Almond Joy Challah Food

STUFFED CHALLAH HEDGEHOGS

Steps:

• For the challah: In a medium bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and give it a little stir. Let it sit until it becomes foamy on top, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the flour, salt and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs.
• When the yeast is foamy, add it to the dry mixture immediately followed by the egg mixture and stir to combine. Knead, either by hand on a floured surface or with a dough hook, adding more flour as necessary (but resist any urge to add too much!), until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and butter with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Mix in the salt and egg white (reserve the egg yolk for the egg wash), and then add the vanilla extract. Stir in the pecan flour.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a clean surface (dust with a little flour if it's too sticky) and divide into 14 balls. Fill each ball with a heaping tablespoon of filling and seal well to shut. Place the balls seam-side down on the lined baking sheets, spaced evenly apart. Let rise for 30 more minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, beat the reserved egg yolk with a splash of water. Working with 3 rolls at a time, brush the egg wash onto the rolls, use scissors to make two 1/2-inch cuts for ears and use tweezers to stick on 2 black sesame seeds for eyes. (If you wait too long after brushing on the egg wash, it will dry and the sesame seeds won't stick; that's why you want to work with no more than 3 rolls at a time.)
• Bake until golden brown; begin checking for doneness at 20 minutes.
• For the glaze: In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, almond extract and 5 teaspoons milk. If it's too thick to spread, add additional milk, a couple of drops at a time, until it's spreadable.
• Working one at a time, spread a circle of glaze onto the rolls and then top with overlapping rows of slivered almonds.

ALMOND JOY® COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Fill 1/2 a cocktail shaker with ice; pour in amaretto, cream of coconut, creme de cacao, and cream. Cover shaker and shake; strain into a glass.

IRRESISTIBLE WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, and vital wheat gluten until well mixed. In another bowl, stir together the honey, olive oil, water, eggs, and raisins. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until it forms a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a round shape. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a cloth, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough, knead it a few times to remove some of the bubbles, and cut it into 2 equal-sized pieces. Set 1 piece of dough aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you shape or braid the first loaf as desired.
• Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat for the other loaf, place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm for best flavor.

ALMOND JOY CHALLAH

Steps:

• I use a bread-maker, on dough setting only. Put all LIQUID ingredients in first, making sure all liquid is warm, not hot. (Butter must not be solid or melted into oil) Then add your brown sugar, sugar, coconut and then flour.
• Poke four holes in the flour and add your two teaspoons of yeast. Turn on the dough setting. It should run for an hour and thirty minutes. (DO NOT add the chocolate chips into the bread machine!).
• When dough is done, take out and cut in half. Then cut each half section into thirds, you should have 6 even pieces (or close to even! :)
• Take a dough ball and squeeze it down into a rectangle. Insert desired amount of mini chocolate chips into center of the rectangle, then close it up and roll, as you would, lets say, roll a cigar? (forgive me if I am offending anyone)
• Then after you have 3 rolled doughs with the chips in the center, you can braid the three together as you would your hair! This will give you two braided challah's. Let rise for an hour, sometimes an hour and fifteen minutes. (I keep on the stove top, nice and warm)
• AFTER the bread has risen and before putting in the over, whisk an egg with water and powdered sugar - brush the wash over your bread and sprinkle with coconut flakes and crushed almonds.
• Bake at 350 for 12 minutes, then turn, and bake at 325 for another 12 -15 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may need to cover with aluminum foil so the bread does not get too dark. ENJOY! :).

VEGAN CHALLAH

Steps:

• In one small bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water, put to the side to stand for 5-10 minutes.
• Mash bananas in other small bowl.
• In large bowl mix: oil, sugar, salt, and boiling water, stirring so it's all mostly dissolved.
• 4Add the cold water to the large bowl (the mix should be warmish now but not hot). Stir in yeast mix.
• Add bananas.
• Add flour, one cup at a time.
• Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for 5-10 min, dough should be smooth, not too stiff or too runny.
• Lightly coat the large mixing bowl in oil, turn the dough in it to just coat it with oil, place a towel over the dough in the bowl and let it rise for about 1 hr, till double in volume.
• Punch dough down, turn out and knead again 2-3 minute Divide dough into 2 balls, divide each ball into 3 sections, roll each section into long ropes and make 2 braids. Preheat the oven to 350.
• Let the braids rise 45 minute Boil a little more water. Just before putting braids in the oven, brush them with boiling water, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or sea salt.

WATER CHALLAH

Steps:

• Proof yeast by taking 3 cups of luke warm (should feel pleasantly warm on wrist and be about 105-110F; if too hot it will kill the yeast) in a 4 or more cup measuring cup and add 4 Tbs. of instant yeast and 2 Tbs. of sugar. Mix a little. When it reaches the top of the 4 cup mark it is done.
• Meanwhile mix bread flour and salt. [For Rosh Hashannah I add the anise seeds.] Add oil and proofed yeast and water. Knead until smooth, adding flour if dough is too sticky or warm water if too stiff.
• Oil a large mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning once to coat. Cover loosely with a damp towel and allow to rise until doubled (time depends upon warmth of house but with this much yeast maybe as little as 30 minutes to 1 hour).
• When doubled punch down, knead gently folding over. [Now is a good time to separate the challah for the bracha.] Divide into halves, quarters, or eighths depending on size of loaf or smaller for rolls. Shape in braids, discs, rounds, etc. as preferred. Place on greased cookie sheets or whatever shape pan preferred. Cover loosely with towel and allow to rise another hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush each loaf with beaten egg if desired. [If using discs for Rosh Hashannah: use a sharp blade to cut a tic-tac-toe grid on each disc.] Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove and cool on racks.

BREAD MACHINE CHALLAH

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in the bread machine in the order required by your machine and set it for dough cycle.
• After the dough cycle finishes, take out the dough and divide into 4-5 pieces.
• Divide each piece into 3-6 ropes and braid to make 4-5 challahs.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Place challahs on a lined baking sheet and cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

ALMOND JOY BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Combine the eggs, sugar, canola oil, butter, vanilla, and coconut extract into a large mixing bowl.
• Beat ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Starting with the flour mixture alternate flour, and then buttermilk till all is combined.
• Add egg mixture.
• Mix until just combined. Do NOT over mix. Fold in coconut, chocolate chips and almonds.
• Pour into two loaf pans that have been greased and floured or sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and place on rack to dry. While cakes are still warm, poke several holes in the top of the cake with a fork. Drizzle Coconut Glaze into the holes.
• Coconut Glaze:.
• Place ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about a minute.
• Turn heat off but leave saucepan on burner. Drizzle over bread.
• Cool.