Cranberry Malabi

December slipped in when I wasn’t looking. Last week, Thanksgiving was a cozy blur of happy times with Sam home from college, football, good food, and celebrating with family and friends. And now we’re nearing the end of another festive holiday, Hanukkah. I can’t keep up!

Before I flip my calendar page to December, I want to share with you what we were cooking with for Tasting Jerusalem in November. Pistachios! Pistachios are quite popular in Middle Eastern cooking and baking. The best baklava I ever tasted was a version with green pistachios at the Abulafia Bakery in Tel Aviv. Truly a decadent treat. Another delicious sweet that I enjoyed while in Israel was malabi, a milk-based pudding. There are several names for this luscious custard, including muhallabieh (as it’s called in Jerusalem), sutlaj or sutlach. No matter what it’s called, it’s creamy and wonderful and I can eat it by the bowlful.

When I spotted the recipe in Jerusalem, I knew I had to make it. Traditionally, malabi is flavored with rose water and topped with a drizzle of sweet syrup and pistachios. Since I had Thanksgiving flavors on my mind when I was dreaming about a dish of malabi, I came up with a variation using cranberries and maple syrup as a topping and swapped out the rose water for vanilla. I also used cream in place of water with the milk, making it rather like a rich panna cotta. The pudding here is made with milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and cornstarch and whisked together over heat until smooth and custardy (this happens quickly, so be sure to remove from heat the moment it thickens to avoid lumps).

For the topping, I stirred together fresh cranberries (such pretty little jewels!) and maple syrup over medium heat until the berries were bursting and bubbling away. Both the pudding and topping can be made ahead and chilled before layering. I spooned the pudding into wine and champagne glasses for an elegant dessert and then topped each with a smooth layer of the cranberries and a scatter of chopped pistachios.

The bright, tart flavor of the cranberries contrasts nicely with the creamy sweetness of the pudding, while the pistachios add crunchy texture. The cheery red and white colors make this a merry dessert for Christmas or New Year’s Eve, too.  And with the frigid cold we’re having outside now, I don’t need any reminders that December has indeed arrived!

Cranberry Malabi
Serves 6
Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

For the pudding, whisk the cornstarch together with 6 tablespoons of the milk until it forms a paste. In a saucepan, stir together the rest of the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla and warm it over medium heat until it begins to steam. Whisk in the milk/cornstarch paste and keep stirring until it turns to custard. I found this happened very quickly, so be ready to pull it off the heat. Pour the pudding into 6 pretty glasses or dishes. It’s nice to use clear glass so you can see the contrast in colors. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.

For the topping, stir the cranberries and maple syrup together in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. The berries will start popping, so stir often to prevent sticking and mash them gently against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. When the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and chill.

Both the pudding and sauce can be made the day before. When ready to serve, divide the sauce between the 6 custards and gently smooth. Garnish each with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and serve.

Barley Fruit Salad for Tu B’Shevat

While it’s too early for buds to be appearing here, in Israel the fruit trees are beginning to awaken from their winter slumber. This time of season signifies the arrival of Tu B’Shevat (the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat), the agricultural holiday marking a new year for trees. I just love this celebration of nature and recognizing the trees’ cycle of life. In Israel, the festival has evolved to include planting new trees, as well.

On this day, it’s traditional to eat foods made from fruit and nuts, especially the seven species of Israel - olives, dates, wheat, barley, pomegranates, grapes and figs. With this in mind, I wanted to create a salad that highlights these traditional species. I started with barley. Barley is a rather quiet grain and doesn’t get a lot of fanfare, other than in mushroom barley soup.  I appreciate barley’s chewy texture and earthy flavor and I thought it would shine in a salad.

Roasted grapes are unbelievably good. While I am not really a grape fan, I’ll happily eat a pan of these. The heat transforms the grapes and a flavor emerges that is much more interesting to me. A simple drizzle of olive oil and quick roast softens the grapes and releases their juices, which mix with the oil and create the dressing for this salad.

Tart, crunchy pomegranate arils and sweet dates and figs add texture and color, while fresh mint and lemon zest bring a bright finish to the salad. This one is bursting with flavor! And it provides a nice balance to the heavy stews we are still eating during our chilly, damp season. We can savor this salad and dream about warm sunshine and flowering trees ... soon enough.

Tu B’Shevat Barley Fruit Salad
Serves 4

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup barley, rinsed
2 cups water
2 cups red grapes, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1 cup dates, pitted and roughly chopped (I used deglet noor dates)
1 cup dried figs, stems removed and quartered
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the barley. Stir to coat with butter and sauté until the grains are toasted and a bit browned, about 3 minutes. Pour in the 2 cups of water, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Give the barley a stir, cover, lower the heat and simmer until the barley is soft but still has a bit of a chewy bite, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, uncovered.

While the barley is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and add the grapes. Roll the grapes around to coat them in the oil. Roast the grapes for about 15 minutes, until they are soft and sweet and release their juices. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a serving bowl, scoop the barley in and gently stir in the lemon zest and salt. Add the pomegranate arils, dates and figs. Scrape the roasted grapes and collected juices/olive oil into the bowl and gently mix together. Scatter the mint leaves over the salad and fold them in.

This salad can be made a few hours ahead. Cover and let sit at room temperature until ready to eat.

Molasses Spice Cookies

Cookie swaps are a happy thing.  It’s fun to bake your favorite cookies to share with others, and in return indulge in a variety of other bakers’ family treats.

A holiday cookie swap tends to take place at school, in the office or within families or groups of friends.  But today’s cookie exchange, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, is between hundreds of food bloggers around the country! What a delicious way to discover terrific food blogs, new friends and to benefit Cookies for Kids Cancer.

Deciding on which cookie to bake was simple ... molasses. Every time I bite into a molasses cookie, I’m reminded that this is indeed my favorite cookie (as well as Bob’s).  The combination of molasses and ginger never ceases to please me. I bake them often during this season, but rarely during the rest of the year, which really is a shame. I should make that one of my New Year’s resolutions – bake more molasses cookies!

Not only do these cookies evoke the flavors of this season, they travel well and stay fresh and delicious. I discovered this recipe in Cook’s Illustrated years ago.  They bake into soft, thick cookies, with a strong molasses flavor and the warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice. The secret ingredient, freshly ground pepper, is brilliant and adds a perfect little kick in each bite.

I usually make a big batch of dough, scoop it into balls, roll them in sugar and freeze on a baking sheet.  Then it’s easy to pop them in a plastic bag and stash in the freezer to bake at a moment’s notice. They never last long, though!

We’ve already had scrumptious cookies arrive from Janet and Joanie, with more on the way from Catherine. Thank you! My family immediately pounced and began eating. We all appreciate the love and time that go into creating these luscious treats. It’s wonderful to share and connect in this way! I appreciate Lindsay and Julie hosting this lovely cookie exchange and am delighted to participate. If you’d like to join in next year’s swap, you can sign up here for more info. Happy cookie baking to you!

Molasses Spice Cookies
Adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated
Makes about 20 cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup molasses (you can use either light or dark depending on your  taste – I like a dark, full flavored one)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar or more (for rolling)

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer using the paddle attachment (you can also use an electric hand mixer and bowl), cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix well. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the molasses. Beat to mix in, scraping down the sides as necessary. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Scrape down the sides. The cookie dough will be very soft.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the turbinado sugar into a small bowl. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop individual scoops of dough on the baking sheet. Using your hands, quickly roll each scoop into a ball and then gently roll the ball in the bowl of sugar to coat. Replace the cookie balls on the baking sheet. When finished, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for an hour (if you’re baking that day) or in the freezer (if planning ahead).

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge or freezer and place half the dough balls on another baking sheet lined with parchment. Space them evenly. Bake for about 11 minutes (12 minutes if baking frozen ones), until the cookies are puffy and the edges just set, but with a soft center. There will be some cracks and the inside may look a bit raw. Do not overbake – the cookies will firm up a bit as they cool. These are meant to be soft cookies. Let cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing. Repeat baking with the remaining cookies. The cookies will keep well at room temperature for a week if well wrapped, or they freeze beautifully.