Zabar’s Hamantaschen

Purim is a time for triangle stuffed cookies called hamantaschen / hamantashen / oznei haman / אוזני המן. I found an excellent recipe and have decided to make this the family recipe.

The interesting part of this recipe is the use of sweet butter. I was 40+ years old when I learned of sweet butter and .. surprisingly … how easy it was to find it in a local store. This recipe is unusual because the dough is pie-like with similar ingredients + processes.

Zabar’s hamantaschen

Keep in mind you will need to refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably 4 hours (or up to 24 hours).

You can stuff the cookies with whatever filling you prefer. Typical stuffings include jam (strawberry, apricot, berries,), Nutella, dates, or poppyseeds.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 313 grams of all purpose flour (sifted)
  • extra flour for rolling out dough
• 125 grams of white sugar
• 340 grams of COLD sweet butter, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (wash your lemon, let it dry and then grate)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs, room temperature

Instructions:

• Add your cold, cubed butter to flour mixture. You can either use a food processor to blend it until you see big flakes or you can use your hands and flatten + cover every cube of butter with flour.
• Add lemon rind, vanilla, and eggs and mix, using your hands, until dough forms a ball.
• You may have to add flour if dough is very sticky.
• You may need to add a teaspoon of ice water if the dough won’t come together
• Cover ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours (overnight is fine).

Baking

• Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C degrees.
• Cut the ball of dough in quarters and roll out, on floured surface, until 1/4” thick
• Cut the dough into even circles using a 4” round cookie cutter
• Fill the center of the circle with one small teaspoon of filling and make three corners by folding one over the next.

Place on a cookie sheet (lightly greased or with a Silpat lining). Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool on the cookie sheet.

So many emotions .. no time to process

What a shitshow this year has been.

Last year was difficult. At least one out of the three kids was sick every other week. One need an operation, one broke a bone. And then the pandemic hit.

Thankfully – everyone is relatively healthy.

I haven’t had the time to really process this year – all the difficult emotions. The immense loss, fear, frustration, isolation, anger. I feel like I am going to need years of therapy to process 2020 and possibly 2021.

I’ve been lucky – we’ve been lucky. We have a roof over our head, food on the table, our health and I even rejoined the workforce in the middle of the pandemic.

But still – the mental load of taking care of a family, being the household CEO with zero time off, zero time to recharge my dead batteries, being needed 24/7 for months when we were all locked down together is a whole different level then the most difficult period of my life – when I was going through fertility treatments to have children.

I wake up knowing that my disposition will affect my kids and my partner. It is mentally taxing to know that I can’t have a shitty day alone – I must be patient and calm so my household won’t turn into a crying, yelling mess.

I turned 40 in 2020 and it was the most pathetic birthday even for one who hates celebrating her birthday. It was right in the beginning of the first lockdown – so nothing was open, no one was delivering anything. My partner tried to celebrate the momentous occasion but with no one open – it was impossible. We had a low key celebration with just our family (which was lovely) but… I had big plans for celebrating this birthday. And I missed celebrating with my besties.

When I was a kid, I just couldn’t picture 2020. It sounded so … I don’t even know. Futuristic. I could grasp 2019 but 2020…. just couldn’t wrap my head around 2020. All I know is that it was a good thing I couldn’t picture 2020 – because no one could have imagined *this*.

So if this past week isn’t a metaphor, I don’t know what is. It started off with one kid coming down with a fever, then being diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease. Then less than two hours later, picking up the other toddler who came down with a high fever. Oh, and then we pulled the eldest out of gan in case they too caught the virus.

It’s been a rough week. With very little sleep but lots of smiles and cuddles. My kids are pretty happy (even when sick) – and for that, we are truly blessed.

And today, on the first day of 2021, I have hope. Because we are starting off the new year with two out of the three back to themselves and back in school (with approval from their Dr).

Light. I see light at the end of this tunnel.

Vaccines. 10% of my local population has already received their first dose.

2021, you bring me hope.

And lots of therapy.

Oh, and I beg of you – sleep.

My Chocolate Gvina Levana Cake

This past weekend, I promised my family that we would celebrate their new beginnings with a cake. All 3 kids returned to school – and they were all in new ganim. 

Saturday rolled around and I forgot about the cake until I was lying in bed having my Sat afternoon nap (yes, it is still a thing around here, thank the Lord).

When I woke up, my eldest joined me around the table and she reminded me that we were supposed to bake a cake. I tried to brush it off – but realized, no, Mama made a promise and I keep my promises no matter how much I’d rather do something else.

And of course, baking with eldest was delightful. Here is what we made together.

Chocolate Gvina Levana cake

My chocolate gvina levana cake is based on recipe from The Cafe Sucre Farine

8” round pan, lined with baking sheet – preheat oven 175C 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup gvina levana
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup canola oil or other mild tasting oil

Directions:

• Sift flour and cocoa powder into bowl. Ensure a light and fluffy cake. Don’t skip this step! 
• Add baking powder, salt and sugar – mix with fork/whisk to combine dry ingredients 
• Create well in the middle of dry ingredients – add wet ingredients (eggs, gvina levana, oil, and vanilla extract) 
• Mix – but only in ONE direction. Always mix in one direction to keep the cake from getting dense. 

Once combined, pour into a lined round baking pan. 

Bake for 37 minutes. Let it cool on a cooling rack before eating.