Date Night Babka Recipe By Tasty Recipes

CHOCOLATE BRAIDED SWIRL BREAD (BABKA) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and warm milk and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In large mixing bowl, add the egg, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, and honey and whisk to combine.
• Add in the milk and yeast mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
• Gradually add in the flour and mix until fully incorporated.
• Gradually add in the butter and mix until fully incorporated.
• Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Bring out the dough onto floured work surface and knead until smooth.
• Divide the dough into two equal parts and place in bowls and cover each with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for at least two hours, or when it has doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
• For the chocolate sauce, combine bittersweet chocolate, butter, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, espresso powder, and turbinado sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Stir to combine and set aside.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface and roll both pieces of dough into a rectangle roughly 10x15-inches.
• Cover the dough with half of the chocolate sauce leaving an ½ inch - 1 inch of room on all sides.
• Gently roll the dough up and repeat with second piece of dough and remaining chocolate sauce.
• Using a bench scraper or a knife, carefully cut each log vertically in half making sure the seam is side down.
• Lay one piece of dough horizontally and lay another piece over it vertically so you have a rough 'plus sign'.
• Lay another piece horizontally over the vertical piece and above the other horizontal piece.
• Lay the final piece vertically on the right of the other vertical piece having it go over the top horizontal piece but weaving it under the lower horizontal piece.
• Starting with the bottom vertical piece on the right side, bring it to the left layering it over the other vertical lower piece.
• Follow this method around the dough clockwise.
• Once returned to the bottom lower vertical pieces. Take the original piece you crossed over (the lower left vertical piece) and cross that over to the right layering it over the last piece you used. Continue this counterclockwise until back at the bottom or you are unable to layer the dough anymore.
• Tuck in the excess pieces of dough under the bread.
• Transfer the bread into a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
• Enjoy!

SLICE AND BAKE RAINBOW COOKIES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat butter until creamy.
• Add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat until well combined.
• Gradually, add the flour until dough is moist and holds together, but doesn't stick to your hands.
• Place dough on a cutting board and form into a ball. Cut in half, then cover one half with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Divide the other half into 6 pieces. The outer layers of the rainbow will need a little bit more dough, so make two of them slightly larger than the others.
• Dye the dough with food coloring by placing a ¼ teaspoon of dye on the ball of dough and kneading it until it is one solid color. Gloves optional but suggested.
• Starting with purple, roll the dough into a log about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) long. This will be the center of the rainbow.
• Next, roll out the blue dough with a rolling pin until it's about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, slightly longer than the purple, and wide enough to wrap around the purple dough. Repeat with the green, yellow, orange, and red doughs. The further away from the purple you get, the wider the dough needs to be to go around the previous color, making the red dough the widest.
• Wrap the blue dough around the purple, pinching together any cracks that form, cutting off any excess dough. Repeat with the rest of the colors.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap, and cut the dough in half to make 2 rainbow shapes. Set aside.
• Cut the reserved dough in half, roll out to ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness, and make it slightly longer than the rainbow log.
• Place the rainbow dough in the center and wrap the plain dough around it, again, pinching together any cracks and smoothing out the surface.
• Repeat with the other halves. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap. Slice cookies about ½-inch (1 cm) thick and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom has browned slightly.
• Cool on a cooling rack.
• Enjoy!

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS (PAIN AU CHOCOLATE) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the flour, water, milk, sugar, salt, yeast, and butter.
• Once the dough starts to clump, turn it out onto a clean counter.
• Lightly knead the dough and form it into a ball, making sure not to over-knead it.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
• Slice the cold butter in thirds and place it onto a sheet of parchment paper..
• Place another piece of parchment on top of the butter, and beat it with a rolling pin.
• Keeping the parchment paper on the butter, use a rolling pin to roll the butter into a 7-inch (18 cm) square, ½-inch (1 cm) thick. If necessary, use a knife to trim the edges and place the trimmings back on top of the butter and continue to roll into a square.
• Transfer the butter layer to the refrigerator.
• To roll out the dough, lightly flour the counter. Place the dough on the counter, and push the rolling pin once vertically into the dough and once horizontally to form four quadrants.
• Roll out each corner and form a 10-inch (25 cm) square.
• Place the butter layer on top of the dough and fold the sides of the dough over the butter, enclosing it completely.
• Roll the dough with a rolling pin to seal the seams, making sure to lengthen the dough, rather than widening it.
• Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it's 8x24 inches (20x61 cm).
• Fold the top half down to the middle, and brush off any excess flour.
• Fold the bottom half over the top and turn the dough clockwise to the left. This completes the first turn.
• Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
• Roll out the dough again two more times, completing three turns in total and refrigerating for 1 hour in between each turn. If at anytime the dough or butter begins to soften, stop and transfer back to the fridge.
• After the final turn, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• To form the croissants, cut the dough in half. Place one half in the refrigerator.
• Flour the surface and roll out the dough into a long narrow strip, about 8x40 inches (20x101 cm).
• With a knife, trim the edges of the dough.
• Cut the dough into 4 rectangles.
• Place the chocolate on the edge of the dough and roll tightly enclosing it in the dough.
• Place the croissants on a baking sheet, seam side down.
• Repeat with the other half of the dough.
• Brush the croissants with the beaten egg. Save the rest of the egg wash in the fridge for later.
• Place the croissants in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Once the croissants have proofed, brush them with one more layer of egg wash.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.
• Enjoy!

BASIC BABKA

Steps:

• Stir white sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and salt into hot milk in a small bowl until butter is melted and mixture is lukewarm. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, sprinkle yeast over warm water; stir to dissolve.
• Stir milk mixture into yeast mixture. Add 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cups of the flour; beat on high until combined. With mixer on low, add remaining 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Switch to the dough hook; mix until dough leaves sides of bowl, about 5 minutes. Set dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, turning dough to coat top. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Prepare walnut filling while dough rises. Lightly beat 3 eggs in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Fold in walnuts.
• Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a large, lightly floured surface, cover with the bowl, and let rest 10 minutes. Line three 9x5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides.
• Divide dough into thirds; roll each third out to a 12-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 1/3 of the walnut filling onto each dough square and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Roll up each square tightly as for a jelly roll. Pinch ends and seams closed to seal. With your palms, roll logs back and forth until uniformly round.
• With a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut 1 log in half lengthwise to form 2 striped strands. Working quickly, twist strands loosely together with cut sides facing out, making 2 or 3 wide, horizontal twists. Fit into one of the prepared pans, patting back any loose filling and tucking ends under, if needed. It might look like a mess now, but it comes out beautifully!
• Repeat with remaining logs and pans. Cover pans with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Loaves should not rise above top edges of pans.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush loaf tops with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Bake loaves until puffed, well browned, and a thermometer inserted in centers registers 200 degrees F (93 degrees C), 35 to 45 minutes. Tent with foil if tops brown before loaves are done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then use parchment to lift from pans and transfer to a wire rack.
• Cool completely, about 1 hour. Glaze if desired, then slice crosswise to serve.

SHOW-STOPPING CHOCOLATE BABKA WREATH BY CHEF SHIMI RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the dough: Add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, add the water, vanilla, egg, and vegetable oil. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, 7-10 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add more water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. If it is too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead by hand until the dough is completely smooth, elastic, and shiny, 2-3 minutes. Shape into a ball. Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil spray, then transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread the hazelnuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 8 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer the hazelnuts to a food processor and process until finely chopped, but still with some texture.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the dark chocolate and cook, whisking frequently, until melted and evenly combined. Whisk in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until completely smooth. The ganache should be spreadable.
• Make the syrup: Use a paring knife to remove the peel from the orange, then thinly slice the peel.
• Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the cinnamon and star anise and continue cooking for about 1 minute, then add the orange peel and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the syrup thickens and the orange peel is tender. Remove the pot from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Assemble the babka: Punch down the dough, then transfer to a clean surface and slice in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough into a 21 x 15-inch (53 x 30-cm) rectangle.
• Using a silicone spatula, spread half of the chocolate ganache evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle half of the ground hazelnuts on top. Starting from a long end, roll the dough up into a tight log. Repeat with the remaining dough, then let the logs rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 365°F (185°C). Line 2 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
• Using a serrated knife, slice a log in half lengthwise. Cross one side of the log over the other in an X shape with the cut sides facing up. Starting from the center, braid the two halves together to the bottom and top. You can leave as is, or bring the ends together to form a wreath. Transfer to a prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining babka.
• Make the egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until smooth.
• Brush the egg wash lightly over the babka wreaths.
• Bake the babkas for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, heat the syrup to low heat until hot.
• Remove the babkas from the oven and slowly ladle the hot syrup on top, letting it soak into the babkas. Garnish with dried rose petals and pistachios, if desired.
• Transfer the babkas to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.
• To serve, gently slice the babkas with a serrated bread knife.
• Enjoy!

DATE NIGHT BABKA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, turn out onto a floured board and knead well for 5 minutes. Allow to rise in a large bowl in a dark place, covered with plastic wrap or a towel for 1 ½ hours.
• Be sure to check that the dough is the right consistency (not too sticky but not too dry; should be able to hold a shape) adding flour or water, one tablespoon at a time as necessary.
• When the dough cycle is complete, remove dough from the bread machine and divide into 2 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll one of the portions into a rope, and using a rolling pin, roll it into a rectangle approximately 12 inches long and 10 inches wide.
• Spread a thin layer of date paste (approximately 3-4 tablespoons) on the rectangle, being sure to leave around ½ an inch border all around the edge. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon over the paste. Starting with the long edge of the dough, gently but tightly roll the dough up to the end.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the strand in half the long way (freezing the dough for 10 minutes prior to this will make slicing easier).
• Lay the halves next to each other, cut side up, and lift one side over the next, twisting the two together. When completed, start on one side of the twist and slowly roll it until it reaches the end, creating a spiral. When you reach the end, tuck the tip under the spiral to complete the circle. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
• Repeat with the other half of the dough.
• Cover each babka with a towel and let rise for 20-30 minutes in a draft-free place.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat egg yolk with water and brush over the babka. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until set.
• Serve warm.