Oatmeal Cookies and Thoughts on Social Isolation

I shared this recipe over on Instagram a week or so ago, and quite a few people came back and told me they made them, which was wonderful. So I thought I should post the recipe here on the blog too. 

This recipe is one I remember my Grandma making often, and since it is such a simple recipe I can see why. I don’t know how she came to find the recipe, but in my family these are known as Grandma’s Oatmeal Biscuits. 

I found a handwritten copy of my Grandma’s of this recipe, and she has added cinnamon to it. No doubt when I copied out some of her recipes for myself around the age of 11 or 12, I decided I didn’t like cinnamon (despite having eaten many of these biscuits) as I left it out of my copy of the recipe, and sans cinnamon is how I have made them ever since. 

My Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Beyond being very simple to make, another bonus to this recipe is that it uses self-raising flour! In right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic where all sorts of supermarket essentials are sold out, this is a massive win. Plain flour (and bread flour) all seem to be bought up by those who either had more foresight than the rest of us, or are genuinely stockpiling it. I often wonder about those who have stockpiled food, especially things found in the baking isle. Will they ever really use these items? 

Having the idea to bake your own bread and the like is one thing, but if you aren’t a confident bread baker, having it actually turn out well is another thing entirely. Not to mention to amount of time and effort that goes into baking such things. I would hazard a guess that after one attempt those who aren’t keen bakers (and who don’t actually really have said ‘time’ on their hands), wouldn’t attempt it again. There is also the fact that bakeries are still open (as I write this anyway), and bread can still be bought from supermarkets etc, so baking your own bread isn’t really essential. 

Hopefully being forced to stay home will encourage some to get into cooking and baking and it will be something they find they enjoy. I just hope the stockpiles of things that some have bought don’t end up going to waste.

How are you doing with everything that is going on right now? 

I am finding the constant push for us all to be productive and make the most of this ‘opportunity’ is just adding to the stress of the whole thing. This isn’t an opportunity, it’s a crisis. While some may find unintended uses for all the time we are spending at home, I don’t think we need to get to the end of this time (whenever that may be), and be able to show what we’ve achieved in it. I think the only real achievement will just be getting through it. 

Some days I feel ok, like I can tackle whatever I need to do. Others I feel at a loss as to what I should be doing. I am definitely someone who likes spending time at home, but even I am feeling a bit closed in not having the same opportunities to leave the house as I did. 

I am finding, as I usually do, that baking is what gets me through the bad days and helps me enjoy the good ones more. Obviously taking into account, not being frivolous with ingredients, I am baking every couple of days or so and these Oatmeal Cookies will be made a few times over I think by the time this whole thing has come to an end. 

I am also finding FaceTiming with friends immensely helpful, and just generally trying to be kind and understanding to myself about how I am feeling. I know there will be days were things seem really hard, but I also know that those days will pass. And that there will probably be a slice of cake or a cookie to enjoy regardless. 

Other Things I Have Found Helpful

Reading and Audiobooks

New Cookbooks & Cookbooks in General

Having Access to A Variety of Hand Creams and Moisturisers + Hand Sanitiser

Oatmeal Biscuits/Cookies

Ingredients: 

125g softened unsalted butter, or margarine

180g brown sugar

1 egg

120g self raising flour

130g rolled oats (not instant oats)

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter/margarine and brown sugar with a wooden spoon until combined. 

Add the egg and mix well. 

Fold in the self raising flour and the oats. 

Using a teaspoon, drop rough balls of the mixture on the the trays, keeping in mind the biscuits will spread when as they bake. 

Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Allow to cook on the trays, and store in an airtight container once cooled. 

Makes approx. 36 biscuits. 

Vanilla Scented Challah Hot Cross Buns

Yes, I know what you are thinking. Again with the challah? I made a babka with challah dough not that long ago, and as I said then, I believe challah is the best type of bread so it could only ever improve a recipe. 

I am also aware that this recipe is in no way ‘kosher’. Challah is a Jewish bread most commonly eaten at Friday night Shabbat, and hot cross buns are made to celebrate the Christian holiday of Easter. I am also quite aware that the Jewish holiday of Passover often falls at the same time as Easter (as it does this year), and that leavened foods such as challah are not eaten during this time. So, definitely not ‘kosher’. 

Despite this, I maintain that challah is the best kind of bread, so trying to make hot cross buns with it was always going to happen for me. And if the religious contradictions are just too much, call them (challah) spiced fruit buns (great for any time of year) and leave it at that.

I often find when making hot cross buns, that I can never get them to look identical, and that using the same recipe doesn’t always yield a batch that looks the same as last time. I have found this occurs for a few reasons. Firstly, I never weigh the dough so I never get my individual buns exactly the same weight/size. I may try this next time I make them (which should be soon since we are socially isolating right not and not going to the shops to specifically buy hot cross buns so homemade is it for now!), and if I do I will update the recipe below. 

Secondly, I find it depends how my dough proofs. When making bread dough in warmer conditions I don’t have any issues with my dough rising. Now the weather has cooled down a bit, I am finding my bread doughs are not rising the same amount in the same time frame. To combat this, the last time I made these, I proofed the dough in our plate warming drawer under our oven, at 30 degrees Celsius (which is it’s lowest temperature) leaving the drawer open as the ideal temperature for proofing dough is about 25-28 degrees Celsius. 

First Attempt

Second Attempt

This batch of challah hot cross buns turned out larger than the previous batch, which had been proofed closer to room temperature. This first batch were smaller, and had cracks in the dough on the top, which I later found out was a sign that a dough is under proofed. For some more tips on proofing bread dough check out this blog post from BakeClub I found quite helpful. 

Thirdly, I always do the final proof and bake of my hot cross buns on a flat baking tray. This means the dough can spread in away way it wants. Using a baking tray with sides may help get a more even look to my hot cross buns as the dough will not be able to rise and spread in any which way. Again, if I try it this way next time I will update the recipe below. 

On a final note, you don’t have to soak the sultanas in anything but I prefer them to be a little plumped up. The addition of the vanilla when soaking the sultanas is lovely, and the more fragrant the vanilla extract you use the better - I have found using the vanilla extract from Grounded Pleasures yields the best flavour. Just make sure the sultanas are well drained before adding to the dough. And for reference the quantity of spices I use for the dough adds up to approximately 12-13g, so if you wish to alter the quantities of individual spices or types of spices just keep it to that total weight (or add in more plain flour to make up the difference). 

Vanilla Scented Challah Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients for the Dough: 

200g golden sultanas or raisins (cut in half if very large)

2 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp hot water

490g plain flour, plus extra

250ml warm water

9g dried yeast

85g golden caster sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

63ml canola or vegetable oil, plus extra

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Ingredients for the Glaze: 

100ml water

50g caster sugar

50g vanilla sugar (see here for how to make your own vanilla sugar)

Ingredients for the Cross (if using): 

90g plain flour

8g icing sugar (confectioners)

pinch of salt

15ml canola or vegetable oil

75ml water (room temperature/tepid is best)

Method:

Place the sultanas in a small bowl, and cover with the hot water and vanilla. Set aside. 

Place the flour into a large bowl (one that fits your stand mixer if you have one). Make a well in the centre of the flour, then pour in the warm water. Add the yeast and 60g of the golden caster sugar and stir (don’t mix in the flour at this stage). Leave for 10-15 minutes, or until the yeast has become foamy. 

Then add the salt and remaining sugar, stir again (don’t mix in the flour at this stage), and wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to become foamy again. 

Once the yeast is foamy, add the egg, oil and vanilla to the yeast mixture and combine. Then start to gradually incorporate the flour into the wet mixture. Once everything is combined, attach your bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the spices, and knead on a medium speed for about five minutes. The dough will be smooth and a little sticky once done. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour (1-2 tbsp). 

While the dough is kneading, lightly oil a large bowl and drain the raisins well. 

Dust your work surface with flour and tip the dough out. Add the raisins and knead by hand to combine into the dough. Add small amounts of flour if necessary to counterbalance any moisture the sultanas have added and to make the dough a bit less sticky. There is no need to knead the dough for too long, as your stand mixer has done most of the work already. 

Once the sultanas are incorporated into the dough, place into the oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, or until the dough has risen and doubled in size. 

While the dough is proofing, make the glaze. Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and place over medium/high heat. Bring to the boil, and allow to bubble for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Once the dough has risen, flour your work surface and tip the dough out. Lightly flour the top of the dough if necessary. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces - I do this by shaping the dough into a fat log shape, then cutting it in half, then dividing the two halves into six pieces each. 

Roll each piece of dough into a bun shape by folding the sides of each piece to the centre and pinch to close. This will now be the underside of your bun. Place the pinched side down, and cover your hand over the ball of dough like a loose claw. Rotate the ball of dough under your hand using the claw shape, to gently smooth the dough and form into a nice ball shape.

Place each ball of dough on the prepared tray, in a 4 x 3 formation. I usually leave a little space in between each to allow for more rising during the final proof and during baking. 

Cover the dough again and leave in a warm spot for about 30 minutes, or until the dough has risen. 

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

If using, make the cross paste by whisking together all the ingredients in a medium bowl until it is a smooth yet paste like consistency. The warmer the water is in this the runnier it will be, I often use warm water rather than room temperature, which is why my crosses are thicker and fat as the paste is a little runnier.

Place a piping bag or zip lock bag inside a large glass and turn the edges of the bag over the outside of the glass. Fill the piping bag with the cross mixture, and twist the top to close (I like use a peg to seal the top a bit more). 

Once the dough has risen, cut a small amount of the piping bag tip off and pipe the cross over each bun. Do this by piping one long line over each row of buns, then finish it off doing the same in the other direction. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the tray in the oven about half way to help the buns cook and brown more evenly. The buns will be ready when they are golden on top and sound hollow when tapped. 

Remove from the oven, and place the tray on a wire rack. Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of each hot cross bun with the glaze. You will not need all of the glaze - if you think you will make another batch soon, store it in a jar in the fridge and it can be used again (just bring it to room temperature before glazing).  

These challah hot cross buns are delicious served warm from the oven, or toasted under a grill the next day. They also freeze well, and I recommend you do so if they won’t all be eaten soon after baking. 

Recipe Notes (12/04/2020):

• The next couple of times I made these I have weighed the dough and each bun needed to weigh between 97-100g. I found this did help make them look even more uniform. So I would definitely recommend weighing your dough after the first proofing and dividing that number by 12 to get exactly the weight of each bun based on your dough at the time.

• I have found that one batch of the sugar syrup is enough for 4 separate batches of hot cross buns.

• The amount of mixture you need for the cross seems very dependent on how big or small you cut into your piping bag. Sometimes I feel a barely have enough for all the buns as I have cut a larger slit into the bag, other times there are leftovers as I have cut a much smaller slit!

References: ‘Monday Morning Cooking Club - The Food, The Stories, The Sisterhood’ by Merelyn Frank Chalmers, Natanya Eskin, Lauren Fink, Lisa Goldberg, Paula Horwitz and Jacqui Israel (HarperCollins, 2013), p.263; ‘Beatrix Bakes’ by Natalie Paull (Hardie Grant Books, 2020), pp.176 & 192-3.

Off The Shelf - 'Now & Again' by Julia Turshen

Bought at: it was a Christmas gift in 2018. 

Recipes Made: Garlic and Anchovy Butter Toasts p.31, Arugula Salad with Lemon, Pine Nutes and Pecorino p.35, Celebration Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Dates p.54 and Baked Saffron Rice p.55. 

I made the Garlic and Anchovy Butter Toasts in a whim recently, and they were divine. I ended up using a whole tin of anchovies, as I couldn’t bare to waste them (and my family and I love them! A lot!). I would make this again in a heartbeat, and will anytime I want to have a super tasty bread based side dish. Though having said that, I could definitely eat this as a main. Most definitely!

For Christmas lunch last year, we were looking for a nice simple yet tasty salad to go with out main meal of ham, hot smoked salmon and a baked rice dish (the Ottolenghi one I have made from ‘Simple’ many times). I was looking through some of my cookbooks, came across Julia’s Arugula (Rocket!) Salad with Lemon, Pine Nuts and Pecorino. It was just the simple yet tasty salad we were looking for. We have made it a few times since, and often use grana padano instead of pecorino as that is a cheese we always have at home. 

Arugula Salad with Lemon, Pine Nuts and Pecorino

Julia’s Celebration Chicken is a riff of a recipe, Chicken Marbella, that many cookbook authors seem to take inspiration from. I adore Ottolenghi’s version of this (see my Off the Shelf post on ‘Simple’), so I knew I had to give this version a go. I liked Julia’s version, however it did lack that intense moorish tastiness that Ottolenghi’s version has. I always find recipes that ask for water, instead of something more tasty like wine or chicken stock, are always a little underwhelming. I now see a red flag when I read recipes that ask for water in this way, as I always find them lacking in flavour. Despite this, I did make Julia’s Celebration Chicken as the recipe says, with water, and when I make it again I will definitely be adding 1/4 cup of white wine or chicken stock instead. 

I also made the Baked Saffron Rice to serve with the chicken, which is an adaptation of the Ottolenghi recipe I mentioned above. I really like baking rice this way, it cooks really evenly and is very stress free. I didn’t find this version nearly as tasty as Ottolenghi’s, but that would probably be because his recipe has a delicious green olive salsa that would make anything taste good. If I made this recipe again, I think I would cook the saffron with the rice, rather than adding the saffron infused water at the end before serving. The saffron was really lost on me in this recipe, and I think the flavour would be more obvious if it had time to cook in with the rice. 

Favourite Things About the Book: Similar to Julia’s first book ‘Small Victories’, ‘Now & Again’ contains Julia’s genuinely lovely writing, and very thoughtful recipes. This book is based on the premise that many aspects or leftover ingredients of the recipes can be used for something else, and Julia gives some great suggestions. I also really like how the book is organised. The book is divided by the seasons, then within that into menus such as, ‘Red-Checkered Tablecloth Late Saturday Lunch’, ‘Rosh Hashanah Dinner’ and ‘A Not-Kosher Jewish Christmas’.

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Italian Flag Baked Pasta p.33-34, Applesauce Cake with Cream Cheese and Honey Frosting p.58-60, Striped Bass with Butter Verde p.142, Pistachio Mandelbrot Cookies p.148, Best Matzo Ball Soup p.166-167 and Hikers’ Cookies p.220.

Passover Charoset Inspired Fig Date and Pistachio Balls

I find exploring other cultures through food an endlessly fascinating experience. And mostly, it can be done at home. Through cookbooks, blogs, social media and having a few ingredients at home. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I received Leah Koenig’s book ‘The Jewish Cookbook’ for Christmas last year (the irony of that statement is still not lost on me I promise!), and it has remained one of the books I have been reading through most since then.

Towards the back of the book, in the chapter ‘Condiments, Spices & Drinks, there are quite a number of recipes for charoset. Charoset is part of the Passover seder, it’s a mixture made of fruits with much symbolic meaning for that particular religious holiday. Like many recipes within the Jewish diaspora, the ingredients change depending on what part of the world the recipe and Jewish community live or have come from. There are six different recipes for charoset in Leah’s book, and she mentions there would be many other variations. 

All of the recipes use fruit, often dried fruit with some fresh apple, some spices and some sweet red wine. Some charoset is chopped, some pureed into a smoother paste and others rolled into balls. This got me thinking - taking a bit of inspiration from each of these recipes, I could make some really nice dried fruit and nut balls. Not like those weird protein (or ‘bliss’) balls, but something really tasty made with great quality dried fruits, and spices like those used in many of these recipes. 

The Kurdish Charoset recipe was rolled into balls, many of the recipes used dates and the Yemenite Charset recipe used dried figs and a great selection of spices (including ground coriander which I never would have thought of using otherwise). I was starting to create a version of my own, taking what I liked from all of these very diverse charoset recipes. I used slivered almonds as the nut inside the balls, as we always seem to have a good supply of them, and the pistachios on the outside just look so good. I substituted vanilla extract for sweet red wine, but if you are making these for Passover, you can still use the wine instead.

Often the best recipes are heavily influenced by the work of others and the foods of other cultures (and what you have in your pantry!). So these are my Passover Charoset Inspired Fig Date and Pistachio balls, that could equally be just Fig Date and Pistachio Balls ready for a nice healthy snack. 

Passover Charoset Inspired Fig Date and Pistachio Balls

Ingredients: 

200g black and white dried figs

110g pitted medjool dates

50g golden sultanas

50g slivered almonds, lightly toasted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cardamom 

25g blanched or raw pistachios, finely chopped

Method: 

Add all the ingredients, except the pistachios, to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until all the ingredients are combined and it clumps together. The mixture does not need to be smooth. Some of the almonds will remain in chunks. 

Roll into balls, then roll into the finely chopped pistachios to cover. Place on a tray and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. The balls can then be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Makes 18-20 balls. 

Reference: ‘The Jewish Cookbook’ by Leah Koenig (Phaidon Press Limited, 2019), pp.406-409.

How to Edit Food Photos in Lightroom - Editing Images Shot in Low Light

The process of how I create the images I share here on my blog, in my newsletter and on social media is something I am trying to share more of. I know seeing the process can break down ideas of something being ‘too hard’ or ‘out of reach’, and having advice and tips shared by others is exactly how I learnt the basics of shooting on manual settings and editing in Lightroom.

In this post I am going to focus on how I edit my food images in Adobe Lightroom (Desktop version), specifically how I rectify images that have been shot on an overcast day and therefore have a blue/grey hue to them.

If you don’t use Lightroom, you can still apply the tips below to the image editing software or app that you use.

I am using an image of my Rose Sugar Cookie Hearts shot in early February, on the wettest weekend Sydney had experienced in a while!

In the tips below, I share the ways I usually edit a food image I have taken, it is not an exhaustive list and not every element will be relevant to every image. Play around with what looks best on the image you are editing, you can always undo anything you don’t like!

Click on the each Lightroom screenshot to make it bigger - I have highlighted and annotated each editing step.

For reference, the images were shot with an Olympus EM-10.

Raw Unedited Image

Editing Food Photos in Lightroom

Above is the image I started with. You can see how it has an overcast look to it, and needs some brightening to enhance the colour of the biscuits.

This how the ‘Develop’ section of Lightroom (Desktop) looks before you begin making any changes to the image. At the top, it will tell you what manual settings your camera was on, and why type of lens was used to shoot the selected image.

In this case I was using ISO 500, a 25mm lens, f stop 2.2 and my shutter speed was at 125. These settings are what suited my camera and my environment best at the time of the shoot, as while I was positioned right next to windows, it was later in the day and it was very overcast.

View fullsize

Click on Image to Enlarge

Exposure

My first point of call when editing images is adjusting the exposure if necessary. Images like this one need a bit more adjustment than others shot in better conditions. In this case I increased the exposure to +35 to brighten the image, and begin to rectify the overcast conditions the image was shot in.

View fullsize

Click on Image to Enlarge

Contrast

Next I check the contrast. Slightly adjusting the contrast of an image can give it more definition. Here I have increased the contrast to +12.

View fullsize

Click Image to Enlarge

Shadow

I always adjust the shadow in my food images. Either to decrease the shadow, as I have in this image, or to increase it in brighter images to create more depth and texture to the image. I find when an image is already on the darker side and I am looking to brighten it up, decreasing the shadows can help.

View fullsize

Click Image to Enlarge

Texture & Clarity

Similar to adjusting shadows, I also always slightly adjust the texture and clarity of my images. Both these editing options give more depth and definition to images, however for food images I would never take it past +10.

View fullsize

Click Image to Enlarge

Colour Enhancement

Since this image has the pink colour that is quite dominant, I will enhance the colour a little to make it pop. Not all images need this feature, it will just depend if there is a certain colour or element you wish to highlight. To find the Colour Panel, scroll down on the right hand side whilst in Develop mode, basic the basic section we have just been working in.

Then choose whether you wish your image to have more enhancement on the hue, saturation or luminance of a particular colour. Click the round marker on the left hand side of each colour option, then hover your curser over the part of your image you wish to adjust. This will highlight which colour over on the panel best matches to the colour in your image. This is the colour you should adjust. For this image, magenta was highlighted when I hovered over the icing on the biscuits.

View fullsize

Click Image to Enlarge

For this image I have focused on the hue and saturation sections in the Colour panel. I have adjusted both slightly for magenta, to enhance the colour of the icing on the biscuits but not let them look unrealistic or overdone.

View fullsize

Click on Image to Enlarge

Temperature

The biggest tip I can give when your shoot conditions are overcast or you have to shoot in low light and your images come out with a blue/grey hue is to alter the temperature of the image in Lightroom. I find I need to use this editing feature also when I shoot on darker backgrounds like zinc or even sometimes marble as they create can create a blue/grey tone to the image even when your shooting environment is brighter.

Simply shift the temperature gage slightly towards the yellow side, keeping an eye on the image so you can determine how far to take it. Here I’ve adjusted it from 4,550 to 5,058 and you can see the slider is still more towards the blue end than the yellow. How much you move the slider will depend on your image and what you want it to look like.

Conversely, if an image you shot is too warm looking for your style, you can use the temperature feature to cool down the tones in the image by moving the slider more towards the blue side.

View fullsize

Click on Image to Enlarge

Before + After Comparison

To have a look how your editing has altered the image, click on the button at the bottom of your screen to do a before and after comparison. You can also see the main changes made to the image on the Basic editing panel on the right, along with the History of changes made to the image (including when it was exported from Lightroom) on the right.

View fullsize

Click on Image to Enlarge

Below is the final edited image. You can see how by adjusting the exposure and temperature in particular have changed the entire image. The fact that it was shot in low light on an overcast day isn’t really noticeable now. The image now suits the fun/Summer/Valentines Day look I was going for, and highlights the lovely golden colour of the biscuits and the pink icing.

Final Edited Image

View fullsize

BEFORE

View fullsize

AFTER

Yeasted Hamantaschen with Quince Lekvar

This year I was determined to make hamantaschen again, but this time with the more traditional yeasted dough. I loved my Pistachio Hamantaschen I made last year, but I really wanted to have a comparison with a more traditional hamantaschen. 

For those who have never heard of hamantaschen before, they are made to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim (see links at the end of this post to find out more). They are kind of like a cross between a biscuit and a pastry with a sweet tasty filling, and the triangular shape has great symbolism for the holiday. Check out my post from last year to find out a little more.

I tried to stay as traditional as I could with this, but me being me, and not being bound by any Purim traditions of my own, I altered a prune filling (or Lekvar) recipe to include dried quince and dried pears. Mostly because quince is my third favourite flavour (coming in close after rose and pistachio which alternate between spots one and two), and I have access to amazing dried quince from Singing Magpie Produce, which I knew would taste amazing cooked into a lekvar. 

I heavily leaned on Leah Koenig’s new book ‘The Jewish Cookbook’ to produce this hamantaschen recipe. Leah’s book is my new ultimate resource on Jewish cooking, spanning all diasporas and nationalities and all types of meals and holidays. If you just want one book to show you the ways of Jewish cooking and baking, this is it. I (somewhat ironically I admit) received this book as a gift for Christmas, and it has maintained its spot as my most looked at cookbook since then. 

View fullsize

Folding Hamantaschen

View fullsize

The Jewish Cookbook by Leah Koenig

I was delighted to find a yeasted hamantaschen dough in Leah’s book, as I had already decided I wanted to try this type of dough for my next hamantaschen attempt! And out of the many cookbooks I own, it is the only one to contain such a recipe. Leah also provides many hamantaschen filling options, and I was particularly intrigued by the fruit lekvar traditional to Central and Eastern Europe. Lekvar is a thick jammy paste made using dried fruits and juice. I adapted Leah’s Prune Lekvar recipe to create my Quince Lekvar, but you could stick to prunes if you can’t find any dried quince. If you can get your hands on fresh quince, a quince butter would also make a great substitute for the lekvar (see my Cosy Winter Bakes eBook for a Quince Butter recipe). 

A yeasted hamantaschen definitely takes a bit more time and effort than a more shortbread pastry hamantaschen (see my recipe last year for a good one), but it is worth the effort. I found my first dough attempt didn’t work, I think because I am baking in a more humid climate and my dough just became unbelievably sticky and wet and barely rose at all. I have slightly altered the quantities of flour in the recipe, and continue to generously add more flour as I knead the dough. This is quite an intuitive recipe (which is why I suggest kneading by hand rather than using a stand mixer), and depending on your climate, you may not need nearly as much flour as I did. For reference the original recipe says to start with 350g, and up to 70g more if needed. On my second attempt I added that total amount (420g), then I added more when I was kneading and my dough worked out much better. 

Quince Lekvar (or thick jam)

Quince Lekvar

Ingredients:

200g dried quince

100g dried pears (or dried apple)

120ml cloudy apple juice 

175ml water

4 tbsp panela sugar

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method: 

Place the quince, pears, apple juice, water and panela sugar in a small saucepan. Over low-medium heat bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan with its lid. Cook the fruit, stirring every now and then, for about 25-35 minutes or until the fruit has softened and most of the liquid has been absorbed. 

Take the pan off the heat, and puree the fruit with a stick blender. Stir in the honey, cinnamon, cardamon and vanilla then allow to cool completely before storing covered or in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Makes approx. 580g.

Yeasted Hamantaschen

Ingredients: 

7g dried yeast

150g + 1 tsp caster sugar 

120ml warm water

420g plain flour, plus extra

pinch of salt

60ml canola oil, plus extra

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract 

360g (approx.) Quince Lekvar

Method: 

In a large bowl stir together the yeast, warm water and the 1tsp caster sugar. Leave for 5-10 minutes until it has become frothy.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the remaining 150g caster sugar, flour and salt.

Add two of the eggs, oil and vanilla extract to the activated yeast and whisk to combine.

Add the flour, and mix. 

Generously dust your work surface with more flour, and tip the dough out. Dust the dough with flour, and begin to knead. This dough can be quite sticky, so continue to knead and add flour until the dough becomes more manageable and elastic. Knead for about 10 minutes, the dough will still be a little sticky, but once it becomes smoother and more elastic it will be ready to prove. 

Lightly oil a large bowl with a little more of the canola oil, and place the dough in. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm spot for 1.5-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. This dough won’t rise as dramatically as a traditional bread dough, but if the size has at least doubled during the proofing time, then it will be ready for the next step. 

Once the dough as proofed, line two to three trays with baking paper, and preheat oven to 180 degrees/170 degrees Celsius fan. 

Lightly dust your work surface with more flour, and roll out half the dough (leave the other half covered in the bowl). Using a 7-8cm round cutter, cut out rounds of the dough and place in the prepared trays. Keep the scraps of dough and place to the side for now. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out with the cutter. Re-roll all the scraps, and cut out as before. The dough will become harder to work with now as it is becoming overworked. Discard any remaining scraps now, especially if you have cut out close to 30 rounds, and your trays are filled. 

Place a teaspoon of the quince lekvar in the centre of each round. Shape the rounds of dough into the characteristic triangle shape by pinching one side into a corner, then folding the other side up to form two more corners. Ensure the corners are well sealed and stuck together. If you need some more tips on how to fold hamantashen take a look at this graphic made by The Nosher.

Loosely place some cling over the trays and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Crack the remaining egg into a glass and beat with a fork. Brush the tops of the hamantaschen with the egg, then place in the oven for about 18 minutes to cook. Rotate the trays in the oven about half way through to ensure the hamantaschen cook more evenly. The hamantaschen will be ready when they have puffed up a little and are golden. 

These are best eaten the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container for a few days.

Makes about 30 hamantaschen.

Reference: ‘The Jewish Cookbook’ by Leah Koenig (Phaidon Press Limited, 2019), pp.342 & 410. For more info on yeasted hamantaschen check out this post on the blog Poppy & Prune and this recipe on kosher.com.