Zibulnikas

(Cottage Cheese Buns with Green Onions)


I served these at our Jewish Hannakuh dinner for the gourmet club. They take a little practice to get the tops twisted shut, but they are a different approach to a dinner roll. The recipe listed below is the low-fat version. You can, however, very easily make them even better by using the full-fat variety of ingredients.  You must start these about 8 hours or more before you plan on serving them, as the cottage cheese takes a minimum of 4 hours to drain before making the filling. Recipe is from Healthy Jewish Cooking, by Steven Raichlen.

2  cups  low or non-fat small curd cottage cheese (be sure to get small curd)

The night before, or at least 4 hours ahead of time, place the cottage cheese in a fine mesh strainer, or one lined with cheesecloth or paper towel (coffee filter?), over a bowl. Cover and refirgerate until ready to use, at least 4 hours or overnight.

FOR THE DOUGH:
1  pkg  dry yeast (2-1/4 tsp)
1  tsp  sugar
1  cup  warm water
3-1/2  cups  flour, plus extra for rolling out
1-1/2  tsp  salt
2  Tbs  oil, plus oil for the bowl
1  egg, lightly beaten

Combine yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl or coffee cup. Stir to mix.Let stand until the mixture is foamy, 10 minutes.

Place the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the dough blade. Add yeast mixture, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, oil, and egg. Process in short bursts to obtain a dough that is soft and pliable, but not sticky. Add additional flour if needed. Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and knead a few minutes by hand.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

FILLING:
Well-drained cottage cheese
1/2  cup  low or non-fat sour cream
1/4  cup  egg substitute, or 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1  bunch  scallions (green onions), trimmed and finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

2  Tbs  egg substitute, or 1 egg white, beaten with a pinch of salt for glazing
1  Tbs  butter

Combine the well-drained cottage cheese, sour cream, egg substitute, scallions, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be highly seasoned. Set aside.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each into a ball; cover with plastic wrap and let rst for 5 minutes. Flatten each ball with the plam of your hand. Then, using a rolling pin, roll into a 6" circle.

Place 3 Tbs of filling in center of each circle.Lightly brush the edges with water to help seal the dough. Now start lifting up the edges forming pleats. Slightly raise the dough off the counter so the filling sinks down. Doing this will help keep the filling where it belongs. Now gather up all the pleats and twist them in a circle, forming a beggar's purse or old fashioned money bag. Pinch or twist to seal in the filling. Arrange the rolls on a non-stick cookie sheet,  lightly sprayed with PAM. Loosly cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until soft and puffy, about 30 minutes or so.

Brush the Zubulnikas with the egg glaze. Place a little dab of butter on top of each bun. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Have napkins handy, as the filling can be very juicy.

Snickers Fudge

This is a yummy, but time consuming treat. Took a couple of times to tweak the recipe, but it’s a real keeper. It is important assemble all the ingredients (measured) before beginning.

FIRST LAYER:

1/4  cup  butterscotch chips

1/4  cup  creamy peanut butter

1  cup  milk chocolate chips (Hershey or Ghiradelli)

Combine in a double boiler, starting with the butterscotch chips. Let them sit in the pot a while to start melting before adding the peanut butter. When the butterscotch chips have melted, add the chocolate chips and melt. Pour this into a buttered 9x13” pan. Chill while making the next layer.

SECOND LAYER:

1/2  cup  butter (no substitutes)

1  cup  sugar

1/4  cup  evaporated milk

1/4  cup  peanut butter

1  jar (17 oz)  marshmallow crème

1  tsp  vanilla extract

1-1/2  cups  salted peanuts

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Quickly stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Put the marshmallow crème on top of this mixture to soften slightly. After a minute or so, very gently stir in to incorporate the mixtures (it will become grainy if stirred too much). Add the peanuts during this process. Spread over the first layer. Chill while making the next layer.

THIRD LAYER:

1  pkg (14 oz.)  KRAFT caramels (no substitutes)

1/4  cup   whipping cream

Melt together in a double boiler. Pour over the second layer. Chill while preparing the next layer.

FOURTH LAYER:

1  cup  milk chocolate chips

1/4  cup  butterscotch chips

1/4  cup  creamy peanut butter

Prepare as in the first layer. Pour over caramel layer. Chill at least 1 hour. Cut into squares.

This must be stored in the refrigerator.

Jewish Apple Cake

We had this cake at our Healthy Hearts Gourmet Dinner Club, and it was the hit recipe of the night. It will taste better the day after it's made, as it gets really moist from the apples. Add more apples to the layers than you think you'll need. The batter rises and separates the apple layers if you don't. You will think you have too many apples compared to the batter, but trust me, you won't. This cake is very dense, and is great for breakfast as well.

10-12 apples of various types, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs cinnamon

3 cups flour

4 eggs

2-1/2 cups sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice

2-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

After peeling, coring, and slicing the apples, combine them in a bowl with sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients and with handheld mixer, blend well until batter is smooth.

In a greased tube pan (or bundt pan), spread a thin layer of batter on the bottom. Use as little as possible, but make sure the bottom of pan is completely covered with about 1/4 inch of batter.

Cover batter with 1/3 of the apples. Repeat until you have 3 layers of batter and 3 layers of apples, ending with apples on the top. The layering is time consuming, but is well worth it. When layering batter on top of apples add small dabs around the pan and carefully spread out. Use more apples than you think you'll need. You SHOULD NOT have any apples left over when you finish.

Bake for 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow pan to cool on rack. Serve with ice cream, Cool Whip, or the Apple Cider Caramel Drizzle below.

Apple Cider Caramel Drizzle

1 cup apple cider

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup cool water

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

Combine the first three ingredients together in a sauce pan. Cook over low heat to dissolve and reduce slightly, and remove from the heat. It will still be thin in consistency. Set aside until ready to use.

Return the mixture to the heat and warm it up before using. When the cider drizzle is warmed through, add a slurry made with the cool water and cornstarch, whisking until thickened. It will now be a thicker caramel consistency. Drizzle over the individual slices.

Orange Butter

Nice on muffins, biscuits, pancakes, scones, waffles, even bagels.

Juice  of  2  oranges,  or  2  Tbs  undiluted frozen OJ concentrate
Grated rind of  2  oranges
1  cup  butter, softened
1  cup,  plus  2  Tbs  powdered sugar

Blend butter, rind, and juice concentrate. Add sugar and whip until light.
Store in a pretty crock or covered dish in the refrigerator.

Lemon Cream Sauce

Serve over eggs benedict, or spoon over fresh steamed asparagus.

3/4  cup  butter, melted and cooled
3  egg yolks
2  tsp  water
1-1/2  Tbs  lemon juice
2  Tbs  cold butter
Salt and pepper
1/2  cup  whipping cream, lightly whipped

In heavy saucepan, over very low heat, beat egg yolks until thick. Beat in water and lemon juice. Add 1 Tbs cold butter; beat until thick. Remove from heat. Add 1 Tbs cold butter to stop cooking.

Slowly beat in the 3/4 cup cooled butter, several drops at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more lemon juice, if needed.

Just before serving, fold in whipped cream. Serve warm, not hot.

Carmalized Almonds or Cashews

Use with desserts or Asian stir-frys.

1  cup  slivered almonds or cashews
1/2  cup  sugar

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, stir sugar and nuts until sugar melts, and all is light caramel colored. Spread on wax paper to cool. Break apart and store in an air-tight container.

If using for stir-frys, reduce sugar in half.

Turkey Broth and Pan Gravy

This makes a wonderful base for you gravy, especially when you add the pan drippings to it when making the gravy. Tweaked from a Sara Moulton recipe.

The giblets and neck from 1 turkey (discard liver)

4  cups  chicken broth (good quality canned is fine)

1  small  onion, coarsely chopped

1  small  carrot, cut in half

1  celery rib, cut in half

1  small  parsnip (optional), cut in half

1  thyme sprig (optinal)  

1  fresh parsley sprig

1  bay leaf

4  cups  cold water

2  large  chicken bullion cubes

Combine the giblets and neck with the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down immediately and simmer, skimming and discarding the scum (this is nothing scarier than the protein solids from the giblets and neck but it will cloud the broth if you leave it in) that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon.

After about 20 minutes, when there is no more scum rising to the surface, add the remaining ingredients and bring the liquid back to a simmer. Simmer the broth, adding water as necessary to keep all the ingredients submerged in liquid, for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Strain and skim off any fat that settles at the top (You can use that fat for your pan gravy). I personally don't use the giblets in the final gravy, just to flavor the stock.

Pan Gravy

I recommend making ½ cup gravy per person since it is Thanksgiving. You need that much gravy to pour over everything, and for leftovers. So here is the formula. For each cup of gravy, you will need:

1  cup  turkey or chicken broth

1-½  Tbs  drippings, fat or butter

1-½  Tbs  flour*

Here is a sample recipe for 4 cups gravy serving 8 people:

6  Tbs  fat  from drippings in roasting pan, and/or butter or a combination

6  level  Tbs  flour* 

4  cups  turkey or chicken broth

After you have taken your turkey out of the oven, transfer it to a platter and cover it loosely with foil. While it is resting put the roasting pan on the stove. Transfer whatever liquid is in the roasting pan to a glass measuring cup and let it settle. The fat will float to the top. Skim off the fat and measure it. (Save the liquid as well to add later)

If you have 6 tablespoons fat, add them back to the pan. If you don't have that much, add whatever fat plus enough tablespoons of butter to make 6 tablespoons fat total. Heat the pan over low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking for 5 minutes.

Add the broth in a steady stream, whisking. Turn up the heat to moderately high, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, whisking for 5 minutes. Whisk in any juices from the turkey resting platter as well as from the glass measuring cup. If the gravy seems thin, simmer it a few minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

Note: You could substitute ½ cup white or red wine for ½ cup of the broth. 

*Also, I prefer making gravy with cornstarch rather than flour. I don't measure it, I just put a generous amount into some cold water to dissolve, and then add it to the stock in the pan. Adjust it up or down, depending on how thick you like your gravy.