pimento cheese kosher challah jewhungry

 

Oh. Hi there. Remember me? No? Me either.

 

JUST KIDDING! I’m back . . . a little. To be honest, I haven’t really left. I’ve just been guest posting over at Busy in Brooklyn and writing for Interfaithfamily.com (recipe round-up for them is coming). I’ve also been knee-deep in adolescent mental health as the school year is in full swing and therefore, I’m back in the mix at the day job as a Director of Counseling at an area high school. I’ve also been trying very hard to leave some space this year for self-care, which started out really well. I joined a gym and subsequently actually attended the gym for a whole full 10 days . . . and then the kids got sick and my husband’s work/PhD-writing schedule took over and I haven’t been in 2 weeks. I miss it. I don’t miss the intensity of some of the other patrons or the feeling that I’m not quite pushing myself hard enough as I enjoy my treadmill stroll while I watch other members just barely hold on while participating in their spinning class, but I do miss it. I had finally discovered the key to motivating myself into getting on the eliptical machine and really getting into it. What’s the secret, you ask? Two words:

Beyonce Videos.

That’s right, I’m the chick on the eliptical wearing outdated yoga pants from the early 2000s watching Beyonce music videos on Youtube while I sweat buckets onto the nicely polished gym floor. I’m telling you though, IT WORKS. I’m all, “Shooooot, I can do this! I’m as fit, limber and coordinated as Beyonce! Heck, I have so much rhythm on this here elliptical machine, I could be one of her backup dancers!” And yes, once off the elliptical and back in my real life, I realize the power of endorphins and how they can play tricks on the mind, like convincing a 36 year-old Jewish white woman she is as fit, limber and coordinated as Beyonce. But hey, whatever works.

 

pimento cheese kosher challah jewhungry

 

But enough about my meager attempts at self-care, we’ve got a challah to talk about. I want to acknowledge my homegirl, Molly Yeh, here as her Brown Sugar Challah with Pomegranate Glaze absolutely inspired this challah. I made it several weeks ago for the first time and fell in love with the ease of the dough recipe and wanted to experiment with fillings. I also wanted to make a challah that represented me and my flavor profiles and what’s more Southern Jewess than pimento cheese-stuff challah!?!?! I get that the pimento cheese might not be everyone’s favorite but I’m telling you, the feedback from husband and co-workers who enjoyed this loaf at work the next day was some of the most positive, re-enforcing feedback I’ve ever received on a recipe. So I say to you out there who is in doubt, give it a try. Just once. And if it’s not for you as is, slice it up and make some bada** grilled cheese with it or a savory stratta. Whatever you do, keep the dough recipe. It’s so user-friendly. Enjoy and Shanah Tovah!!!

 

pimento cheese kosher challah jewhungry

 

 

pimento cheese kosher challah jewhungry

Recently, on the Jewhungry Instagram page.

 

pimento cheese kosher challah jewhungry

 

 

pimento cheese kosher challah jewhungry

 

Makes One Loaf of Challah

3/4 c warm water
1 tbsp dry yeast
1 1/4 c  brown sugar
3 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp of cayenney pepper
1/3 c sunflower oil
3 eggs
Pimento Cheese recipe from previous Jewhungry post

Method

1. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the water, yeast, and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. Let sit for a few minutes until it gets foamy on top.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together 1/4 cup of brown sugar, the 3 cups of flour, salt, and cayenne. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil and 2 of the eggs.

3. When the yeast has proofed, add it to the dry ingredients, immediately followed by the egg mixture. Mix to combine and knead, either on a floured surface, or with the dough hook for 7-10 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until smooth (please note I have have never made this recipe with a stand mixer — only by hand so my results are based on the ol’ fashion method of kneading by hand).

4. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 3 hours (I like to preheat my oven to 500 and then turn it off and let the bowl sit on top of the oven with the oven door slightly ajar as it lets the heat escape and helps my dough rise, baby, RISE!)

5. While challah is rising, make your pimento cheese and let sit in a cover bowl in the fridge for roughly 2 hours. You want it to be nice and chilled as the cheese is more manageable that way.

6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and roll the dough out into a large (approximately 10-inch by 14-inch) rectangle. Using a flat icing spatula or spoon, spread about 1/2 to 3/4 of your pimento cheese mixture onto the dough leaving about a 1/4 inch frame of uncover dough around the cheese (if you cover the dough completely in the cheese, it will be a messy disaster once baked).  Next, roll it up like a jelly roll—rolling dough from one long edge to another as tightly as possible. Pinch the edges to seal them shut and then coil into a swirl shape with the seam side down. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Beat together the remaining egg with a splash of water, add another 1/2 tsp of cayenne and brush it lightly onto the challah. Let it rise for 30 more minutes while you preheat the oven to 375.

6. Bake the challah until it’s golden brown and cooked through, about 45 – 50 minutes. Because this challah is round and stuff with delicious pimento cheese, it will take slightly longer to bake than a typical loaf. It may look done on the outside after about 20 minutes, but it will still be raw on the inside. You WILL need to tent the loaf with foil after 20 minutes to prevent it from getting too done on top.

7. Once done, expect that some of that gooey, delicious cheese has escaped. That’s OK. There’s more deliciousness inside!

8. Enjoy and don’t forget to use the leftovers to make grilled cheese or cheese croutons!! Shanah Tovah!!!

Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins with Tahini Jewhungry Kosher Blog

My friend Julee doesn’t like muffins. Like, not at all. Please know, before you start judging the crap outta my friend, Julee, she is one of the greatest human beings of all time. She is an academic support specialist at the school I work at. Her office is right next to mine. We share a love of 90s hip hop, cheese, fried food and Tracee Ellis Ross. She’s also my editor on all things including, but not limited to, Huffington Post blog entries, letters to parents, emails to colleagues and my husband’s CV. There’s literally nothing I wouldn’t do for her. So imagine my surprise when I texted her one afternoon, wondering if she was into muffins. I mean, I assumed she would say, ‘Of course!’, but nope! She said ‘no’. What the whaaaaaat? I mean, I’ve met some weirdos in my day (I went to social work school with a girl who hated soup. Who hates soup!? Its soup!). But not liking muffins? That’s crazy talk (the actual conversation, including appropriate Bitmoji, is shown below). So obviously, I mean, challenge accepted.

 

Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins with Tahini Jewhungry Kosher Blog

 

Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins with Tahini Jewhungry Kosher Blog

My oldest and I will often spend one afternoon after school doing some baking. In order to make sure we do not eat all the baked goods from our session, I bring the majority of what we baked to work with me the next day. So one day a few weeks ago I brought in Danielle Oron’s Tahini Chocolate Chip cookies. Upon eating them, Julee dubbed them the greatest thing I’ve ever made (I should clarify that she was already one of my favorite people when she said that but upon hearing her praise, the deal was sealed on her being in the Top 3 Greatest People of All Time). So when she saved my butt one morning last week when I was running late because of kid issues and helped proctor a test that I was supposed to proctor, I promised her I would bake her whatever she wanted. So she asked for the cookies. I said I would make them but then the whole muffin exchange happened and well, this recipe was born. I figured, why not take the flavor profile of the cookies and make them into delicious muffins? She’ll love them!

 

Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins with Tahini Jewhungry Kosher Blog

 

So was she a fan? Well, she liked them enough to eat one, smile and say, “Ok, I like these”, but not enough to take home the entire box I brought for her. But my girl, Cheryl? Cheryl loved them! YAY, Cheryl!!! Also, so did my entire family and every other normal human being. Sorry, Jules. I guess you can’t win them all.

Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins with Tahini Jewhungry Kosher Blog

Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins with Tahini Glaze

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup superfine sugar
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks plus 1/4 cup for topping (I used a large bar of Baker's Chocolate, which I then chopped myself)
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons warm water
  • (Optional) Sprinkle of Maldon sea salt on each

Instructions

  1. (The instructions are for mini muffins - if using regular-sized muffin tin, put oven on for 400 and bake for 20 minutes)
  2. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with cupcake liners
  4. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chunks into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  5. Place the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk until combined.
  6. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined (do not over mix), batter will be slightly lumpy.
  7. Fill wells 3/4 of the way up and sprinkle 1/4 cup chocolate chunks on top.
  8. Bake for 17 - 18 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy.
  9. FOR GLAZE - whisk powdered sugar, tahini and water together in a medium dish.
  10. Either drizzle this over the cooled muffins or dunk them into the puddle. Sprinkle with good sea salt, if desired.
https://jewhungrytheblog.com/double-chocolate-chunk-muffins-tahini-glaze/

 

 

Chocolate Almond FLour donuts jewhungry kosher blog

 

I am an extremely scheduled person. I need my routine and schedule to feel ‘contained’. I need it to feel safe. I’d like to be all, ‘I go wherever the wind takes me’, but with a full time job, 2 kids, a husband and a hobby or two, my structure and routine is what gets me through the day. When I studied adolescent development and learned more about attachment theory and how structure and boundary-setting is not only beneficial for child development but also for caregiver attachment, I didn’t quite understand just how much it is needed until I had kids of my own. Heck, I didn’t realize how much I needed it as an adult until I had two little people and myself to care for. I recently started yet another side gig (this one in the home decor side of life — you can find my yarn art and boho mobiles HERE and see more pictures below) and when talking to a friend about it she asked me how I find the time. I reflected on that question a lot for some reason and realized it wasn’t so much that I was ‘finding’ the time as ‘creating’ the time via my daily routine. By the time I get home, it’s ‘go’ time. My husband and I are switching off between bathing children, doing laundry, cooking dinner, cleaning dinner, playing with children and then getting children ready for bed. Every afternoon/evening is a sprint but it’s worth it because by 8pm, the kids are in bed and that’s when I get my ‘me’ time. That’s how I find the time. I create it in order to take care of myself so that, in the end, I can take care of them.

chocolate almond flour donuts kosher passover jewhungry blog

 

chocolate almond flour donuts kosher passover jewhungry blog

Speaking of time, I am finally on spring break and am loving every second of it. I also finally went camping with the kids for the first time. I had been kind of dreading camping with kids for a long time. I used to have this giant fear of being tired. It so consumed me, this fear of being tired, that it actually prevented me from doing things like camping with my husband and Siona. But a person learns a lot about themselves after a year of solo-parenting while pregnant, including that one can survive and function on very little sleep and massive amounts of coffee. So, with that in mind, I told husband I was ready to give camping with kids a try . . . so long as he packed all the coffee in the world. Next thing you know, we’re packing up the car and headed for Anzo Borrego, CA. It’s not every day your husband plans a camping trip for you in the desert during a heat wave. Hot doesn’t even begin to describe what this was. Sadly, because it was as hot as it was, our camping trip was cut short by a night and we ended up only staying one night. BUT, we truly made the most of it and the girls were friggin’ champs. We also saw a real live roadrunner and heard coyotes howling at the moon so . . . worth it (pics from the trip are below).

chocolate almond flour donuts kosher passover jewhungry blog

 

chocolate almond flour donuts kosher passover jewhungry blog

 

Anyway, I wanted to bring you a chocolatey treat before you finish your Passover meal-planning. I also wanted to send a friendly reminder that egg creams are completely kosher for Passover and should absolutely be enjoyed. I had my first egg cream when I visited my now in-laws in 2009 and it is now a family tradition to enjoy one (or several) each Passover. It’s honestly a simple thing and, truth be told, I would not really enjoy someone adding seltzer to my chocolate milk but for some reason, during Passover, it’s so frikkin’ delicious. I hope you enjoy! Happy Passover!

P.S. This recipe is dedicated to my friend, David Wolkin, who is part Jewish Hipster superhero extraordinaire and part grouchy ol’ Jewish zaidy who just wants to be left alone with his egg creams and his white fish. This is for you, buddy. Also, your wife is AWESOME. Seriously, how’d you score that one!?

chocolate almond flour donuts kosher passover jewhungry blog

Saying ‘good night moon’ in the Anzo Borrego desert.

 

chocolate almond flour donuts kosher passover jewhungry blog

My squishy face, Ed.

 

chocolate almond flour donuts kosher passover jewhungry blog

Sunrise in the desert

 

The last of the blooming cacti for the season.

The last of the blooming cacti for the season.

 

One of my wall-hangings - found on my Etsy shop.

One of my wall-hangings – found on my Etsy shop, LadyPops Shops

 

A customizable mobile - found on my Etsy site.

A customizable mobile – found on my Etsy site.

 

Chocolate Almond Flour Donuts with Egg Creams

Ingredients

  • FOR DONUTS:
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 eggs (separated)
  • 3 tablespoons vegatable oil
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • FOR EGG CREAMS
  • Whole Milk
  • Seltzer
  • Chocolate Syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl combine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Separate eggs and combine yolks with remaining wet ingredients.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until combined.
  5. Beat egg whites with a hand held mixer until almost stiff, about 5 minutes
  6. Fold egg whites into batter until just combined.
  7. Pour batter into donut pan.
  8. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack.
  9. FOR EGG CREAMS:
  10. Pour the 1/2 cup whole milk into a very cold 12-ounce glass.
  11. Slowly pour in the seltzer, then gently add the syrup.
  12. Using a long spoon, stir well and serve.
https://jewhungrytheblog.com/chocolate-almond-flour-donuts-egg-creams/

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