With the food media realm crowded with so many voices, there are few we suggest you trust, but chefs Lynn Crawford and Lora Kirk are two to believe in. In fact, being award-winning chefs and champions of Canadian cuisine, we'd place our culinary lives in their hands, happily knowing that we'd never be led astray.
We're being a tad dramatic, but there is a lot of "noise" out there...
Anyway, the dynamic chef duo is back with a captivating veg-forward cookbook Two Chefs in the Garden: Over 150 Garden-Inspired Vegetarian Recipes and our taste buds have perked over their take on babka.
"Babka is made with a rich brioche dough and usually filled with layers of fudgy chocolate or cinnamon. There is an infinite number of variations, from sweet fillings to savoury flavours like goat cheese, bacon, and caramelized onions. While we do love those versions, our ultimate favourite is this babka packed with sweet cherries and toasted walnuts. We pick the cherries from our one and only cherry tree next to our garden. It always gives us just enough fruit to make a batch of jam to make this recipe," explain chef Lynn Crawford in the introduction to this recipe in Two Chefs in the Garden.
Cherry jam
2 pounds (900 g) sweet or sour cherries (or a mixture), pitted
1 package (1.75 ounces/49 g) fruit pectin powder
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2½ cups granulated sugar
1 to 2 drops almond extract
Put a small plate or saucer in the freezer.
In a food processor, working in batches, process the cherries just until finely chopped. Transfer the cherries to a large, heavy pot.
Stir in the pectin and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in the sugar, return to a full rolling boil, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the jam thickens, about 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and test the jam by removing the plate from the freezer and put a small spoonful of jam on it.
Return the dish to the freezer for a few minutes until the jam is cool, then run a spoon through it. If the jam is very thick and the spoon leaves a clear path, it’s done. If not, return the plate to the freezer, continue to cook the jam for another 5 minutes, then test again.
When the jam is done, remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.
Ladle the jam into clean jars. Allow the jam to cool. Screw on the lids and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Cherry walnut babka
Dough
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup warm whole milk
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Cherry filling
3 tablespoons finely chopped toasted walnuts
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup Cherry Jam (recipe at left)
Streusel topping
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Egg wash
1 egg 1 tablespoon
whole milk
Make the dough
In a small bowl, stir together the yeast and warm milk. Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, and sugar. Whisk in the yeast mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt. Add the egg mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Stop the mixer and switch to the dough hook. With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly incorporate the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a smooth ball. Place the dough in a buttered large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest in a warm place for about 2 hours, until it puffs and no longer springs back when pressed with a finger.
Meanwhile, make the cherry filling: In a food processor, combine the walnuts, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cherry jam and pulse until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.
Fill the dough and shape the loaf: Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 22 × 12-inch rectangle, with a long side facing you.
Use an offset spatula to evenly spread a thin layer of the cherry filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border of exposed dough around the edges. Starting at the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal.
With the seam side down, use a sharp knife to cut the log lengthwise down the centre. Arrange the halves with a short side facing you and the filling facing up. Keeping the filling facing up, lay one half over the other half to form an X. Starting at the centre of the X, take the ends closest to you and twist them around each other twice.
Repeat on the other side, for a total of 4 twists. Place a hand on each end of the roll and quickly and firmly push together until the loaf is closer to the size of the pan. Lift the dough and place it in the prepared loaf pan. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Make the streusel topping
After 30 minutes, in a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and use a wooden spoon to mix it into the dry ingredients. Then rub together with your hands until the mixture has the texture of crumbs.
Add the walnuts and stir to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the egg wash, finish, and bake: After 30 minutes, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the top of the babka with the egg wash. Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the top.
Bake until golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Let the babka cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, invert the loaf onto a rack, turn it right side up, and let cool completely before slicing.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, let sit at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
(Authors' note: Leftover babka—should you have any leftovers—makes excellent French toast. We always make a double batch to make sure we have some leftover slices.)
- Yield:
- One 9" x 5" loaf
