KosherEye.com
by Leah Hadad
Tribes-A-Dozen Voilà! Hallah Bread Mix
In honor of Tu Bishvat, I created a babka that could be named ‘tishbahat ba’babka,’ or the finest of the earth’s fruit in the babka. You can substitute any flavor preserves or dried fruit. The dough is made from the versatile Voilà! Hallah Egg Bread Mix. I am partial to the dairy version, but the parve version is just as scrumptious. It can be baked as a loaf, but I prefer the roses babka because it reminds me of blossoms in spring.
Ingredients
For dough:
1 box of Voilà! Hallah Egg Bread Mix
1 egg + 1 egg yolk (reserve the extra egg white for the egg wash)
1/2 cup warm water (or milk), remove 1 tablespoon
6 tablespoons oil (or butter)
1 – 2 tablespoons sugar, optional
For filling:
1/2 cup apricot preserve or orange marmalade
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lavender, optional
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons oil (or butter), optional
1 – 2 tablespoons sugar, optional.
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins.
Egg wash:
1 egg white
1 – 3 teaspoons sugar, optional
Glaze:
1 tablespoon apricot preserve
1 tablespoon hot water
1/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped
Pan:
9–inch spring form
Directions:
Prepare filling. Place all the filling ingredients in a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, and grind until you achieve a consistent paste. Taste the filling and add 1 – 2 tablespoons sugar, if desired. I like it on the tart side. Put aside.
Prepare dough. Follow instructions 1 & 2 on back of Mix.
Oil or lightly dust your counter or board with 1-teaspoon oil or 1- teaspoon flour.
Roll dough into a ball and place in the center of your board. With your fingers, pull the dough gently from the center and stretch evenly into an 18”X14” rectangle.
With a spatula, gently spread the filling evenly all over the dough.
Sprinkle cranberries or raisins, or any other bits of dried fruit.
Roll the dough slightly on the left and right sides. From the side closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder. With a sharp knife, cut across into 9 equal parts and place cut side up in an oiled 9–inch-spring form pan.
Place in a warm, draft free area to rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 F
Prepare egg wash by mixing the egg white with the sugar. Brush egg wash all over the babka.
Place babka in the preheated oven. While it’s baking, prepare the glaze, by mixing the preserve with boiling water.
Bake for 20 minutes, take babka out of the oven, brush again with egg wash, sprinkle chopped almonds all over top of babka, and return to oven for another 10 minutes.
Brush glaze all over the top of the babka and return to oven for 5 more minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. If a toothpick inserted in the middle comes clean, the babka is baked.
Let cool on a rack. Enjoy while it’s warm.
Notes:
Recipes: Desserts, Babka, Parve, Kosher