You picked ‘em, now I’m cooking ‘em. First, it was Pad Thai. Next up is homemade Challah.

This is the second recipe in our Reader’s Choice series, put on in partnership with my fabulous friends over at Cookstr.com.

This recipe is originally by Nick Malgieri, former executive pastry chef at New York’s Windows on the World and current director of the baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education. The recipe is featured on Cookstr.com, as well as in Malgieri’s book, How to Bake.

I’m pleased as can be about the timing of this post. It’s just in time for the Jewish New Year this weekend. And the cooler weather we’ve been having this week has left me just itching to bake.

So what is Challah bread, anyway?

Challah is a traditional yeast bread—with a glossy crust frequently dappled with sesame seeds—that gets its trademark golden yellow color from the addition of eggs.

Older recipes include several eggs. Most modern versions, like this one, usually call for fewer. (In this case, just two whole eggs plus one additional yolk.)

While it’s eaten in many parts of Europe, it’s probably most well known in the U.S. as a Jewish celebration bread served on the Sabbath and holidays.

You can form the airy bread into several different shapes. A braid is one of the most traditional.

Freshly baked Challah keeps for a day or two on the counter, and freezes well for about a month. It also makes a-ma-zing French toast. (More on that soon.)

While I’ve baked dozens of loaves in my day, I’m by no means an expert on the history and lore of Challah, so if you have other fun facts, please pipe up and leave a comment!

How to make braided bread (it’s easier than you might think!)

In my book, braided breads are some of the most satisfying—and forgiving—loaves to bake.

You can be fairly imprecise with your braid. It can be a little uneven. It can be lumpy. But, it always amazes me how a little time in the oven can transform a few tightly twisted ropes of dough into a poofy, gloriously impressive work of art.

I mean, this:

Turns into this (yes, please!):

Challah isn’t the only bread that takes well to braiding. I’ve also made braided French loaves…

And chocolate loaves…

It’s also really easy to turn a braid into a wreath. Just connect the two ends so the braid forms a circle. Then pinch it together so that it’s secure.

Here’s a large loaf of Challah-like bread I made for New Years a year or two ago. I doubled my dough recipe. The finished bread was about as big as a large pizza pan—and a huge hit at the party we brought it to.

Braided breads are great to bring to holiday gatherings. They look impressive, but are really pretty simple to make—even if you consider yourself a really novice baker.

(Read on for step-by-step instructions on forming the loaf. Trust me. If you can braid your pigtails, you can make a braided bread.)

Tips on equipment & ingredients for making challah

Malgieri makes this bread in a food processor. I used my 11-cup Cuisinart to mix the dough, per his recipe, but my bowl was pretty close to full—which meant I had a hard time getting the dough to come together.

The next time I make this, I’ll definitely opt for my stand mixer. (You could also make this the old fashioned way: With a wooden spoon and a lot of elbow grease.)

Oh, and about the yeast. No matter what brand of yeast you’re using, always measure it with a measuring spoon—even if it comes out of one of those little envelopes. Packets of yeast are notorious for not always containing the same amount of yeast.

Take two seconds to measure it out and be sure you’re not tossing in too much—or too little. If your house is hot (or you don’t bake a lot), store your yeast in the freezer to help it keep longer.

Yeast

Alrighty. To the ovens!

Braided Challah Bread

By Nick Malgieri

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm tap water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil + a little more for the bowl during the first rise
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

Egg wash: 1 egg well beaten with a pinch of salt

Yields 1 large, braided loaf

Make the challah dough

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse the dry ingredients together quickly to combine them.

Put the water in a separate bowl and toss in the yeast.

Whisk the yeast and water together to combine well.

Pour in the oil. (I used olive oil, but use a milder flavor oil, like canola, if you like.)

Add the eggs to the mixture.

Whisk to combine well. You want to completely incorporate the eggs. Your mixture will be about the color of cafe-au-lait.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients in your food processor, pulsing about 8-10 times as you go.

When all the liquid is in the bowl of your food processor, run the machine continuously for about 30 seconds, until the dough comes together and balls up. (This is where I ran into a little trouble.)

I wound up taking the cap off my Cuisinart twice, scraping down the sides and loosening up the dough, then processing it again quickly. This is where I decided to use my stand mixer next time. You want your dough to look about like this:

Challah dough: The first rise

When your dough has come together, transfer it to a lightly floured board.

Round it up into a neat ball with your hands and knead it a few times.

Drizzle a little oil (again, I used olive oil) into a large mixing bowl. I used maybe a tablespoon, give or take.

Toss your dough ball into the bowl with the oil. Roll it around to coat it completely. (This will keep it from sticking to the bowl later on.)

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a few warm, damp paper towels (I like to do this, because that little bit of heat and moisture give the yeast a little boost). Set the bowl aside on the counter and let it rise for about an hour, until it’s about doubled in size.

Braid the dough and let it rise a second time

Once your dough has about doubled in size, you’re ready to braid it. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set it aside while you deal with the dough.

Transfer your dough to a lightly floured board. Smoosh the air out of it with your hands.

Round it up gently into a tidy little ball.

Whack it in three even pieces with a bencher or butcher’s knife. Make the pieces as even as you can, but don’t make yourself nuts. (If you want to make them perfectly even, weigh each piece of dough.)

Take one piece of dough and roll it out into a rope that’s about 12-15 inches long.

Repeat with the other two blobs of dough. When you’re done, set the ropes on your prepared sheet pan.

Now, for the braiding. Turn the pan so that the dough is pointed at you like this:

Start braiding in the middle of the dough. (Yep, you heard me: In the middle, not at one end. Malgieri said that doing it this way helps create a more even braid. And he’s totally right.) Braid away!

Leave the ends a little loose for now.

Your braid should be half done, and look about like this:

Repeat with the other side.

When the braid is complete, grab the ends of one side. Pinch them together and tuck them neatly under the loaf.

Like this:

Repeat with the other end. And your bread is ready for its second rise!

Cover the dough braid with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Set it on the counter for another hour, or until it’s just about doubled in size.

Bake the challah!

About 15 minutes before your second rise is done, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. When your dough braid has doubled in size, it should look about like this:

Beat up the egg wash really quickly. (Crack an egg in a bowl, toss in a pinch of salt, and whip furiously for a minute or two until frothy.)

Using a brush (or even your fingers) gently brush the surface of the dough braid with the beaten egg. Be careful not to press too hard on the dough, because you can deflate it.

Pop your pan into your preheated 400-degree oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is nice and brown.

When it’s done, it should register about 210 degrees on the inside (use a meat thermometer), and should produce a hollow sound when you thump the crust with your fingers.�

Let it cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. (Resist the urge to tear into it when it’s piping hot. It can leave your loaf a little gummy when it cools.)

Enjoy!

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This is not a fancy tart. It’s not one of those gorgeous, fresh-fruit-and-custard puff pastry things that looks like a piece of art. I’ll make you one of those one of these days. Don’t get me wrong: Those are lovely, too. But, this…this is messy and delicious and is the kind of thing that you want to eat in the kitchen, sticky and standing up, because you just can’t wait.

The filling is light and fresh. The black pepper and thyme accent the sweetness of the berries and the jam.

Fresh thyme

The puff pastry is glazed with a basic egg wash, then dusted with sugar laced with ground cardamom.

This tart is kind of runny when it comes out of the oven, but it sets up nicely as it cools in the fridge. The sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency. The whole thing is unbelievably light and crisp and kind of like a danish.

If you wanted to firm the sauce up, you could whisk a little cornstarch into the apricot jam after microwaving.

Like I said, this tart is great on its own. Take it over the top with some fresh whipped cream and a pitcher of frosty mimosas.

Strawberry Brunch Tart with Thyme and Black Pepper

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced
3 Tbls. apricot jam
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
cracked black pepper

Makes 1 tart

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Strawberry Brunch Tart: Thaw the puff pastry

Set your puff pastry on the counter to thaw for 20-30 minutes.

While you’re waiting for it to thaw, make the cardamom sugar and slice up the berries.

Strawberry Brunch Tart: Make the cardamom sugar

Cardamom sugar is just like cinnamon sugar, except made with cardamom instead. It’s super yummy, and this recipe makes a little more than you’ll probably need. Tuck it away to sprinkle on buttered toast or pancakes.

Put the sugar in a small bowl. Add the cardamom to it.

With a fork or a whisk, mix the cardamom and sugar together until they’re evenly combined.

Set that aside while you deal with the berries.

Strawberry Brunch Tart: Slice and mix the berries

Put the apricot jam in a small bowl. Zap it in the microwave for maybe 20 seconds, to loosen it up oh-so-slightly. (No microwave? Heat it in a small pot over a very low flame for a minute or so, stirring until it breaks down.)

It should sort of liquify and look more jelly-like, like this, without getting too hot.

Slice up your strawberries and put them in a medium-sized bowl.

Pour the apricot jam over the strawberries.

Stir to coat the strawberries in apricot jam.

Toss in the thyme and the freshly cracked black pepper.

Stir to combine well. Set aside while you roll out the puff pastry.

Strawberry Brunch Tart: Prep the puff pastry

Lightly flour a board or your counter. If you have it, a slab of marble or granite is great for rolling out puff pastry, because it stays cold and will help keep it from sticking.

Unfold the puff pastry and roll it out a little to flatten it and seal any seams. This is a fairly rustic tart, so don’t make yourself nuts trying to roll it into a perfect square or rectangle.

Crack an egg into a bowl.

Whisk it with a fork to scramble it well.

With a pastry brush (or your fingers), spread the beaten egg along each edge of the puff pastry.

Fold one edge over about three-quarters of an inch or so.

Repeat with the other three sides, so that your puff pastry looks like it has a picture frame around it.

Brush the edges with beaten egg.

Sprinkle the whole thing (edges + center) with cardamom sugar.

Strawberry Brunch Tart: Fill and bake

Heap the strawberry mixture onto the center of the puff pastry. (Normally, with puff pastry, you’d prick the center of the pastry several times with a fork to keep it from poofing up in the oven. Do this if you like, but I’ve found that the weight of the berries will keep the pastry down in the middle.)

Keep the berries in the center, off the folded border that you made.

Don’t worry if you’ve piled them up high. They’ll shrink when they bake.

Pop the pan into your preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

It’s done when the edges have poofed up and have turned golden brown. The berries will cook down, but will still hold their shape.

When it’s done, yank the pan out of the oven. Let it cool for about 5 minutes on the pan.

Then slide it off onto a wire rack to cool.

Strawberry Brunch Tart: Cool the tart

If you can bear to wait, let it cool to room temperature on the counter, then pop it into the fridge to chill completely. (This will help the filling set up a little.)

To serve, slice into fat wedges. Devour at will.

Enjoy!

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Hey, you! (Yeah, you!) Summer’s coming. Let’s go to the playground! Oh, or maybe the roller rink. Or both. Sorry…this cake makes me feel like I’m about 12 years old again. And I’m loving it. (Slumber party, anyone?)

This is one of the best chocolate cake recipes I have, hands down. It’s also one of the easiest to make.

This cake is made without eggs, milk, or butter, which makes it a take-off on some war-time cake recipes, when certain ingredients were rationed. It gets its poof from the reaction between the vinegar and baking soda.

This cake doesn’t have a ton of ingredients, but definitely resist the temptation to toss anything additional into the batter. Really. This cake is moist, dense, and super chocolate-y.

The Angry Chef suggested that it would be a great base for those homemade Hostess cupcakes that have been popping up all over the internet.

In terms of serving, you could frost it (try my Creamy Chocolate Frosting), if you like. But all this cake really needs is a little powdered sugar. Maybe a tall glass of ice cold milk or a nice, hot espresso.

That said, I dare you not to just sit down with the pan and a fork.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake: A note on cocoa powder

Just to clarify, be sure that you use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe—not hot chocolate mix that has sugar in it.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake: A note on pan size

This recipe makes a large, 13 x 9 cake.

To make a layer cake, split the batter up between two 8-inch pans. If you do that, cut baking time down to about 28-30 minutes.

Or, for a single, smaller cake, cut the recipe in half and bake for 28-30 minutes in an 8-inch pan.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup olive oil or canola oil
2 Tbls. white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups water
spray oil to grease the pan

Makes one 13-inch x 9-inch cake

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake: Make the cake batter

Lightly spray a 13 x 9 baking pan with oil. Line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper. Press it down so it sticks and set the pan aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Put the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Mix together with a whisk until uniform.

Depending on the brand of cocoa you use, the dry mixture will probably be a really light brown. That’s just fine.

Add the oil to the dry ingredients. (I used regular ole pure olive oil.) Toss in the vinegar and vanilla extract.

Pour in the water.

Mix just until the batter comes together.

You don’t want to overmix it, or you risk the cake getting a little tough. Just smoosh any big lumps against the side of the bowl to break them up.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake: Bake the cake

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Smooth it out so the surface is relatively level. Pop it into your preheated oven and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

When it’s done, the cake should be firm to the touch (when you press on the surface with a finger, the indentation should spring back), and slightly darker brown (but not crispy or hard) on the edges.

Oh, and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the middle.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.

Keeps well for about 4 days (if it lasts that long), tightly wrapped, on the counter.

Enjoy!

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What’s better than an ice cream sundae? How about an ice cream sundae in an edible chocolate bowl? Now that’s what I’m talking about.

Recently, I made a big batch of homemade peanut butter cups.

While I was playing with all that melted chocolate, I made a few extra chocolate shells.

This is a quick and easy way to make a super yummy—and totally edible—dessert. You can dress it up or down, so it’ll be just as impressive at a dinner party as it will at a kid’s birthday.

For this sundae, I filled a chocolate shell with a little blop of raspberry jam, topped it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, then drizzled on some warm raspberry jam and a few fresh berries.

Edible Chocolate Shells: 3 ideas for fillings

I like to keep a few on hand for, um, emergencies. The possibilities are kind of endless, but here are a few ideas of what to do with them:

+Chocolate ice cream + a drizzle of Kahlua + a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips = An after-midnight ice cream nightcap
+Peanut butter + vanilla ice cream + thick fudge sauce + crumbled peanut butter cups = Insanely peanut-buttery sundae
+Coconut gelato + thick fudge sauce + sweetened flaked coconut = Better than a Mounds bar

I could keep going, but you get the idea.

Edible Chocolate Shells: The basic technique

Here’s the basic technique for creating the chocolate shells. You can totally make them in advance and keep them tightly wrapped in the fridge or freezer. Click here to see more and read the full Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cup article.

1. Melt a little bit of your favorite chocolate.

2. Put a big spoonful of melted chocolate in a regular-sized muffin liner.

3. Smoosh the chocolate around to coat the entire inside of the liner.

4. Stick them in the fridge for about a half an hour, or until completely hard.

Now that you have an idea of how to make the chocolate shells, on to the sundae!

Raspberry Ice Cream Sundae in an Edible Chocolate Shell

1 chocolate shell, prepared according to the directions above
1 scoop, vanilla ice cream
2 tsp. raspberry jam or melba sauce
3-6 fresh raspberries
Fresh mint, for garnish

Makes 1 sundae.

Grab your chocolate cup.

Peel the liner off. Do this carefully, as the cups are kind of fragile.

Drop 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam in the bottom of the chocolate cup.

Top with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you’re serving these at a dinner party, you can make these a few hours ahead up to this point. (Store them in a zip-top bag in the freezer.) Wait to top with the warm jam and berries until right before serving.

Put the other teaspoon of raspberry jam in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up and thin it out.

Spoon the warm jam over the top of the ice cream.

Your jam will spread out and melt the ice cream a little, and do that heavenly warm-topping-on-cold-ice-cream thing. (Like I said, top your sundae right before serving.)

Drop on a few fresh raspberries.

Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Serve immediately. (And don’t forget to eat your bowl.) Enjoy!

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Make your own peanut butter cups—and s’mores cups, and fluffernutter cups. I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, and man…am I glad I did. It’s easy, kind of messy, and tons of fun.

Warning: Gratuitous candy photography ahead. I couldn’t help myself. I think my camera might still be semi-coated in chocolate.

How to make homemade, filled chocolate candies

These were such a hit with the Mouse House Crew that I’ll definitely make them again soon. The best part? Once you get the basic chocolate shell down, the possibilities for fillings are almost endless.

Chocolate-coated shells

This time, I filled some of mine with a sweetened peanut-butter paste, and some with marshmallow fluff and graham crackers for an all-in-one s’mores treat. Oh, and a handful got peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, in classic fluffernutter style.

S’mores cup

Here are a few more ideas for fillings

+Chocolate ice cream + a dollop of homemade fudge sauce (fill and freeze, then thaw in the fridge half an hour before serving)
+Peanut butter + jelly
+Marshmallow fluff + raspberry jam
+Dark chocolate fudge + chopped, brandy-soaked dried cherries

Peanut-butter cup

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: A note on ingredients

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips here, but use any kind of chocolate you like. Dark chocolate would be lovely, as well. For the peanut butter, I used smooth, but chunky (or even homemade) would be great.

For the marshmallow fluff, make your own (it’s easy, I swear!)—or use good ole Marshmallow Fluff in a jar.

(Fact #438 about The Hungry Mouse: The Mouse House is located not far from where Marshmallow Fluff was invented.)

Melting chocolate: To temper or not to temper?

In a word, I didn’t bother for these. Basically, tempering chocolate is a method of melting chocolate that helps it keep a nice gloss and a good snap.

If you like, definitely take the time to do this. It’s a good thing to do if you plan to keep them around for a while, and can help eliminate (harmless) spots of bloom on the surface.

Here’s a good explanation from Epicurious:

OK, Mouse! Make with the candy!

Yep, yep. Here you go. There are all sorts of recipes floating around out there for these. Here’s a step-by-step walk-through of how I made mine. Measurements are approximate, and depend on how much of each ingredient you add to each cup.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups

For the candy shells
3-4 cups chocolate chips

For the peanut butter filling
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the s’mores filling
1 cup marshmallow fluff
2 graham crackers, broken in pieces

Yields about 2 dozen mini peanut butter cups and 4-6 large s’mores.

I used mini muffin liners for the peanut-butter cups, and regular-sized ones for the s’mores.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Melt the chocolate

Grab your chocolate chips. Set a pot with an inch of water on the stove over high heat. Bring the water up to a boil, then drop the heat to low. Set a large, heat-proof bowl on top of the pot.

Add your chocolate to the bowl. It should immediately start to melt.

Stir it with a spatula until it’s completely melted. This should only take a few minutes. When it’s totally melted, turn the stove off and set the bowl on a board to cool.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Make the peanut butter filling

While your chocolate is cooling, make your peanut butter filling.

Put your peanut butter in a medium-sized bowl.

Add the powdered sugar to it.

Stir to combine well.

When you have a smooth, uniform mixture, add the vanilla extract. (If you wanted a different flavor in the filling, this is the place to add it.)

Stir to combine well. You want to end up with a smooth paste, like this:

Set the peanut butter filling aside. If you’re using additional fillings, gather them together now.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Make the chocolate cups

When your chocolate is still melted, but cool enough to handle comfortably, you’re ready to make your chocolate-coated cups.

Grab your muffin liners.

Put a spoonful of chocolate in the middle of the cup.

Using the back of your spoon, smoosh the chocolate around so that it completely coats the inside of the muffin liner, like this:

When your cup is coated, set it aside on a baking sheet or plate (use something that will fit in your fridge).

Repeat with the rest of the muffin liners until they’re all coated.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Chill the chocolate cups

When your cups are all filled, pop them into the fridge for about a half an hour, until the chocolate is totally solid. When you’re ready to fill them, take them out of the fridge.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Fill the peanut-butter cups

Check your melted chocolate before you start. If it’s too solid to work with, pop it back over a pot of warm water to loosen it up a little.

Put a small lump of peanut butter filling in the chocolate cup. How much you add is up to you. I’d fill them at least halfway up, so there’s a fairly even ratio of chocolate to filling.

With a finger, smoosh the filling down so that it’s flat.

Top with a spoonful of melted chocolate.

Spread the chocolate around with the back of your spoon. Basically, you want to create a chocolate seal, touching all the edges and completely covering the filling.

Set the finished peanut butter cup on a plate or tray (again, one that will fit in your fridge).

Repeat with the rest of the chocolate-coated cups.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Fill the s’mores cups

To make a s’mores cup, fill the bottom of the cup a little more than halfway full with marshmallow fluff. Set a piece of a graham cracker on top of the fluff. Press it down gently.

Top with melted chocolate.

Spread the chocolate around with the back of a spoon to completely seal in the filling.

Set aside on a plate or tray. Repeat as needed.

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Refrigerate the candy

When all your cups are filled and topped with chocolate, pop your candy into the fridge to let the chocolate harden up. Give them an hour, at least, depending on how thick your top layer of chocolate is.

When the chocolate is hard, they should look about like this:

Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups: Serve and enjoy!

Here’s a peanut butter cup:

And here’s a s’mores cup:

Enjoy!

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