Panforte

Yield:

• 8" round, about 20 servings

Time:

• 1 hrs 20 mins. to 1 hrs 35 mins.

Difficulty:

• Moderate

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups skinned hazelnuts
• 1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds
• 3 cups candied mixed peel (or a mixture of candied orange peel and candied lemon peel)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• confectioners' sugar, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line an 8" round cake pan (springform if you have it) with parchment or foil, and grease the parchment.
2. Toast the hazelnuts and almonds till light golden brown. It's best to do this in separate pans, as they toast at slightly different rates, and you may want to take one pan out of the oven before the other. Remove the nuts from the oven, set them aside to cool a bit, and then chop coarsely.
3. Put the nuts, candied peel, spices, salt, and flour in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
4. Combine the sugar, honey, and butter in a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Using an instant-read or candy thermometer, boil the syrup, stirring frequently, till it reaches a temperature of about 245°F. 
5. Immediately pour the boiling syrup over the fruit and nuts in the bowl. Stir to combine, and pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula or wet fingers.  You need to work fast, as the mixture will start to stiffen up. Place the cake pan on a baking sheet, to catch any potential spills.
6. Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes; it won't seem firm, but will set as it cools. Remove from oven, and after 45 minutes, loosen edges with a table knife or heat-proof spatula. Turn the warm panforte out of the pan onto a piece of parchment or foil. 
7. Sprinkle the top of the panforte heavily with confectioners' sugar, gently rubbing it in, if desired. Let cool completely before wrapping airtight.
8. Store at room temperature for up to 2 months. Serve
   in thin wedges.

Notes:

• To skin hazelnuts, roast and then rub in a kitchen towel,  Doesn't have to be perfect.
• Key step is to get syrup to exactly 245°F.  Don't overcook or you will have brittle candy, not chewy fudge,

Variations:

• Add whatever additional spices to taste (e.g., ¼ t coriander, mace instead of nutmeg)
• Substitute any dried fruit [melon is especially nice] but keep it at least 50% citrus peel
• Add 1-2 t unsweetened cocoa to taste.

Source: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/panforte-recipe

Vegan macaroons

Yield  24-36 macaroons

Time: 90 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups dried unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 tbsp potato starch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 large egg whites or 8T aquafaba
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 13 oz. dark chocolate, divided [½ cup if omitting decoration]

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the shredded coconut, potato starch, sugar and salt till well blended. Break up any chunks of potato starch with the fork.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg whites and vanilla till frothy.
3. Pour the egg white mixture into the dried coconut mixture. Use the fork to stir the batter together, making sure the coconut is fully and evenly moistened by the egg whites. Let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes while the coconut rehydrates.
4.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Stir the batter again with a fork. Line a baking sheet with parchment or with a Silpat. Scoop up the batter in tablespoonfuls and drop them onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced. They won’t spread, so you can bake them fairly close together.
5. The batter will be delicate… it won’t “hold” together the way a cookie dough does, but as they bake they’ll stick together and solidify. When you’ve dropped all of the batter onto your baking sheets, use wet fingers to gently shape the macaroons into rough domes or haystacks. Don’t worry, they’re not supposed to be perfect.
6. Bake the macaroons for 20-25 minutes till the bottom edges turn golden and the tips of the coconut shreds start to brown. Remove from the oven. Don’t over-bake or they will become dry.
7. Let the macaroons cool directly on the baking sheet before moving them. Trying to move them too soon will cause them to crumble.
8. When the macaroons have cooled completely, you can dip and decorate them. First, place them on a flat surface lined with parchment paper. Melt 9 oz dark chocolate, either in the microwave or in a double boiler. I melt mine in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, stir, then continue to melt in 15 second bursts at 50% power till the chocolate becomes smooth.
9. Grasp each macaroon at the top and dip the wider base into the melted chocolate, twisting it into the chocolate and coating it about 1/4 inch up the sides.
10. Pull macaroon up and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl (you may need to "help" the excess off with your finger), then place the dipped macaroon onto the flat parchment. Repeat for remaining macaroons.
11. When all the macaroons have been dipped, melt the remaining 4 oz dark chocolate and scoop it into a plastic zipper bag (Ziploc). Gently squeeze all of the chocolate to one lower corner of thebag, then close the top of the bag, leaving a small gap so it's not completely sealed shut and air can escape. In the corner where you've pushed the melted chocolate, use scissors to snip a very small corner off of the bag. You'll be able to squeeze a small, thin stream of chocolate through this whole. Drizzle the tops of the macaroons with the chocolate, making a zig-zag motion to decorate
12. Once the macaroons have been decorated, allow them to dry. Depending on the weather or temperature in your home, this can take several hours up to overnight. To speed the process, decorate macaroons on a parchment-lined tray and place them in the refrigerator; the chocolate will firm up faster that way
13. .Once the macaroons are completely dry, store them in a sealed Tupperware container in single lyers divided by parchment or wax paper. A sealed container is very important, it will keep the macaroons moist and stop them from drying out. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for 7 days or longer.
    

Source: http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2013/03/dark-chocolate-dipped-macaroons

1. 
   

Vegan Challah

 

Yield:  2 large loaves

Time: 1 ½ hours, not counting time to rise

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water, plus additional as needed
• 2 packets (4 ½ t) instant yeast
• ½ c sugar
• ½ c oil
• 2 t kosher salt [1½ t if using table salt]
• 2 lbs bread flour 
• ⅛ cup soy milk
• poppy or sesame seeds 

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Combine with flour, salt, and oil in electric mixer, and mix until combined, adding additional tablespoons of water until dough gathers into a ball. Add two more tablespoons of water and continue to mix until well kneaded.
2. Cover mixing bowl with damp dishtowel and let rise until doubled in bulk. 
3. Punch down, divide into six parts and form into one large or two small braided loaves.  Set on baking sheets or parchment and let rise a second time. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Brush risen loaves with soy milk, and sprinkle with seeds.  Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.

Notes:

• OK to refrigerate overnight after 1st rise, even do the rise in the refrigerator. This is now my standard Thursday night routine.
• You can also make with 50% bread flour and 50% all-purpose. (Or even 100% all-purpose if you have no bread flour.)  The dough is a little easier to handle, and the crumb is firmer.
• Adjust salt and sugar to your family's taste.
• One large loaf will take a little longer to bake than two small.

Variations:

• Add golden raisins and form into round loaf or braided ring for Rosh Hashanah, or for a sweet bread at any time of year.

Source: Adapted from a recipe found in various places on the Internet and attributed to a Rebbetzin Batsheva Esther Kanievsky [who used an egg wash instead of soy milk].

Eggplant with Red Potatoes

Yield:  4 to 6 servings

Time: under 45 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil or melted ghee (page 41)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 large oval eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 large red potatoes (or any kind), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds
• 1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder - see notes)
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
• ½ teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large cast iron or nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander, turmeric, and salt, then add the eggplant, potatoes, and green chile peppers. Cover the pan and cook over high heat, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the eggplant is very soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir every 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the mango powder and cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Notes:

• Use any kind of eggplant - especially nice with the small egg-sized ones found in Indian groceries, which can simply be quartered.
• Mango powder (amchur) is available at Indian groceries or online at Penzeys – you can leave it out, but the sour-savory flavor gives this dish [and others] an extra kick.  Maybe one could use tamarind instead - I haven't tried. 
• Potatoes take longer to cook than eggplant, so unless you like very soft eggplant, add the potatoes and cook for about ten minutes before you add the eggplant.

Variations:

Source: Neelam Batra, 1000 Indian Recipes

Saag Paneer

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces paneer cheese 
• 2 small bunches (about 1 pound) fresh spinach, trimmed of roots only, washed well and
• coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger + 1 (1-inch) piece peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 4 large garlic cloves, 2 peeled + 1 minced
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon melted ghee
   
• 2 1-inch sticks cinnamon
• 5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt, whisk until smooth
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
• 4 whole dried small red chili peppers, such as chile de arbol

Instructions

1. Cut paneer into 1-by-½ inch squares. Lightly fry if you like [see notes below].
2. Place spinach, onion, ginger slices, whole garlic, and water in a large nonstick saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. 
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the spinach is wilted and the onion tender, about 10 minutes. 
4. Let cool, then pulse lightly in a food processor until just minced (do not make a smooth puree) and return to the pan.  [An immersion blender works nicely here.]
5. Heat the oil and ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, cardamom pods, and ginger matchsticks, stirring until the ginger is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, coriander, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and salt and stir a few seconds. Then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Immediately transfer to the spinach, cover, and simmer over medium heat, 10 to 15 minutes.
6.  Add the paneer cheese to the pan and stir gently to mix, trying not to break the pieces. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.Transfer to a serving dish.
7. Heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the dried chile peppers, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, add the paprika, then immediately add to the spinach dish and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of the chile peppers visible as a garnish. Serve hot.

Notes:

• The proportion of spinach to paneer cheese varies according to the cook's taste.  Also, the authentic recipe calls for the paneer pieces to be deep-fried: if you wish, lightly fry the paneer pieces until they are just golden. This firms up the pieces, so you don't have to be as careful when stirring.
• If you like more of a ginger flavor, use all the ginger in the sauté instead of boiling some with the greens.

Variations:

• Substitute tofu and soy yogurt to make a vegan dish.

Source: Neelam Batra, 1,000 Indian Recipes.