Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Remember this cake? It’s an oldie but goodie and I decided to make one the other day. It’s been years! Can’t say why I don’t make it more often because it’s one of the best cakes ever. The recipe is not original with me. I don’t remember when or where I got it. It’s a classic. It’s a winner.

Btw, I only had 1/2 cup of sour cream so I used that plus 1/2 cup plain Greek style yogurt.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup butter

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

topping:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1/4 cup chopped nuts

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream the sugar and butter together in an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs. Add the sifted, dry ingredients alternating with the sour cream. Stir in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Pour half the batter into the bundt pan. Pour in the topping ingredients. Cover with remaining batter. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let rest in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely.  

Makes one cake serving 12-16 people

Meat Kreplach

I had such a nice response to my post and recipe for potato and cheese pierogies/kreplach and also, someone mentioned varenikas. So, I might catch some flack for this but basically, the dough for all three is similar and in Poland the dumplings are known as pierogies, in Ukraine they’re called varenikas and Ashkenazi Jews know them as kreplach. No matter what you call them, they are marvels.

For those who are kosher, obviously the dough for meat kreplach has no butter or other dairy. The texture is somewhat different but still very similar to dairy dough. My kreplach dough has eggs, which gives them a nice, tender texture.

MEAT KREPLACH

DOUGH:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 2-3 tablespoons cold water, approximately

• chicken soup or a saute pan and vegetable oil

Place the flour, salt and eggs in a food processor. Process, gradually adding just enough water for a ball of dough to form. Wrap the dough and let rest for at least one hour. Roll the dough, a portion at a time, on a floured surface until the dough is very thin. Cut into 2-1/2 to 3-inch squares. Place one heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Fold the dough over the filling to make a triangle. Pinch the dough together to seal the edges (if necessary wet two edges of the square before folding). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kreplach about a dozen at a time, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender. To serve, place the cooked kreplach in chicken soup and cook for 4-5 minutes. You may also fry the kreplach (on one side until golden brown) in vegetable oil.

FILLING:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 medium clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)

• 12 ounces chopped, cooked beef

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Place the meat in a bowl. Add the onion, garlic, egg, paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.

Potato and Cheese Pierogies/Kreplach

I've learned that after Passover most people I know want pizza or a bagel. But I want what I always want. My favorite dish on the planet: Kreplach/pieorgies (poached or fried) stuffed with potato and cheese and served with sour cream.

POTATO-CHEESE KREPLACH/PIEROGIES

FILLING:

• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about one pound), peeled, cut into chunks (about 3 cups mashed potatoes)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 cup farmer cheese

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potato chunks in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and spoon into a bowl. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden brown. Add the onions to the potatoes. Add the farmer cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix the ingredients until well blended. Set aside to cool before filling the dough.

DOUGH:

• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks

• 2/3 cup water, approximately

• 1 cup dairy sour cream

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dough until the mixture is crumbly. Add 1/2 cup of the water and the sour cream and mix the dough until it is smooth, soft and well blended. If the dough seems too dry, add more water. (You can do this in a food processor.) Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Using portions of the dough, roll the dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-3-1/2” squares. Place about one tablespoon of the filling onto each square. Slightly wet 2 sides of the square along the border. Fold the dough over the filling to make a triangle, pressing down onto the moist strips to seal the dough. Use the back of a fork to press the edges. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the filled kreplach, 8-10 at a time, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until they are tender. Remove the kreplach with a slotted spoon and set aside; repeat.

Serve with sour cream and chopped chives or scallion tops.

Makes about 30

Matzo Meal Pancakes with Blueberries

I love that matzo meal is slightly, vaguely grainy. It gives pancakes an entirely different texture. Sometimes I make them plain, sometimes with some fresh fruit, like these, with blueberries. I like them sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, but sour cream, maple syrup, jam are all fine.

Matzo Meal pancakes with Blueberries

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup milk, approximately

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup matzo meal

• 1/4 cup sugar

• pinch of salt

• 1 cup blueberries

• butter

Place the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk them together until blended. Add the matzo meal, sugar, and salt and mix until well blended. Fold in the blueberries. Add more milk if the mixture seems too thick and dry — it should be the consistency of pancake batter. Heat some butter in a saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, drop some of the matzo mixture into the pan. Fry for about 1-1/ 2 to 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned on both sides. Add more butter to the pan if needed.

Makes about 12

My Grandma's Chremslach

Chremslach

Over the years our Seder dinner has changed from time to time, mindful of newcomers to the family or accommodating the people who are vegetarian or who have allergies and so on.

But one dish has been a constant, from the time the Seders were at my grandma’s house, through the years when my mother hosted, continuing through when it was my turn: Chremslach. My grandma’s recipe for honey drenched matzo fritters.

This year, for the first time, one of my daughters is taking over. I’m thrilled for us and for her, to pass the torch, though, truth be told, a little sad too.

I will bring the Chremslach.

L’dor v’dor.

CHREMSLACH

• 3 large eggs, separated

• pinch of salt

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup matzo meal

• vegetable oil for frying

• 1 pound honey, approximately

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, salt and one tablespoon vegetable oil together until well blended. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until the whites stand up in peaks. Fold the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the matzo meal. Let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes (I refrigerate). With cool, wet hands, shape portions of the mixture into disks about 1-1/2-inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Heat about 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Fry the disks for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides (you may have to flatten them slightly with a rigid spatula). Drain on paper towels and place the fried disks in a large saucepan. Pour the honey over the disks. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or until heated through and all the disks are coated with honey. Serve immediately or make ahead and reheat. Add more honey as tastes dictate.

*You can make these 3-4 days in advance and keep them in the honey — may need more honey as the fritters become soaked. Or you can keep the fritters and honey separate and cook them together just before you serve them. My grandma added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I don’t because of nut allergies and actually like them better without).

Makes 10-12 servings

Vegetable Soup Burgers

Veggie Burgers

My daughters are not big meat eaters, so when they were young kids and still living at home, I rarely served beef or veal. One daughter is allergic to fish. So we mostly ate chicken, turkey and carbs.

One of our favorite dinners was chicken and soup plus the leftovers from that dinner. Like chicken pot pie. And best of all, burgers made from the soup vegetables.

Chicken soup burgers was a kid favorite. They still talk about those! And I still make them, year round, just for Ed and me.

Because they are so good.

Of course you can make this a vegetarian meal with regular cooked vegetables not from soup!

But if you are making chicken soup for Passover, here’s a great meal from the veggies you use for flavoring.

You can halve this recipe if you don’t have that many veggies in your soup (I make a ton of soup for Passover).

CHICKEN SOUP BURGERS

• 8 cooked carrots, cut up

• 6 stalks cooked celery, cut up

• 2 cooked parsnips, cut up

• 1 large cooked onion, cut up

• 2-3 sprigs of cooked or fresh dill

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup matzo meal

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• vegetable oil

Place the cooked vegetables and dill in a food processor and pulse to combine them and chop them into very fine pieces. Spoon the contents into a bowl. Add the egg, matzo meal and some salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly to combine the ingredients evenly. Shape portions of the mixture into patties about 1/2-inch thick. Heat about 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough to make a crumb sizzle, add the patties, a few at a time, leaving space between them in the pan. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the patties for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Makes about 12

Aunt Fanny's Passover cookies

My great-aunt Fanny’s thumbprint cookies have been a family favorite for over a century. They’re the best butter cookies on earth and we lovingly call them Fannies (rather than just butter or thumbprint cookies) in her honor.

I’ve written about these cookies several times and the recipe for her original is on my website.

But we love these cookies so much I have experimented over the years to find a version suitable for Passover.

Success!

There are a couple of recipes for different versions on my website (using matzo cake meal). Everyone likes all the recipes, however, this one has been declared the favorite. They’re not nut-free, obviously, but they are gluten free.

Aunt Fanny and her cookie recipe: this is what is meant by immortality.

ALMOND AND COCONUT BUTTER COOKIES (PASSOVER)

• 2 cups almond flour

• 1/2 cup coconut flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• jam, lekvar, chocolate chips, etc.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the almond flour, coconut flour and salt in a bowl and set aside. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the almond flour mixture and mix another 1-2 minutes, or until the ingredients are almost blended. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients 1-2 minutes, or until a uniform dough forms. Refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes. Scoop pieces of dough and shape them into balls about 1" in diameter. Flatten the balls between your palms (about 1/8”). Press each circle with your thumb to make an indentation in the center. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet, leaving an inch of space between them. Fill the thumb print spaces with a small amount of lekvar, jam, etc. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

Makes about 50

Easy Roasted Halibut

Easy Roasted Halibut

The easiest dinner: a fat hunk of fresh halibut (one of my favorites): brush with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper (I used Aleppo pepper), chopped scallions, chopped fresh dill and a hint of salt and a couple of squeezes of fresh lemon juice. Roast at 425F for about 10-12 minutes.

That’s it!

Ok, I also placed a few lemon slices on the dish and some cut up small tomatoes. No big deal, right?

Roasted Fruit Cocktail

Roasted Fruit Cocktail

After a huge Passover Seder meal (or any big dinner), Roasted Fruit Cocktail is an excellent choice for dessert. Roasting brings out the fruit sugars in a tantalizing way with hints of rum and molasses. The chopped mint adds color and a really fresh, perky finish.

ROASTED FRUIT COCKTAIL

• 1 ripe fresh pineapple

• 2 fresh mangos

• 3/4 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup honey

• cinnamon

• 18-20 strawberries, hulls removed

• 1 cup seedless red grapes

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

• sorbet or ice cream, optional

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a jelly roll sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.Remove the leaves and hard outer shell of the pineapple. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into 1-inch thick strips. Discard the fibrous core. Place the remaining strips on the parchment-lined jelly roll pan. Peel the mango and cut the flesh into strips. Set aside. Place the orange juice and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat slightly and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the liquid is slightly thickened. Generously brush all surfaces of the pineapple strips with the orange juice mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roast for 4-5 minutes. Turn the strips over. Add the mango strips, strawberries and grapes to the pan. Brush with the remaining orange juice mixture. Roast for another 6-7 minutes or until fruit is soft and lightly caramelized. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool. Cut the pineapple and mango strips into bite size pieces. Place all the fruit and accumulated pan juices in a bowl, sprinkle with the mint and toss. Place into serving dishes. Serve plain or with sorbet or ice cream.

Makes 8 servings

Khoshaf for Passover

Khoshaf

My grandma always cooked stewed dried fruit and I always associated that particular dish with her generation of Ashkenazi Jewish grandmas.

But, several years ago when Ed and I were in Egypt I noticed what looked like grandma’s “dried fruit compote” on every hotel breakfast buffet.

It wasn’t compote though. It was a dish called Khoshaf and apparently is a specialty served to break the Ramadan fast (and at lots of other times too). It is made with dried fruit, like compote, but it isn’t stewed! The fruit is steeped in a sweet, boiling syrupy liquid so it stays firm and pleasantly chewy. I took one taste and was hooked! I still make stewed fruit compote sometimes but other times I have a yen for khoshaf. It’s a special treat and perfect for Passover.

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KHOSHAF

• 1-1/2 cups water

• 1 cup apricot nectar (or orange juice, peach juice, white grape juice, etc)

• 1/4 cup (or more or less to taste) sugar

• 1 tablespoon orange flower water, rosewater or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 lemon or orange cut into quarters

• 1 cup dried apricots

• 1 cup prunes or dried plums

• 1 cup dried figs, halved or quaretred, depending on size

• 1 cup raisins

• chopped pistachio nuts

Combine the water, apricot nectar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the flavoring. Pour over the fruit and toss ingredients. Let rest for at least one hour, tossing the ingredients occasionally. Sprinkle with nuts and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings