/4 cup chicken fat

• 1/2 cup soda water (seltzer)

• 4 eggs

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 4 quarts chicken soup, homemade

• 3/4 cup orzo (omit during Passover)

• 2 cups thinly sliced carrots

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

In a bowl, mix together matzoh meal, chicken fat and seltzer. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl until frothy. Stir into matzoh meal mix with 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Bring 2 quarts of chicken soup to a simmer. Take a small spoonful of the mixture and using two small spoons, shape the mixture into small balls (about the size of a large marble) and place in simmering soup. Cook for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, if you're making orzo, toast it in a dry, medium skillet over medium low heat, stirring often until it turns a light golden brown. Boil the orzo until al dente, drain and reserve for soup.

Bring remaining 2 quarts of chicken stock to a boil. Cook carrots until al dente. Lower to a simmer, add cooked matzoh balls, orzo (if using), and dill. Serve very hot.

Makes 8 servings.

From More than a Meal, by Anne Rosenzweig. epicurious.com.

Back To Top>>

Jewish Style Pot-Roasted Brisket  

Great for the holidays!

Ingredients:

• 2 very large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 8- to 10-pound brisket

• 1 ½ teaspoons course sea salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 4 pounds onions, halved and sliced

• 3 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds

• 2 large, outside ribs celery, sliced ¼-inch thick

• 4 small bay leaves

Rub 1 chopped clove of garlic into each side of the meat.

Salt and pepper the meat on both sides.

Spread the onions, carrots and celery on the bottom of the pan. Put the meat
over the vegetables. Put 2 bay leaves under the meat, 2 on top of the meat.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook in a preheated 350-degree
oven for 4 hours, until meat is just tender.

Let meat rest 20 minutes, then slice: Cut the second cut off of the first cut
and trim off and discard the layer of fat between them. Slice both cuts across
the grain, either straight down or at a slight diagonal angle. Skim any fat off the juices left in the pan, and serve the onions and vegetables with the juices as a sauce for both the meat and any starch accompaniment. If desired, you can
puree some of the vegetables to make a thicker sauce.

If preparing ahead for serving another day, refrigerate until several hours
before serving time. Skim hardened fat off the surface of the liquid that has collected around the meat, and off the surface of the meat. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before final heating.

Serving the Roast:

About an hour before serving, using a long-bladed, preferably serrated knife
(I use a bread knife), slice the meat about 1/4-inch thick. It will require a
sawing motion and a strong arm. Do not disturb the conformation of the meat. Return the meat to the roasting pan as if it was still a whole brisket.

Baste with pan juices and heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting
a few times during that period. The surface of the meat should have browned nicely, and the slices of meat should be heated through and fork tender. Trim excess fat off the meat on the plate, as it is eaten.

From arthurschwartz.com

Back To Top>>

Mother's Challah Stuffed Chicken

Challah Stuffing:

• 1 dried out challah that you forgot you had and it went stale.

• 1 minced onion

• 1 bunch finely minced FRESH parsley.

• 3-4 stalks chopped celery

• 1/2 tsp. dried basil.

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano.

• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder.

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Water to moisten, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups

Fry the onion in a little bit of oil until clear. Mix in everything else and make sure
it is well distributed. Kvetch (squeeze) out any excess water and you are ready
to get stuffed!

Stuffing the Chicken:

Wash out the cavity of a roasting chicken. LOOSELY stuff the chicken cavity.
Tie the wings on to the body of the chicken.. This prevents them from burning,
or you can wrap the wings in tin foil for the same effect. Use skewers and laced string to hold the stuffing in place. If when the chicken is done the stuffing looks
a little messy, a fresh large sprig of parsley does wonders for appearance. Cover the stuffing cavity with parsley sprigs! The pulkalech (legs) can be tied to the tuchas (tail) of the chicken. Poor thing!

Baking the Chicken:

Preheat the oven at 400F. Place the stuffed chicken in a roaster. Cover. Put the roaster in the oven.

For the first 15 to 20 minutes cook at 400F. This sears in the juices and the chicken will be nice and tender. Otherwise the chicken gets rubbery. Now reduce the heat to 325F. The chicken should roast for about 1 1/2 hours. DEPENDING
on the type of oven you have, it may be as long as 3 hours!! You can tell if the chicken is done when you can move the tied drumsticks back and forth easily!
If you stick a meat thermometer in you will break the skin and the juices which collect directly under the skin will be lost. FOREVER! If you want a crispier skin
on the chicken, take the cover off for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Baste the chicken with its natural juices found on the bottom of the roaster.

Serving the Chicken:

Line a serving platter with lettuce. Place chicken on the lettuce on the serving plate. You can cut slices of lemon and place down the center of the chicken.
The chicken can then be surrounded with alternating round slices of lemon,
orange and lime. Another circle of sliced red, green and yellow peppers would surround the chicken. The outer circle would consist of alternating slices of tomatoes and cucumber.

Back To Top>>

Hamentashen: Sour Cherry with Semi Sweet Chocolate Drizzle and Lemon Poppy Seed

The following recipes were written exclusively for Challah Connection by Mary Goodbody and Judith Sutton nationally acclaimed food writers, cookbook editors and recipe developers. Among some of the books they have written or edited are, Sweet Gratitude: Bake a Thank-You for the Really Important People in Your Life; Truffles: Ultimate Luxury, Everyday Pleasure; Recipes for a Very Small Island; and The Family Kitchen (coming Spring 2006).

DOUGH:
Enough dough (1 pound, 5 ½ ounces; 615g) for about 24 cookies

• 2 cups (8 ½ - 9 oz; 240g) all-purpose flour


• 2 teaspoons (¼ oz., 10g) baking powder


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 8 tablespoons (4 oz; 110 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature


• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (3/4 oz; 25g), at room temperature (or use additional butter)


• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 oz.; 175g) sugar


• 1 large egg (2 oz; 55 ml)


• 1 tablespoon orange juice (¼ fl. oz.; 10 ml) or milk


• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5 ml)

About 24 teaspoons (8 tablespoons) Sour Cherry Filling or Lemon Poppy Seed Filling (recipes follow)

1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash (optional)
Decorating (coarse) sugar (optional)
Semisweet Chocolate Drizzle (recipe follows)

2. Combine the butter and shortening in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until light and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Beat in the orange juice, and then beat in the vanilla. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two additions.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times just until the dough comes together. If the dough is very sticky, knead in another tablespoon or so of flour. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm enough to roll. (The dough can be refrigerated overnight. If necessary, let stand at room temperature briefly to soften slightly before rolling out.)

4. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. On a lightly floured surface, working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out as many rounds from the dough as possible; gather up the scraps and reserve. Spoon a generous 1 teaspoon filling into the center of each round. Fold three sides of the dough over to form a triangular pastry, leaving a little of the filling exposed in the center, and pinch the seams to seal. Transfer to the baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between the pastries. If desired, brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Combine all the dough scraps and roll out to make more pastries.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastries are lightly golden around the edges. Transfer the pastries to a rack to cool completely. When cool, drizzle with chocolate, if desired.

SOUR CHERRY FILLING

Makes about 1 cup

• ¾ cup (4 ¾ oz.; 135g) sugar


• ¾ cup (6 fl. oz; 170ml) water


• 1 cup (5½ oz; 155g) dried cherries


• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cherries; reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are very plump and soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

2. Transfer the cherries (with their syrup) to a food processor, add the orange zest, if using, and process to the consistency of thick jam. The filling can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

EXTRA: Semisweet Chocolate Drizzle

Makes about 1/3 cup

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped and melted
3 tablespoons cream

Stir the cream into the hot, melted chocolate until smooth. Drizzle over the cookies, if desired. If the chocolate drizzle is too thick, increase the amount of cream by ½ to 1 tablespoon.


LEMON POPPY SEED FILLING

Makes about ¾ cup (6 oz; 165g)

• ¼ cup (2 fl oz., 60 ml) fresh lemon juice


• ¼ cup (2 fl oz.; 60 ml) water


• 2 tablespoons (1oz; 28g) unsalted butter


• 3 tablespoons (1 ½ oz.; 40g) sugar


• ½ cup (1 ½ oz.; 45g) ground poppy seeds


• 1 tablespoon (1/2 oz; 15g) chopped white or black raisins (we used white)


• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (optional)

1. Combine the lemon juice, water, butter, and sugar in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter.

2. Add the poppy seeds, raisins, and lemon zest, if using, and stir well. Cook for a minute or so, just until the filling is thick and the ingredients are well mixed. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. The filling can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Best Noodle Kugel (Easy too!)

I made 4 of these for my son’s Bar Mitzvah luncheon. They were the biggest hit!

• 10 oz. medium noodles, cooked and drained
• ½ cup butter (1 stick)
• 4 eggs
• 1 pint (2 cups) sour cream
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup yellow raisin, soaked overnight in orange juice and drained (optional ingredient)
• 3 tbsp cinnamon sugar