Jewish Apple Christmas Cake

When winter comes, apples shows their head in every fruit stall. And we get varieties of apples during this super chilled weather. Obviously i dont forget to bake some delicious bakes out this fantastic fruits. When i get a chance to bake with apples, i dont hesitate a second to bake with. I have couple of cakes to give a try and am trying to cook from my bookmark recipes.This Jewish apple cake was suggested as a christmas special recipes by Priya of Cook Like Priya long back for a baking event. Since i couldnt able to bake this cake for the baking event i have been looking for a chance to bake this cake and finally i baked this fabulous cake as i was running this week's blogging marathon with 'Christmas Special' as theme.

Key Shaped Eggless Yeasted Bread

If you are Homebaker and if you get a chance to bake shaped yeasted bread, what will be your reaction?. Needless to say mine will be definitely a happy dance. When i saw one of this month's blogging marathon's theme i didnt want to skip it and picked immediately. Yes my pick for this week's theme is Shaped yeasted bread. I have bookmarked some of the shaped breads from Pinterest long back, finally i went through them and i choosed three of them for this week's theme. My first shaped yeasted bread goes to this easy breezy but definitely a cute looking key shaped bread which you can serve along with a bowl of soup or else to decorate your dinner table if you are planning a get together.

3 Strands Braided Challah Bread

Challah bread doesnt need any introduction if you love egg loaded breads. Challah breads are well known in Jewish cuisine,this bread can go for upto 12 strands, i have already prepared this 6 strands Braided Challah Bread,this 4 strands Braided challah bread and 5 strands Challah bread, obviously i want to make three strands braided challah bread. Actually my kids just love challah bread topped with black poppy seeds with nutella spread.The name challah is derived from the Hebrew word used for portion in the Biblical commandment of the first of the dough that one should give unto the Lord a portion for a gift throughout their generations. Needless to say challah bread is a Jewish sabbath-Holiday bread.

Sufganiyot - Hanukkah Doughnuts

After an addictive Finnish Munkki, am taking you all to Israel, i picked Sufganiyot for this week's blogging marathon as am running with doughnuts as theme for this week. Doughnuts doesnt need any special introduction and these deep fried beauties can be found around the world in different form with different filling or without any filling. After the ring like shaped doughnuts, today's Sufganiyot goes for a round ball shaped fried balls. Usually Sufganiyot, this jelly doughnuts are the famous national treat during Hanukkah. Traditionally this popular doughnuts is prepared with jelly eventhough now many variations with many different fillings do exists. I made my Sufganiyot with chocolate filling aka nutella instead of jam filling as none want these doughnuts with fruit jam filling.

Five-Strands Braided Challah Bread

Challah bread, i have already tried couple of challah breads but this bread is something i want to make often at home whenever i feel like baking something eggy rich bread.Challah bread, dont need any introduction, this bread can go for upto 12 strands, i have already prepared this 6 strands Braided Challah Bread,this 4 strands Braided challah bread but still i want to make this bread with 5 strands. Finally i baked this super golden crusted 5 strands Braided challah bread for this month's Home Baker's Challenge, a monthly baking event and this baking group is running successfully more than a year.For this month's challenge, we were bit busy with our personnal stuffs obviously i opted for a challenge which made our life easier. This month's challenge is to bake from the challenges already suggested by the hosts during the past months.

Vegan Challah

Challah, the popular Jewish bread is loaded with eggs and egg yolks, but if i say we can make beautiful challahs as vegan version, its unbelievable rite. Even i was bit skeptical when i saw this Vegan Challah from The Sweet Life, an another incredible bread challenged by Priya R of Cook Like Priya for this month's Home Baker's Challenge, a monthly baking event where we bake varieties of bakes every month.Since december is a month of Christmas celebration, Priya chosed many delicious christmas bakes from all around the world and am happy that finally i can make my favourite challah as vegan version. Seriously until i finished baking this challah am not sure about the texture and the taste,but trust me this vegan challah is just tremendous.

Crust and the texture of this bread came out extremely prefect as much as like the egg loaded challah. This Veganised challah goes for chickpea flour which may sounds weird but seriously the addition of chickpea flour makes this bread interesting and this flour gives the texture and that mild yellowish colour to the texture of this vegan bread. I enjoyed thoroughly baking this Christmas veganished Jewish bread at home and once again thanks to Priya for challenging us this incredible bread.Today is the last thursday of the month and its time to post for Vegan Thursdays, an vegan event running twice a month and this beautiful challah goes to this event too.

Vegetable Latkes

Latkes can be defined as vegetable pancakes which suits prefectly for a sunday brunch and these shallow fried pancakes can be prepared in a jiffy. Latkes are prepared usually with potatoes, but here those shallow fried potato pancakes took a new avatar and disguised with colourful veggies.Latkes with vegetables goes for grated mixed veggies, flour and egg, which is flavoured with onions. You can chose vegetables like carrot,turnips,radish,zucchini,cabbage and potatoes for making this vegetable latkes. The flavour of each vegetable is mild enough that you still feel like having a latke. Traditional latkes use both flour and egg for binding, eventhough eggs works prefect if you squeeze out the moisture of the vegetables as possible before frying.

Grated vegetables works prefect for this vegetable latkes, personally making latkes with grated vegetables can works out wonderful with kids,whoever hates vegetables will definitely adore these pancakes.My followers knows very well that am running a month of blogging marathon with four different themes for four weeks of this month. This week's theme was International cuisine and obviously vegetable latkes goes under Jewish cuisine with starting letter as 'V'. 

Six-Strand Braided Challah Bread

Did i told you that am going to London's blogger's meet, three hours back it wasnt sure, but finally reserved my tickets. Thanks to Eurostar for proposing not that much expensive fares during friday evening and monday morning journey. After a long hesitation and so many long discussions,finally am going to London for a weekend trip, hubby will take care of my kids so obviously am gonna travel alone to meet many foodie bloggers like me. Am sure that am gonna have loads of fun with them all, its definitely going to be something i never ever forget in my lifetime.

Coming to the six braided challah bread, our this month's Defi Boulange, a fabulous bread baking event by Nadia and Manue challenged us a 6 strand braided challah bread. Challah bread is a jewish bread which have a wonderful rich texture with a beautiful crust eventhough butter or milk is not used in this bread. This bread is served with meats during Jewish festivals. I have already prepared Challah Bread with 4 braids,its wasnt that much difficult for me to make this 6strands braided challah. Thanks to youtube and Nadia for sharing the 6 braids challah bread link,this braided bread took just few seconds to get ready and i seriously enjoyed making it.I was very proud to serve this beautifully baked challah bread, needless to say how this bread gets vanished within few minutes with nutella spread for my kid's snack.

4cups All purpose flour
2tsp Instant yeast
1/4cup Sugar
1tsp Salt
2nos Large eggs
1/4cup Oil
1/2cup Water
Black poppyseeds
Sesame seeds

Egg wash:
1no Egg yolk
1tbsp Water

In a lare bowl, combine the eggs,oil and water, stir well.

Mix in the flour,yeast,sugar,salt and knead everything together to form a stiff dough,knead well for few more minutes until the dough turns soft and smooth dough.

Transfer the dough to a greased large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap,let it sit in a warm place until its doubled in size for about 2hours.

Gently press down the dough,reflate it and cover it again, let it sit again for about an another hour.

Take the dough in a lightly floured surface, divide into three large balls and again divide each balls into two more medium balls again.

Now you have six balls, roll them as medium sized ropes.Line them side by side, pinch the pieces together at one end and start braiding.

Watch this video to know how to make 6 strand braided Challah

Transfer it to the baking sheet lined over a baking tray, let it sit again in a warm place for half an hour.

Meanwhile mix the egg yolk and water for egg wash.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Brush generously the rised braided bread with the egg wash,springle the black poppy seeds and sesame seeds generously.

Bake the bread for 30-35minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Challah Bread

Am starting again my three days of blogging marathon today, my theme for this week is Christmas special. Christmas, love this festival and we never failed to celebrate it every year with loads of foods,chocolates and gifts.I cant imagine my christmas dinner table without a bread obviously my first recipe goes for a celebration bread. Challah bread is a celebration bread in Jewish tradition, this bread goes for a rich dough with a mild sweet. Challah bread sounds almost like brioche bread, eggs are added to enrich the dough and milk or butter is not used in this bread dough as this bread may be eaten with meat.This bread goes for a fabulous texture,excellent flavour and beautiful braid.

Nothing will beat the smell of the freshly baked challah,you can go for three,four and six braids for making this challah bread. Mine is a 4 braided challah bread, thanks to youtube, i simply went through this video to make easily my 4 braids.I really enjoyed making this challah bread and my kids loved it with nutella spread.You can easily finish up this challah bread as french toast to whip up on christmas morning if you have served this challah bread with meats for a christmas evening.Do check Champa, Srivalli, Sumana Deepak,Veena,Jayasri and Preeti Deo wat they baked for the 8th day of bake-a-thon. Also check out the other bloggers running this 23rd edition of blogging marathon here.Sending to 60days of Christmas hosted by Priya and Divya.

4cups All purpose flour
2tsp Instant yeast
1/4cup Sugar
1tsp Salt
2nos Large eggs
1no Egg Yolk
1/4cup Oil
1/2cup Water
Few Sugar pearls

Egg wash:
1no Egg yolk
1tbsp Water

In a lare bowl, combine the eggs,egg yolk,oil and water, stir well.

Mix in the flour,yeast,sugar,salt and knead everything together to form a stiff dough,knead well for few more minutes until the dough turns soft and smooth dough.

Transfer the dough to a greased large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap,let it sit in a warm place until its doubled in size for about 2hours.Gently press down the dough,reflate it and cover it again, let it sit again for about an another hour.

Take the dough in a lightly floured surdace, divide into two large balls and again divide each balls into two more medium balls again.

Roll each balls as a long rope,line them side by side, pinch the pieces together at one end and start braiding.

Check here to know how to make 4 braided Challah

Transfer it to the baking sheet lined over a baking tray, let it sit again in a warm place for half an hour.

Meanwhile mix the egg yolk and water for egg wash.Preheat the oven to 350F.

Brush generously the rised braided bread with the egg wash,springle the sugar pearls generously.

Bake the bread for 30-35minutes or until the crust turns golden bread.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Latkes (Jewish Potato Pancakes)- T&T from Wandering Chopsticks

Jewish Potato pancakes, also known as latkes or latkas are shallow-fried pancakes of grated potato and egg, often flavored with grated onion. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory such as sour cream and to the sweet such as applesauce or sugar, or they may be served ungarnished. Potato pancakes are sometimes made from mashed potatoes to produce pancake-shaped croquettes..Latkes are traditionally eaten by Ashkenazi Jews during the Jewish Hanukkah festival. I had this delicious potato pancakes quite long back at my jewish friend's place but never tried at home, and i have completely forgotten this delicious pancakes, while going through Wandering Chopsticks i found this dish and tried at home today..I felt personally this pancakes tastes marvellous with ketchup..

4nos Potatoes (grated)
1no Onion (grated)
Salt
Pepper powder
1no Egg
Oil for shallow frying

Put the grated potatoes into a colander with a bowl and strain the excess water and starch..Squeeze out the water from the grated onion, take both the grated onions and grated potatoes with salt, pepper powder and toss until they get well mixed, again squeeze out the water as grated potatoes and onions tends to leave water once salt is added..Add the beaten egg to the veggies, meanwhile the strach from the potato water would have settled at the bottom of the bowl,throw out the water and add the potato starch to the grated potato mixture..make out 6-7patties from this mixture..

Heat oil for shallow frying, fry the patties both sides until they turns golden brown, drain the excess oil with paper towel..