Shabbat Mandarin Marble Loaf Food

SHABBAT MANDARIN MARBLE LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10 inch tube or angel cake pan, a 12-cup bundt pan, or two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans. Line the bottom of the pan(s) with parchment paper.
• Prepare the chocolate paste by placing the cocoa and oil in a small bowl and blending well. Add a drop or more of oil if the mixture appears too stiff or thick to stir or blend easily.
• For the cake, in a large bowl, blend the oil with the sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl often. Blend in the eggs and stir in the vanilla, water, orange juice, and zest.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients.
• Remove one third of the batter to a smaller bowl. Stir the chocolate paste into this to make a chocolate batter and add to this the grated chocolate or miniature chocolate chips. Spoon alternating portions of white and chocolate batter into the prepared pan. You can do this with a spatula or a soup spoon. It doesn't really matter how you place the batter in the pan - it works out in the baking.
• Bake the large cake for 55 to 60 minutes, smaller cakes for 35 to 40 minutes. The cake should be lightly browned on top, perhaps slightly cracked, and spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Then either dust with confectioners' sugar or glaze.
• For the glaze, stir together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice to make a thick but pourable sauce. Drizzle this over the top of the cooled cake. Garnish with long shreds of orange zest, if desired.

SHABBAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Stir in the salt, sugar, oil and 4 eggs until well blended. Gradually mix in the flour. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Place dough underneath the bowl to rise until double. Or, you can place the dough in the bowl, and cover with a towel.
• Punch down the dough, and divide into 6 or 8 even pieces depending on what shape you want. Remember to take a small piece off and make a blessing (Jewish law). Roll the pieces into ropes. Braid into two loaves, or one really big 6 piece braid - but only if your oven is large enough. Or, you can make the spiral shape challahs out of each rope. Tuck the ends under, and place on a baking sheet to rise until your finger leaves a small dent when you gently poke the bread.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Whisk together the remaining egg, water and vanilla sugar. Brush over the tops of the loaves. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bread is deep golden brown. Wrap the small piece of dough that was blessed in aluminum foil, and burn in the oven as an offering while the other loaves are baking.