Mishloach manot ready yet? Purim is coming!
Purim is near, arriving Thursday evening, March 13. It is an early sign of spring, time to bake a lot and begin to use up the flour and other chametz products in preparation for Passover.
Mishloach manot is a wonderful tradition that calls for us to bring prepared foods to our friends. One of the reasons for this tradition is that Haman spread nasty rumors that the Jews did not get along and were suffering from internal turmoil. The generous gesture of bringing food to neighbors showed that to be untrue.
Even in those days, misinformation was rampant! We continue this tradition today in gestures of friendship and, sometimes, even as a peace offering to make amends and repair relationships.
My grandmother used to bake for days, wrap her treats in layers of waxed paper and place them in round tins. She would give them to the people in her building and to her 11 grandchildren who adored her cookies and coffee cakes.
My mother would make her famous brownies and then supplement with cookies and raisins from the store. I used to set up bags, have my kids decorate them with stickers and art work, then they would fill them with granola bars, grape juice, candy and always some oranges and pretzels.
I had three kids, was working two jobs and had no time to bake. It worked. I only went back to baking once they were grown and I was working only one full-time job. So what if my students got their papers back a day later — as long as I brought in a tray of leftover brownies and cookies!
Today, many of us find ourselves too busy to bake or cook. Luckily, many synagogues and local institutions — as well as several Internet companies — will send baskets on our behalf to friends and family. Some of our schools have children decorate bags and fill them with prepackaged foods and deliver some to Jewish Senior living facilities and then to their own families.
Enjoy the holiday and bring something special to your friends to brighten the end of this dismal winter.
GF Chocolate Chip Cookies (Pareve)
1 cup (generous) almond butter
1 extra-large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. (scant) pure almond extract
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1-1/4 cups semi or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins or snipped apricots
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the almond butter, egg, extracts and sugar together until well-blended.
Mix in the chips and nuts and any optional ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on two cookie sheets. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely before moving. Makes about 2 dozen.
Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti (Pareve)
You need to make these the night before, but they are delicious with tea or fruit for dessert. For an extra treat, dip each cookie halfway in melted chocolate and chopped, toasted almonds and refrigerate to harden. Wrap each piece separately or tightly wrap a few together so they won’t crumble.
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1-1/2 cups mini chocolate chips or finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
3 tbsp. softened butter or pareve margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
2 eggs, room temp
2 egg whites room temp
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 tsp. almond extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of flour. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, mix the remainder of the flour, the baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat to soften. Add the sugar and beat until blended. Add the almonds and beat for 30 seconds. Add the eggs and egg whites and beat until evenly colored and creamy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat to blend. Remove the bowl from the stand and mix in the flour. Add the chocolate chips and mix to blend evenly.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Divide into two logs and place them, 4 inches apart, on the cookie sheets. Flatten lightly. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.
Make diagonal slices about 3/4 inches thick. Watch closely. Turn as soon as the biscotti look slightly golden. Flip the slices onto their sides and toast in a 325-degree oven for 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. For a special treat, dip half the biscotti in melted chocolate and then in chopped toasted almonds, if you like.
Triple Fudge Cream Cheese Brownies (Dairy)
Chocolate brownie, chocolate cream cheese and chocolate chunks! These are a very special treat for chocoholics and are best made and delivered within a day. Refrigerate, then cut and wrap individually in plastic wrap.
FILLING:
1 cup chopped excellent quality bittersweet chocolate or mini semisweet chips, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 oz. brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
1 extra-large egg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 (scant) tbsp. unbleached flour
BROWNIE BATTER:
2 sticks plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
FROSTING:
12 to 14 oz. semi or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
PREPARE THE FILLING:
Place half the chocolate and all the cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 10 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until just melted. Set aside to cool.
Place the cream cheese, egg and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Pour the cooled chocolate into the cheese mixture and mix just to blend. Remove the bowl from the stand, add the remaining chocolate and the flour and mix well. Refrigerate to cool.
PREPARE BROWNIE BATTER:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9x13 brownie pan. Set aside. Remove the chilled cheese mixture from the refrigerator. Set aside.
Place the butter, sugars and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Scrape bowl as needed.
Sift the cocoa, flour and baking powder together in a small bowl. Set aside. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Set aside.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Spread half the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Drop dollops of the cheese filling over the batter and gently spread as well as you can. When done, top with the remaining chocolate batter. Spread evenly. Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the hot brownies. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chocolate is melted. Spread gently and evenly. Let the bars cool completely before cutting. Makes 12 to 28 bars.
Coffee Toffee Crunch Bars (Dairy)
2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/3 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 Tbsp. Instant espresso powder
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi or bittersweet chocolate chips, chunks or chopped chocolate
1/2 cup toffee candy or toffee bits
1/2 cup sliced almonds
OPTIONAL: 3 to 4 oz. melted chocolate.
Preheat the oven to 325. Place flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk. Set aside.
Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add espresso powder and beat 1 minute, scraping bowl as needed.
Add flour mixture in thirds, beating on low after each addition, just until blended. Scrape bowl as needed. Remove bowl from stand and stir in chips, bits and almonds.
Use clean hands and spread the dough into a 12-inch square onto a large, ungreased, rimmed baking sheet. Prick thoroughly with a fork. Bake until edges look golden, about 30 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully cut into 48 pieces. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate. Transfer to a rack or plate to cool. Makes 48.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
