Enter the CKCA Hamantaschen Photo Contest!!!!

Since we know that most everyone associated with CKCA has briefly retired their plans to make mousse pies and buttercream cupcakes to make Hamantaschen for the next several days, CKCA is helping to celebrate Purim by awarding one scholarship to Naomi Ross's March 14th, 2010 Sunday class at CKCA on Pesach Sweets.

Here's what you have to do to win!

1. Make Hamantaschen. Here's Liz's mom's classic recipe if you need it.

2. Take a photo of your delicious creation, and post it on our Facebook group (if you need to find it, search for "Center for Kosher Culinary Arts" in the Facebook search box). Explain what kind of hamantaschen you have made, describe the filling and any special additions, and make sure your name is in the caption. Only photos with the name of the baker in the caption will be eligible. Photos must be taken by the baker, this year.

3. Ask your friends and family to join the Facebook group and click like on your photo. Current Facebook group members can also click like on their favorite photos.

4. By Shushan Purim at midnight(Monday night, March 1, 2010), we will all know who the winner is, and we will make an official announcement the following day. The winner will receive entry to the CKCA Recreational Class Pesach Sweets, with Naomi Ross, on March 14, 2010 from 10:00am-2:00pm.

5. Good luck to all participants!!!! And a happy, freylich Purim to ALL!!!!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Spiked Berry Coulis

Want to wow your family and friends this Pesach? Make this recipe by Naomi Ross, who will be teaching this as well as two more incredible Pesach Sweets recipes on March 14th, 2010, from 10:00am-2:00pm at CKCA. Visit this link or call Jesse Blonder asap at 718-758-1339 to sign up!!!


"Using good quality chocolate is the secret for producing a wonderfully intense and satisfying chocolate dessert such as this - Alprose or Callebaut are both excellent choices. This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine."

16 oz. good quality bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped

1 cup (2 sticks) pareve salted margarine, divided

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

5 large eggs

1 cup sugar

Spiked Berry Coulis

Optional: Fresh mint sprigs for garnishing

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 9-inch-diameter springform pan or cake pan with margarine; line bottom with parchment. Stir 1 2/3 cups chopped chocolate pieces and 3/4 cup margarine in medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Whisk in cocoa and espresso. Cool 10 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl on high speed until thick, about 6 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake torte until dry and cracked on top and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 42 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 1 hour (center will fall). Using spatula, press raised edges so top is level. Cut around pan sides; remove sides. Place plate atop torte and invert onto plate. Remove pan bottom; peel off paper, and cool torte completely.

Stir remaining 1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate and 1/4 cup margarine in small saucepan over low heat until smooth (do not overheat). Whisk in 2 tablespoons berry coulis. Cool glaze 15 minutes. Pour glaze into center of torte. Smooth top with spatula, allowing some of glaze to drip down sides. Refrigerate uncovered until glaze is set, about 1 hour.*

Cut torte into wedges; spoon coulis alongside. Garnish with mint and berries, if desired.

*Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Spiked Berry Coulis

A coulis is a thick puree that can be used as an embellishment. This coulis can be made with raspberries as listed below or with a combination of mixed berries if available. This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, up to 1 week, or frozen for several months.

1 1-lb. bag frozen raspberries, thawed and drained (or 3 cups fresh)

½ cup sugar, plus more as needed

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed

2 tbsp. sweet white wine

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until the berries are completely broken up. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve (or cheesecloth) to remove the seeds. Taste and adjust with additional sugar or lemon juice as needed.

Passover Chocolate Cake

The Art and Science of Hamantaschen

Our definitive guide to Hamantaschen was published today on Kosher.com. Read it here!

(And click here to read about our Facebook Hamantaschen photo contest!)

And here's our recipe, courtesy of Ruth Book!

Ingredients:

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons milk/rice milk/water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup of your favorite filling

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cream together margarine and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture with the mixer on low, alternating with water or rice milk.
5. Chill the dough for 1 hour to overnight, then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, and using a water glass or round cookie cutter, cut into 2-inch rounds.
6. Fill each round with 1 heaping teaspoon of your favorite filling, and draw up sides for triangle.
7. Seal edges with cold water.
8. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 12-15 minutes



Traditional Hamantaschen

Lucious and Pareve Lemon Bars

CKCA director Jesse Blonder recently took this gorgeous picture of the Pro Baking and Pastry class's lemon bar creations. Such a picture deserves applause, and everyone who has seen the photo is asking for the recipe. So here is the CKCA version of the incomparable lemon bar.

Dough:

3 cups unsalted margarine
2 and 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 pint pasteurized egg substitute
1 egg yolk
2 whole eggs
7 cups flour

Cream the margarine and powdered sugar. Combine all egg products, and slowly add to the creamed sugar mixture and incorporate. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour. Do not overmix.

Dust a pan (a half sheet pan or several smaller pans) with flour, cover with parchment paper, and pack the dough with your fingers into the pan evenly and refrigerate for at least one hour. Prick the surface with a fork and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.

Filling:

8 eggs
2 and 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
11 fluid oz. lemon juice
5 fluid oz. almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Whip the sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the pastry flour, then add the liquid ingredients and salt. Pour the filling into the baked dough, and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, until set. Cool, and then dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

This recipe makes at least 80 lemon bars. For a lucious change, try substituting the lemon with lime juice!

Lemon Bar Cookies