Chocolate Apricot Babka Food

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the milk in a liquid measuring cup; add a pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 7 minutes. Combine the flour, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the eggs, yeast mixture, salt, vanilla, nutmeg and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Knead in the butter in three additions, dusting the dough with flour if it's too sticky. Transfer the dough to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, re-cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge overnight.
• Make the filling: Heat the sugar, heavy cream and salt in a saucepan until scalding. Pour over the bittersweet chocolate chips, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature.
• Make the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl; work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is sandy and chunky. Stir in the mini chocolate chips; set the topping aside.
• Form the loaves: Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on both dough rectangles, all the way to the edges. Starting from a long side, tightly roll each rectangle into a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Unwrap the logs; cut each in half lengthwise with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Twist the halves together a few times, starting from the middle. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment, then spray the parchment. Place a dough twist snugly in each pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Finish and bake the babka: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each loaf with butter and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until browned, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make some simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan; simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool. Pull the loaves out of the oven and immediately poke a bunch of holes in each with a wooden skewer. Pour 1 1/4 cups simple syrup evenly over the loaves.
• Let sit 10 minutes, then remove the babka from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on a rack.

CHOCOLATE-APRICOT BABKA

Steps:

• To make dough, combine flours, salt and all but 1 tablespoon sugar in mixer fitted with dough attachment and mix on medium speed. In a small bowl, stir yeast with one tablespoon warm water and reserved tablespoon sugar just until sugar and yeast have dissolved. Reduce mixer speed to low, add yeast mixture, milk, eggs and vanilla. Beat until dough is shiny and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add one stick butter by spoonfuls until thoroughly incorporated, then beat on low speed for about 5 minutes. When finished, dough should be silken and rich like very thick ice cream. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. When dough has doubled in size, after 2 hours, flour a cutting board and your hands. Then push dough down on board, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
• To make filling, purée apricot preserves in a food processor until smooth. In a small bowl, combine cake crumbs, preserves and butter; mix until smooth. Set aside. Grate chocolate by hand in large holes of a box grater or in a food processor. If using a food processor, pulse into large chunks. Set aside.
• To make streusel topping, in a small bowl mix flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add cold butter and using your fingers, mix together until crumbly. Set aside.
• To assemble, line one Bundt pan or two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, not letting paper come more than 1 inch above top of pans. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle.
• Using a metal spatula, spread half the apricot filling over dough within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with half the grated chocolate. Beginning with long side, roll dough up tightly and fold in ends. Twist babka lengthwise to create a spiral, holding one end of babka in each hand. Place twisted babka in half the prepared Bundt pan or in a loaf pan, pressing dough firmly into pan. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Brush babka top with melted butter and sprinkle with half the streusel. Repeat with second half of babka dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let loaves rise at room temperature until they reach top of pan or about doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Allow babka to cool for 30 minutes before cutting. Slice babka and serve.

DARK CHOCOLATE APRICOT COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with Reynolds Parchment Paper; set aside. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, orange extract and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in apricots until blended.
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on lined cookie sheet.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips are melted. Dip each cookie halfway into melted chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place on waxed paper and let stand until chocolate is set, at least 2 hours. To quickly set chocolate, refrigerate cookies 15 minutes. Store between sheets of Reynolds Parchment Paper in tightly covered container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE BABKA RECIPE

Steps:

• Place flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed until combined. Add eggs and water, and mix on medium speed until dough comes together, 2-3 minutes. Add butter, adding a few cubes at a time, mixing on low-medium speed, until incorporated. Continue mixing for about 10 minutes on medium speed, until dough is completely smooth, elastic and shiny. It would look soft and might be sticky - that's ok. During mixing, you will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• With floured hands, transfer dough to a large bowl brushed with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge for at least half a day or overnight. The dough may not look like it has risen much, that's ok. If placed a long time in the fridge the dough can become hard, that's ok, too; leave it at room temperature until it's easy to work with, 30-60 minutes.
• Grease two loaf pans (I usually use 9×5 inch pans but a bit smaller or larger pans would work too) with oil and line the bottom and sides of each pan with parchment paper for easy release later on. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan place chocolate, butter, heavy cream, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt, and bring just to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low and mix until melted and completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. It would thicken and become spreadable as it cools. You can place it in the fridge for a short while until you get a spreadable consistency.
• Divide dough in half. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle measuring 16x12 inches (40x30 cm). Position dough so that a long side is closest to you. Using an offset spatula, spread half of the chocolate mixture over the rectangle.
• Use both hands to roll up the rectangle like a roulade, starting from the long side closest to you and ending at the other long end. Press to seal the dampened end onto the roulade, then use both hands to even out the roll into a perfect thick cigar. Rest the cigar on its seam.
• Using a serrated knife, gently cut the roll in half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam, essentially dividing the log into two long even halves, with the layers of dough and filling visible along the length of both halves. With the cut sides facing up, gently press together one end of each half, then lift the right half over the left half. Repeat this process, but this time lifting the left half over the right, to create a simple two-pronged plait. Gently squeeze together the other ends so that you are left with the two halves, intertwined, showing the filling on top. Carefully lift the cake into a loaf pan. Don't worry if there are gaps in the pan since the cake will rise and will eventually look fine, even if it looks messy at this point. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rise at room temperature for 1 to 1½ hours until almost doubled in size. Repeat to make the second cake.
• Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C, making sure to allow plenty of time for it to heat fully before the cakes have finished rising. Remove plastic wrap, and place cakes on middle rack of oven. Bake 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top. If you have a thermometer, you are looking for an internal temperature of about 200ºF/93ºC degrees.
• While the cakes are in the oven, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove from heat and set aside to cool. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, brush the syrup over them. Use all of the syrup, even if it looks a lot. Let cakes cool until they are warm, then remove from pans and let cool completely before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Babka will stay fresh for 24 hours in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not place it in the fridge. It also freezes well for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave at room temperature for 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE BABKA

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a small pan over a low heat until warm, but not hot. Set aside. Put the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ½ tsp salt to one side of the bowl and the sugar and yeast to the other. Mix each side into the flour with your hands, then using the dough hook attachment until fully combined.
• Pour in the warm milk, then, with the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time. Keep mixing the dough for 10 mins until smooth, then gradually add the butter, one or two cubes at a time, until fully incorporated, about 5-8 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl - the dough will be very soft.
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr 30 mins-2 hrs until doubled in size. Once doubled, chill for 1 hr.
• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. To make the filling, put all the filling ingredients and a large pinch of sea salt flakes in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat, stirring continuously until everything has melted together. Transfer to a bowl, leave to cool completely, then transfer to the fridge and chill for 40 mins, stirring every 20 mins until the mixture has thickened but is still spreadable.
• Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a roughly 70 x 40cm rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough using a spatula or palette knife. With a shorter end closest to you, roll the dough up into a tight sausage. Transfer to a board, seam-side down, and cut in half across the length so you have two long pieces. Lay the two pieces out in front of you, parallel to one another, and cross them over each other along the length in a plait-like pattern. Curl into a circle and join the ends to make a wreath, then carefully transfer to the lined sheet.
• Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr until doubled in size. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake the babka for 35-40 mins until golden.
• For the syrup, simmer the sugar, orange juice and zest over a high heat for 5-10 mins until thickened. Brush the babka with the warm syrup. Strain the candied orange zest and scatter over the babka. Serve warm, or leave to cool completely, then keep wrapped. Will keep wrapped at room temperature for up to three days.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it's lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the lemon zest (if using) and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn't come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.
• Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.
• Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).
• Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.
• Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.
• Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup/158 milliliters water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
• Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
• Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it's about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it's a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won't quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.
• When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.
• As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

CHOCOLATE CHIP APRICOT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, turbinado sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the egg, vanilla, and salt. Stir the flour and baking soda into the butter mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips and apricots. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.