Sunday, January 19, 2025

Starting fresh...

 I don't have a lot to share.  It has been in the negative digits all weekend.  We have had to shovel and plow almost every day.  I have spent this three-day weekend cleaning.  I spent it washing the logs, dusting everything, and tidying the plants.  I made peanut butter cookies, babka bread, and pork/pepper stir fry with noodles.  

I am probably a little early with the spring cleaning, but I couldn't take it any longer.  I still have the bathroom, spare bedroom, and master bedroom.  I am ruthless with throwing things out and paring things down.  It feels good to clean things out.  Hopefully, I will be done next weekend.
I love babka. It is two of my favorite things chocolate and bread. I did a lot of baking this weekend.  I was super excited to indulge in this wonderful recipe.  

Chocolate Babka Bread                             

4 c. Flour
2 1/4 t. Yeast
1 c. Water warm
1 T. Kosher Salt
1/4 c. Honey or Sugar
1/2 c. Olive Oil
2 Eggs
Zest of one Orange
2 t. Vanilla

Filling
1/2 c. Butter
3/4 c. Dark Chocolate Chips
1/2 c. Powdered Sugar
1/3 c. Cocoa Powder

Syrup
1/3 c. Orange Juice fresh squeezed
6 T. Sugar

Wisk 1 c. of flour with the yeast and stir in warm water until combined and let rise 45 minutes. Add honey, salt, oil, eggs, zest, and vanilla. Stir until will mixed, then add remaining 3 c. flour. Stir until sticky. Turn dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few minutes, until smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise 1-2 hours. Make the filling by melting the butter and chocolate together. Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa until smooth. Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal parts. Using a rolling pin, roll 1 half into a rectangle about 10-11 inches wide and 16 inches long. Spread half of the filling over the top, leaving half for the other half. Roll into a tight coil. You can refrigerate overnight or chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Coat loaf pans with butter. Cut logs in half and twist together in loaf pan. Let rise 1 to 1.5 hours. Bake at 375º for 25-30 minutes.

Personal Notes: Wow! Chocolate and bread, what more could a person want? It seems complicated at first, but once you make it you realize it is pretty easy and well worth it.

When do you usually do your spring cleaning? Do you have a favorite indulgence?  What do you do when the weather dictates you stay indoors?   


No comments:

Post a Comment

Sit on my porch and let's chat. Due to the amount of spam I am closing my comments to Anonymous users. Sorry.