Show Stopping Chocolate Babka Wreath By Chef Shimi Recipe By Tasty Recipes

BAKLAVA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• Make the syrup: In a small pot over medium high heat, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to a syrupy consistency, 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Make the filling: In a food processor, combine the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon. Process until very finely ground.
• Assemble the baklava: On a flat surface, lay out a sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with melted butter.
• Spoon some of the filling along the bottom edge of the phyllo sheet, leaving ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) space from the bottom, then roll up as tightly as you can. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients. You should be about to fit about 12 phyllo rolls per baking sheet.
• Brush the tops of the rolls with butter, then use a knife to score the rolls diagonally where you will slice them after baking.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Immediately after removing from the oven, brush the baklava with the syrup. Finish slicing, then serve.
• Enjoy!

BAKED CHURRO BITES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180˚C).
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar in the water and bring to a boil.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the flour.
• Take the pot off of the heat source, and mix in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time.
• Transfer mixture to a piping bag with a 5 point, or star, tip.
• Pipe out thick 3-inch (8 cm) strips of churro batter onto a baking sheet covered with parchment, using a knife to release each piece from the piping tip, if needed.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then broil until golden brown.
• Dredge each churro in melted butter, then cinnamon sugar.
• Serve with melted chocolate if desired.
• Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE ORANGE BABKA

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a small pan over a low heat until warm, but not hot. Set aside. Put the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ½ tsp salt to one side of the bowl and the sugar and yeast to the other. Mix each side into the flour with your hands, then using the dough hook attachment until fully combined.
• Pour in the warm milk, then, with the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time. Keep mixing the dough for 10 mins until smooth, then gradually add the butter, one or two cubes at a time, until fully incorporated, about 5-8 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl - the dough will be very soft.
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr 30 mins-2 hrs until doubled in size. Once doubled, chill for 1 hr.
• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. To make the filling, put all the filling ingredients and a large pinch of sea salt flakes in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat, stirring continuously until everything has melted together. Transfer to a bowl, leave to cool completely, then transfer to the fridge and chill for 40 mins, stirring every 20 mins until the mixture has thickened but is still spreadable.
• Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a roughly 70 x 40cm rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough using a spatula or palette knife. With a shorter end closest to you, roll the dough up into a tight sausage. Transfer to a board, seam-side down, and cut in half across the length so you have two long pieces. Lay the two pieces out in front of you, parallel to one another, and cross them over each other along the length in a plait-like pattern. Curl into a circle and join the ends to make a wreath, then carefully transfer to the lined sheet.
• Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr until doubled in size. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake the babka for 35-40 mins until golden.
• For the syrup, simmer the sugar, orange juice and zest over a high heat for 5-10 mins until thickened. Brush the babka with the warm syrup. Strain the candied orange zest and scatter over the babka. Serve warm, or leave to cool completely, then keep wrapped. Will keep wrapped at room temperature for up to three days.

BERRIES & CREAM PUFF RING RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the custard: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and milk. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Cook the custard in a microwave for 4 minutes, stirring after every 2 minutes until very smooth. Re-cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge until cool, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the pastry: In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium heat.
• As soon as the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly to combine.
• Continue stirring (about two minutes). The dough should form into a ball and easily pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Add 4 of the eggs to the cooled dough, one at a time, being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next. (The eggs will initially be difficult to incorporate into the dough, but continue stirring vigorously and they will eventually come together to form a smooth, shiny dough. When the dough drops making a V shape, it is ready!)
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag and pipe onto the baking sheet in an 7-inch (17-cm) ring shape. Pipe a second ring outside the first ring. Pipe a final ring on top. Beat the remaining egg, then brush over the ring.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Then, without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350˚F(180˚C) and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Turn off the oven and leave the puff pastry inside for another 10 minutes.
• Cut the choux pastry in half horizontally. Pipe the custard into the hollow center of the shell. Pipe whipped cream on top of the custard. Top with berries. Place the top half of the shell. Dust with powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Warm the milk and melt 1/4 cup butter in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, or on the stovetop in a saucepan. Combine the bread flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour, yeast, and 1/4 cup sugar. Add the water, the milk-butter mixture, the egg, and the salt to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Use the dough hook in a stand mixer on low speed or knead the dough by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add more bread flour, about 2 tablespoonfuls at a time (up to 8 tablespoons) to make a workable dough; too much flour can make the dough dry. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the chocolate filling and the streusel while the dough is rising. For the filling, stir together the finely chopped chocolate, the cinnamon, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter with a fork. To make the streusel, combine the confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• When the dough has doubled, punch the dough down and cut it into two equal pieces. Loosely shape each piece into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll out one portion on a lightly floured surface to form a 15x4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with half the chocolate filling, roll up to form a long log, and seal the seam. Attach the ends to form a circle and place the ring, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Use a serrated knife or kitchen shears to cut slits at 1-inch intervals around the rings. Cover the rings with damp kitchen towels and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Brush the loaves with the egg wash, if desired. Sprinkle streusel on top. Bake the loaves for about 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets to promote even browning, until the bread is a deep golden brown.

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!

FRUIT TART RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Once combined, add flour and mix on low for 30 seconds. Then, add the egg yolk and mix on low speed for an additional 30 seconds.
• Lightly knead the dough into a ball. Then, press it into a 6-inch disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Lightly spray a 9-inch pie shell with nonstick cooking spray and place the chilled dough inside the pan.
• Pinch off pieces of dough and press them against the sides of the pan to reach the top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the dough for 23 to 26 minutes, or until lightly golden.
• To make the filling, heat the milk in a medium pot until just boiling. Then, remove the pot from the heat.
• While the milk is cooling but still warm to the touch, in a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Then, once combined, add a cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling.
• Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking until the cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Then, stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly.
• Chill until cold (roughly for a few hours in a bow), covered.
• To glaze the fruit, in a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin.
• Assemble the tart with the filling, fruit and glaze over the fruit. Serve.