Many cookbooks are published in Israel prior to the High Holidays. Two of them have stood out in out opinions as they reflect their creators' and writers' commitment to producing a book that deserves its place on the shelf.
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Out of the multitude of different cookbooks being published, the two have particularly caught our attention due to their deep dive into baking, as can be seen in the recipes we've chosen from them for you to try.
Cheese baguettes (3 baguettes)
Ingredients:
- 500 grams bread flour
- 8 grams of fresh yeast
- 10 grams salt
- 350 ml water
- 150 grams pitted and roughly chopped black olives
- 200 grams Manchego cheese, cut into 2 cm cubes
- Semolina flour for dusting
Instructions:
1. Prepare the dough and let it rise:
- In a mixer bowl, combine the bread flour, fresh yeast, and salt.
- Add the water and mix on low speed for 2 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for an additional 5 minutes until you have a smooth and uniform dough.
- Reduce the speed again, add the olives and cheese, and mix until they’re evenly distributed.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a plastic bag, and let rise for 45 minutes.
2. Shape and proof:
- Place a towel on your work surface and generously dust it with semolina flour.
- Transfer the dough onto the towel and sprinkle some more semolina flour on top.
- Flatten it into a rectangle using your hands and then fold it in half.
- Press down on the dough to form a rectangle about 3 cm thick.
- Cover the dough and let it proof for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven and bake:
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius (482 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dust the dough with flour again.
- Using a scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough into three long strips and slightly twist each strip.
- Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow them to cool slightly before serving.
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
- 200 grams of 60% cacao dark chocolate
- 200 grams heavy cream (38% fat)
- 100 grams butter, cut into cubes
- 4 large eggs
- 180 grams sugar
- 80 grams flour
- 3 grams baking powder
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- A 20 cm springform pan
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius in turbo mode.
2. Line the springform pan with parchment paper and grease it.
3. In a suitable bowl, melt the dark chocolate with the heavy cream and butter in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between.
4. Whisk 4 eggs and gradually add them to the melted chocolate mixture.
5. Add 180 grams of sugar and mix well.
6. Add the flour and baking powder, and gently fold until the mixture is uniform.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. It's recommended to rotate the pan during baking. Make sure the cake remains moist in the center and avoid overbaking.
8. Allow the cake to cool and dust it with powdered sugar on top.