Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (280 page)
This is the way intensely flavorful raspberry sorbet is made in the finest restaurants. It makes a fabulous accompaniment for
Pareve Almond Cake
or
Toasted Hazelnut Cake
. Use frozen raspberries when fresh ones are not available. Sorbet is best when served on the day it is made but can be kept up to 4 days.
1
1
â
2
cups sugar
1 cup water
6 cups raspberries (about 1
1
â
2
pounds) or two 12-ounce packages unsweetened frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice, or to taste (optional)
1.
Combine sugar and water in medium, heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until sugar dissolves completely. Stop stirring. Bring to full boil over medium-high heat. Boil 30 seconds. Pour into heatproof bowl and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 weeks.
2.
Gently rinse berries and drain. Puree in food processor until very smooth. Pour puree into large bowl. Add 1
2
â
3
cups syrup and mix thoroughly.
3.
Strain mixture into a bowl, pressing on pulp in strainer. Use rubber spatula to scrape mixture from underside of strainer. Stir in lemon juice, if using.
4.
Taste, and add more syrup or lemon juice, if needed. (Mixture should taste quite sweet; the sorbet will seem less sweet when frozen.)
5.
Chill a medium metal bowl and an airtight container in freezer. Transfer sorbet mixture to an ice cream machine and process until mixture has consistency of soft ice cream; it should not be runny but will not be very firm. Spoon sorbet as quickly as possible into chilled bowl; sorbet melts very quickly. Cover and freeze until ready to serve. If keeping sorbet longer than 3 hours, transfer it when firm to airtight container and cover tightly.
6.
Soften sorbet slightly before serving. Serve sorbet with chilled utensils in thoroughly chilled dessert dishes or wine glasses.
This delicious dessert is a favorite on kosher menus as it is perfect after any meal, whether meat or dairy. It's fat-free, light, and refreshing and has an intense, natural orange flavor. Be sure to use fine-quality orange juice. Squeezing your own is best.
Sorbet is best when served on the day it is made but can be kept up to 4 days. If your homemade sorbet becomes too hard after a few days in the freezer, puree the sorbet, 2 cups at a time, for a few seconds in the chilled container of a food processor. You can return the softened sorbet to the freezer and it will remain soft for an hour or two.
1 medium orange, rinsed and patted dry
3
â
4
cup sugar
1
â
2
cup water
2
1
â
3
cups strained fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1.
Using a sharp vegetable peeler, pare the orange peel in strips, removing only the thin orange rind and not the thick, bitter white pith. Put the orange strips in a small, heavy saucepan. Add sugar and water. Cook over low heat, stirring gently to avoid splashing syrup on the sides of the pan, until sugar dissolves completely. Stop stirring. Bring to full boil over medium-high heat. Boil 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Pour into a heatproof bowl, leaving the strips of orange peel in it. Let it cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 1 week.
2.
Remove orange strips from syrup with a slotted spoon. Pour
3
â
4
cup syrup into a bowl. Stir in orange juice and lemon juice. Taste, and add more syrup or lemon juice if needed. (Mixture should taste quite sweet; the sorbet will seem less sweet when it is frozen.)
3.
Chill a medium metal bowl and an airtight container in freezer. Transfer sorbet mixture to an ice cream machine and process until mixture has consistency of soft ice cream; it should not be runny but will not be very firm. Spoon sorbet as quickly as possible into chilled bowl; sorbet melts very quickly. Cover and freeze until ready to serve. If keeping sorbet longer than 3 hours, transfer it when firm to airtight container and cover tightly.
4.
Soften sorbet slightly before serving. Serve with chilled utensils in thoroughly chilled dessert dishes or wine glasses.
SWEET KUGELS AND BAKED PUDDINGS
Golden raisins and hazelnuts give a delicious taste to this dessert kugel. The technique of cooking very thin noodles directly in milk makes the kugel exceptionally creamy. As soothing, warm comfort food, it's especially welcome during Hanukkah or on any cold winter day.
2
1
â
2
cups milk
1 cup very fine noodles
Pinch of salt
1
â
3
cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1
â
4
cup golden raisins
1
â
4
cup chopped hazelnuts
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 large eggs, separated
1.
Bring milk to a boil in a medium-heavy saucepan. Add noodles and salt and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes or until noodles are tender and absorb most of milk.
2.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 4- to 5-cup baking dish and sprinkle a little sugar on sides of dish. Set baking dish in a roasting pan.
3.
Stir 3 tablespoons sugar into hot noodle mixture. Cool several minutes. Stir in butter, raisins, hazelnuts, lemon rind, and egg yolks.
4.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining sugar at high speed and whip until whites are stiff. Fold whites, in two portions, into noodle mixture. Transfer to baking dish.
5.
Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dish containing noodle mixture. Bake kugel uncovered about 40 minutes or until a small knife inserted into its center comes out dry. Serve hot or warm.
Using Arborio rice ensures that this rice kugel will be creamy even if made with low-fat or nonfat milk. I love the flavor that a vanilla bean gives to the kugel as the rice simmers in the milk.
1 cup Arborio or other short-grain rice
5 cups low-fat or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons sugar
Cinnamon
1.
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan and add rice. Boil uncovered 7 minutes; drain well.
2.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring 4 cups milk to a boil in same saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla bean, rice, and salt. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until rice is very soft and absorbs most of milk. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Remove vanilla bean.
3.
Spoon rice mixture into a buttered 2-quart baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until firm. Serve warm, sprinkled with cinnamon.
My husband, Yakir, and I love candied ginger and enjoy adding it to creamy desserts. The sweet ginger gives this kugel its unique spicy taste.
1 cup Arborio or other short-grain rice
5 cups milk
Pinch of salt
1
â
3
cup sugar
1
â
2
cup raisins
2 to 3 tablespoons finely diced candied ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1
â
2
teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1.
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan and add rice. Boil uncovered 7 minutes; drain well.
2.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring milk to a boil in same saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add rice and salt. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until rice is very soft and absorbs most of milk. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add raisins, candied ginger, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3.
Spoon the rice mixture into a buttered 2-quart baking dish. Dot with butter. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until firm. Serve warm, sprinkled with cinnamon.
Bread pudding made with challah is a scrumptious dessert. This one is studded with apples and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. It rises slightly and, like a soufflé sinks when cool. For special occasions you might like to accompany the pudding with
Vanilla Custard Sauce
or
Apples in Spiced Wine
.
4 ounces challah (
1
â
4
of a 1-pound challah), day-old or stale
