Kosher and Traditional Jewish Cooking: Authentic Recipes From a Classic Culinary Heritage: 130 Delicious Dishes Shown in 220 Stunning Photographs (32 page)

This crisp pastry roll, filled with fruit and jam, is a classic Ashkenazi sweet treat to accompany tea. No one can resist a slice of strudel served with a glass of lemon tea.

MAKES 3

250g/9oz/1 cup butter, softened

250g/9oz/generous 1 cup sour cream

30ml/2 tbsp sugar

5ml/1 tsp vanilla extract

large pinch of salt

250g/9oz/2
1
/
4
cups plain (all-purpose) flour

icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted, for dusting

FOR THE FILLING

2–3 cooking apples

45ml/3 tbsp sultanas (golden raisins)

45ml/3 tbsp soft light brown sugar

115g/4oz/1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

5–10ml/1–2 tsp ground cinnamon

60ml/4 tbsp apricot jam or conserve

1
For the pastry, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then add the sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract and salt, and beat together. Stir the flour into the mixture, then put in a plastic bag and chill overnight or longer.

2
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. For the filling, core and finely chop the apples but do not peel. Put the apples in a bowl, add the sultanas, sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and apricot jam and mix.

3
Divide the pastry into thirds. Place one third on a sheet of floured baking parchment and roll to a 45 × 30cm/18 × 12in rectangle.

4
Spread a third of the filling over the pastry, leaving a 1–2cm/
1
/
2
–
3
/
4
in border. Roll up to enclose the filling and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Leave for 5 minutes, then cut into slices. Dust with icing sugar.

Nutritional information per roll: Energy 1566kcal/6519kJ; Protein 17.3g; Carbohydrate 129g, of which sugars 65.2g; Fat 112.6g, of which saturates 56.1g; Cholesterol 228mg; Calcium 274mg; Fibre 5.8g; Sodium 560mg.

These crisp, flaky cookies, rolled around a sweet filling, resemble a snake or croissant. They are thought to have come from Poland where they are a traditional sweet treat at Chanukkah.

MAKES 48–60

115g/4oz/
1
/
2
cup unsalted (sweet) butter

115g/4oz/
1
/
2
cup full-fat soft white (farmer’s) cheese

15ml/1 tbsp sugar

1 egg

2.5ml/
1
/
2
tsp salt

about 250g/9oz/2
1
/
4
cups plain (all-purpose) flour

about 250g/9oz/generous 1 cup butter, melted

250g/9oz/2 cups sultanas (golden raisins)

130g/4
1
/
2
oz/generous 1 cup chopped walnuts or walnut pieces

225g/8oz/1 cup caster (superfine) sugar

10–15ml/2–3 tsp ground cinnamon

1
For the pastry, beat the butter and cheese until creamy. Beat in the sugar, egg and salt.

2
Fold the flour into the creamed mixture, a little at a time, until the dough can be worked with the hands. Continue adding the flour, kneading, until it is a consistency that can be rolled out.

3
Shape the dough into a ball, then chill for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

4
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Divide the dough into six pieces. Roll out each piece into a round about 3mm/
1
/
8
in thick, then brush with a little melted butter and sprinkle over the sultanas, walnuts, a little sugar and the cinnamon.

5
Cut the rounds into eight to ten wedges and roll the large side of each wedge towards the tip. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15–30 minutes until lightly browned. Cool before serving.

Nutritional information per cookie: Energy 111kcal/464kJ; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 10.4g, of which sugars 7.2g; Fat 7.6g, of which saturates 3.9g; Cholesterol 18mg; Calcium 16mg; Fibre 0.3g; Sodium 45mg.

These triangular-shaped pastries are eaten at Purim, the festival celebrating the story of Esther, Mordecai and Haman. They can be made with a cookie dough or a yeast dough, and various sweet fillings.

MAKES ABOUT 24

115g/4oz/
1
/
2
cup unsalted (sweet) butter, at room temperature

250g/9oz/1
1
/
4
cups sugar

30ml/2 tbsp milk

1 egg, beaten

5ml/1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

200–250g/7–9oz/1
1
/
2
–2
1
/
4
cups plain (all-purpose) flour

icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

FOR THE APRICOT FILLING

250g/9oz/generous 1 cup dried apricots

1 cinnamon stick

45ml/3 tbsp sugar

1
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. In another bowl mix together the milk, egg, vanilla and salt. Sift the flour into a third bowl.

2
Beat the creamed butter mix with one-third of the flour, then gradually add the remaining flour, in three batches, alternating with the milk mixture. It should be the consistency of a loose shortbread dough. Chill for 1 hour.

3
For the apricot filling, put the apricots, cinnamon stick and sugar in a pan and add enough water to cover. Heat gently, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the apricots are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the cinnamon, then purée the apricots in a food processor with a little of the cooking liquid until they form a consistency like thick jam.

4
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3–5mm/
1
/
8
–
1
/
4
in, then cut into rounds 7.5cm/3in in diameter. Place 15–30ml/1–2 tbsp of filling in the centre of each round, then pinch the pastry together to form three corners, leaving a little of the filling showing in the middle of the pastry. Bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Nutritional information per pastry: Energy 202kcal/852kJ; Protein 3.1g; Carbohydrate 32.3g, of which sugars 25.9g; Fat 7.6g, of which saturates 3.1g; Cholesterol 19mg; Calcium 78mg; Fibre 2g; Sodium 44mg.

This classic honey cake is richly spiced, redolent of ginger, cinnamon and other sweet, aromatic scents. For this reason it is eaten at Rosh Hashanah in the hope of a sweet new year.

SERVES 8

175g/6oz/1
1
/
2
cups plain (all-purpose) flour

75g/3oz/
1
/
3
cup caster (superfine) sugar

2.5ml/
1
/
2
tsp ground ginger

2.5–5ml/
1
/
2
–1 tsp ground cinnamon

5ml/1 tsp mixed (apple pie) spice

5ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

225g/8oz/1 cup clear honey

60ml/4 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

grated rind of 1 orange

2 eggs

75ml/5 tbsp orange juice

10ml/2 tsp chopped fresh root ginger, or to taste

1
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Line a rectangular baking tin (pan), measuring 25 × 20 × 5cm/10 × 8 × 2in, with baking parchment. Mix together the flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda.

2
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the clear honey, vegetable or olive oil, orange rind and eggs. Using a wooden spoon or electric whisk, beat until smooth, then add the orange juice. Stir in the ginger.