I spent my childhood during the austerity days of the 1950′s (sounds ancient, doesn’t it?). Everyone who lived in those days (the oldest among us, of course) remembers how rare this sweet indulgence was, unlike today … But even back then, there were some moments of joy in which we could indulge. Birthdays were one of these occasions.

On the eve of my sixth birthday, I went to bed even earlier than usual and without the “just a few more minutes” argument, knowing that I can expect a surprise in the morning… because this was our family custom on every birthday. I remember it to this day – my anticipation and joy, and frankly, I kept this practice even when my children came into the world.

So in the morning, I opened my eyes and found a small table with “surprises” on it. I don’t really remember what they were, except for one thing – a plate with a chocolate bar next to a cellophane bag with a chocolate flakes bar in it. I’m sure my Mom bought them at the chocolate store Laro on Nordau Street- I think it was the only store back then, that sold chocolates and pralines.

And the joy… massive!. The problem is that you don’t eat all the chocolate at once, certainly not before breakfast .. So I left everything in place and went to school.

When I got back from school at noon, the heartache I experienced is something that I can still remember clearly to this day. Somebody made a complete mess of things, the beautiful wrappers were torn, and instead of chocolate I saw bits of cellophane and aluminum foil … Seeing this sight, I did what every child would do in this case. I cried …

After a brief investigation, I figured out what has happened. In those days, house doors were always kept open, and Dubi, the shaggy dog of Mrs. Zucker, who lived half a floor above us, came in and jumped on the bandwagon (literally) … He was celebrating, and I was sad …

That day has passed a long time ago, and I have celebrated almost 60 more birthdays since then, but the memory remains. Although Laro doesn’t exist anymore, the beautiful structure still stands.

In order that you, too, can enjoy the chocolate flaxes cake in its sponge-layer version, I decided to share the recipe with you in honor of Chocolate Cake Day:

Chocolate Sponge Cake with Chocolate Flakes Bar

This cake is made out of a moist layer of batter, topped with one layer of white chocolate mousse and then another layer of brown chocolate mousse – all coated with chocolate frosting and decorated with chocolate flakes … Here is a step-by-step preparation guide for each layer:

Cake- Ingredients

• 120g chocolate (60% cocoa solids), melted
• 120g butter
• 120g sugar (⅔ cup)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 35g finely ground almonds (⅓ cup)
• 85g sifted white flour (⅔ cup)
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, sifted together with the flour

Preparation

• Beat the butter with sugar
• Gradually add the egg yolks and continue beating
• Add the chocolate, flour and almonds and mix well
• In a clean pot, whisk the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks
• Fold the beaten egg whites into the butter and chocolate mixture
• Pour into a 25cm diameter cake pan lined with baking paper and greased with butter on the sides
• Bake in a preheated oven at 185 Celsius (gas mark 6.5 – turbo) for about 20 minutes. The cake should come out still moist but solid. When completely cool, cut lengthwise to receive 2 cake layers.

White chocolate mousse with chocolate flakes

Ingredients

• 300g white chocolate
• 6 g gelatin, soaked in 3 tablespoons cold water
• 375ml whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons liqueur (I used Grand Marnier )
• 2 finely chopped chocolate flakes bars (about 40g in total)

Preparation

• Beat 250ml whipping cream with two tablespoons of sugar
• Melt the white chocolate
• Heat the soaked gelatin with the remaining whipping cream (low heat)
• Put the white chocolate in the gelatin and cream mixture, add the liqueur and leave to cool a little (not completely cold, so that the gelatin doesn’t curdle).
• Fold the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture and pour onto the sponge cake base. Level the batter.
• Place the other half of the cake over the batter, and press down slightly.

Brown chocolate mousse

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate 60%
• 90 ml milk (a little less than half a cup)
• 6 g gelatin, soaked in the milk
• Half a teaspoon instant coffee
• 25g butter
• 375g whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

• Whip the cream with the sugar
• Melt the chocolate with the butter
• Heat the milk with the soaked gelatin until gelatin dissolves completely – low heat.
• Add the milk to the melted chocolate and mix well
• Fold the whipped cream into the melted chocolate mixture (make sure the chocolate is not too hot – body temperature) and pour on top of the second cake layer.
• Level, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for several hours to set.

Chocolate frosting

Ingredients

• 300g dark chocolate 60%
• 6 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 5 finely chopped chocolate flakes bars for garnish (about 100g in total)
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder for garnish

Preparation

Melt butter and chocolate, add the coffee dissolved in water and mix well.

• Frosting the cake
• Take the cake out of the refrigerator and remove the ring
• Place on an oven rack over a tray, and frost it on all sides.
• Place the cake carefully on a serving dish.
• Before allowing the frosting to set, carefully sprinkle the chocolate flakes on top, and gently dust with cocoa powder using a small sieve. Place in the refrigerator to cool.

All we have to do now is cut the cake, using a long knife dipped in warm water before cutting. This will enable us to cut straight pieces without breaking the frosting…

A cup of coffee on the side won’t do any harm…

Significant ingredients – Sift the flour into a bowl. The sifting process enriches the flour with oxygen and helps develop beautiful dough. Using egg yolks creates airy dough and, of course, a lovely yellowish color.

Don’t let it get cold – It is important to keep the dough in a warm place before rising, and the same goes for donuts before frying. I let the donuts rise in the oven: I heat the oven at a low temperature, turn it off and put a bowl with boiling water at the bottom of the oven.

The rising game- It is important to monitor the rising process. When the dough rises twice, it solidifies it, making the air bubbles inside smaller at the end of the process.

More flexibility, less oil – A good sign of proper donut rising is that it doubles its volume, and when pressed will still remain flexible and won’t fall apart. A donut that has been rising for too long will fall apart once you try to lift it, and absorb lots of oil during frying.

How do you know the temperature of the oil? You can check by inserting a wooden spoon in the hot oil. When small bubbles form, the oil heated through. Large bubbles are a sign of very hot oil. I recommend buying a thermometer for high temperatures in specialty stores. The end result shows that this investment pays off.

Quantities – Deep frying is most important. Use at least one bottle of oil for a 25cm diameter pot.

A “dressed up” donut is ready-to-eat – The sign of a properly-fried donut is a white “belt” at the center. It indicates correct rising and frying temperature.

Frying oil – Canola oil is mostly recommended as it is more resistant to high temperature than soybean or sunflower oil. Please don’t use the same frying oil more than once – don’t save for tomorrow…

Now that you’ve memorized my tips and are already familiar with all the tricks for making donuts, you are welcome to enter my recipe for Chocolate-Vanilla Filled Donuts.

Make them and tell me how they came out!

Just around the corner I see my most desirable kiosk: On one side, huge jars are lined up with a ladle placed in each of them- they contain syrup in numerous colors: Sparkling lemony yellow, strong red cherry, refreshing mint green – all with shiny soda taps on the side. On the other side I see luscious cakes stacked on trays: Cheese and apple dumplings, cinnamon and poppy seed rolls and lots of donuts dusted with white-as-snow confectioners’ sugar.

“Everything for ten!” shout the sales people, “both a drink and a cake, everything for ten!”…

“Don’t stop, you don’t have anything to pay with,” I say to myself … Then I quickly passed the kiosk to get to the station. While I was looking for my bus pass – the one the bus driver punches a hole in for each ride, I suddenly find treasure. Ten cents! I wondered where they came from, and I remembered that is wasn’t a miracle – it was supposed to be a donation for the blue JNF fund. That same Friday they forgot to pick it up the donations for some reason…

As the bus arrived, the driver opened the door, and I started contemplating. While holding the ten cents, looking at the sales person at the kiosk and hearing “everything for ten”, I wondered – should I go on the bus or not?

Few seconds pass before the decision was made. I left the station and walked up the street. I remember standing before the booth and debating with myself – “Soda or cake?” My eyes scanned the product range, the wonderful smell of fresh yeast cakes is in the air, people around me were pushing and shoving, the salesman was shouting something at me…and I was still searching…

Then … in the glass window, puffy donuts covered with powdered sugar caught my eye. They were split open with their white-as-snow filling sticking out.

I will never forget the taste. Soft, gooey, vanilla, powdered sugar, and the pinnacle: whipped airy cream that melts in your mouth. Yes, it also had strawberry jam inside….

Today, more than fifty years later, as we celebrate Hanukkah this week, I thought that now is the most appropriate time to tell you my story and add the recipe. As true to the original pastry as possible, but with a small “twist”.

Chocolate-Vanilla Filled Donuts

They’re delicious! Forget about your diet.

I would like to point out that donuts filled with cream are an upgraded version of a British pastry called “Devonshire splits”, which is actually a small roll split in half and stuffed with strawberries and whipped cream. This pastry is served with other delightful pastries at the pleasant “tea time”…

The dough

Ingredients:

• 500 g wheat flour = about 4.5 cups

• 60 g sugar

• 40 g butter

• 1 egg

• 2 egg yolks

• 250 cc lukewarm milk

• 25 g yeasts

• a pinch of salt, lemon zest, vanilla extract

• Canola oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Put one tsp. of sugar and crumbled yeasts into the lukewarm milk. Stir until the yeasts dissolve and let them ferment for 10 minutes.   Sift the flour into a mixer bowl and prepare the other ingredients of the recipe.   Pour the fermenting yeast mixture into a small hole in the flour, and knead a soft dough. Cover with the remaining flour.

Let the dough rise for 10 minutes, and then add the remaining ingredients. Use the kneading hook to knead for at least 5 minutes until a smooth dough forms.

Cover with a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until the dough doubles its volume.   Remove the dough from the bowl, and spread over a floured surface until all the air comes out. Put it back into the bowl and leave to rise again for 10 minutes.   Place a towel on the baking tins and flour them well.   Place the dough back on the work surface, divide it in half, and roll out each half to 15 x 20 cm size, 1cm thick.

Using a small, 4cm diameter glass, form small circles.

Place the dough circles on the floured tin prepared earlier, lightly flour the top and cover it with a towel, setting aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil to 160 degrees Celsius – I measure the temperature with a special thermometer purchased in specialty stores.   The risen, puffy donuts will look like this:

Once the oil is heated through, and the donuts have risen, slide them carefully into the hot oil, cover with a lid and wait about a minute and a half before carefully turning them over with a fork. They should have a light brown color.

Fry for another minute and a half, take the fried donuts out of the pan and place them on a rack (an oven rack, for example). Let them cool.

Preparing the filling:

Whip a pack of chilled cream with two tablespoons of sugar until solid and well whipped. Cut a donut into two, and spread strawberry/raspberry jam on the bottom side (or any other flavor jam you want.)

Using either a piping bag or a tablespoon, fill the donut with the whipped cream. Place the other half on top and dust with powdered sugar.

Prepare a vanilla sauce:

• 2 cups milk – (leave some in the glass and boil the rest with the sugar)

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoon (leveled) corn flour

• 2 egg yolks

• Vanilla extract

Preparation:

Add the corn flour, egg yolk and vanilla to the remaining cold milk in the glass, stir well and add to the boiling milk, stirring strongly with a whisk until it thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.

Pour half of the sauce into a plate, and add 3-4 cubes of dark chocolate (70%) to the other half.

And that’s about it. We’re almost done. All we need to do now is serve.

Serving:

Pour the vanilla sauce into a serving plate and spoon the chocolate sauce on top. Place the filled donut at the center, and this is it, really, isn’t it???

So… forget about the calories and start enjoying yourselves!

Since then, mousse has become a favorite dessert around the world. The French word “mousse” means “froth”, denoting, of course, the familiar airy texture of this dish.

The “mousse world” introduces us to a wide range of interesting stories.

We can start off with the history of chocolate, reminding ourselves about the discovery of the cocoa tree that was used as both medication and as food for soldiers and clergy hundreds of years ago. Then we can follow the journey made by the cocoa beans until they arrived in Europe in the 16th century AD.

We can also talk about the special connection between the worlds of chemistry and physics that grant this delicacy its wonderful flavor and texture, elaborate on the foundations of chocolate theories, and describe its melting qualities that result from the chemical structure of cocoa butter.

But, as stated by Professor Thomas Vilgis, a leading scientist in the field of molecular cooking: ‘Cooking is a science, and the kitchen is a laboratory.”

Because we are dealing here with a winning combination of cooking and confections, I decided not to burden you with background stories and go immediately to my lab (the kitchen) to prepare the mousse dessert.

Tips for preparation

The raw materials used for making chocolate mousse should be top quality. The fluffy texture results from the beaten egg whites combined with whipped cream, and the mousse should be served cold after it had been solidified in the refrigerator.

Raw materials:

1. The first and most important ingredient is the dark chocolate. My small tip: It should be top quality and exceed 70% cocoa solids, because the higher the cocoa solids level, the more refined the chocolate taste becomes, and also, the sugar percentage decreases. By adding sugar to this recipe, we can, of course, control the sweetness level of the mousse.

2. The next ingredient is whipping cream. I recommend using a cream that doesn’t contain any sugar. It is important that the cream be well chilled before whipping it with a manual mixer, otherwise it won’t whip properly.

3.  Another ingredient that grants the mousse its airy texture with whipped cream is the eggs. Here we should make sure we use only fresh eggs.

4. Other ingredients such as white chocolate, butter, gelatin, brandy, coffee and orange are all welcome as raw materials, depending on the recipe and what you want to make.

We’ve now reached the all-important moment: My recipe for a delicious airy chocolate mousse (I chose to add a bit of butter to retain its texture, and Grand Marnier liqueur to refine its taste.)

Ingredients:

• 4 fresh large eggs, separated into whites and yolks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Half a teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 300g dark chocolate 70%
• 50g butter
• 3 tablespoons liqueur Grand Marnier
• Whipping cream (250ml)
• A pinch of salt – I always use salt to enhance flavors and break the sweetness slightly.
• Cocoa for garnish

Preparation:

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it with the butter in a pot over a steam bath (Bain Marrie). Stir gently from time to time so that it doesn’t overheat.

Beat the yolks (yellow) with the sugar and salt in a small metal bowl over a pot with hot water, so that steam warms up the mixture. Keep beating until the color becomes whitish and a thick cream forms.

Pour the yolk mixture over the melted chocolate, stir and then add the liqueur, stirring gently. Let cool for a while.

Meanwhile, in a clean bowl beat the egg whites to soft peaks. The mixture should not be too stiff or too fluid – namely smooth texture rather than lumpy.

In a separate bowl whip the cream.

Using a whisk combine the egg whites with the chocolate mixture, and then gently fold in the whipped cream. And … That’s it!

Once preparation is complete, pour the mousse into cups and chill at least 4 hours, preferably a bit longer. Take the cups out of the refrigerator and garnish – Sprinkle the cocoa powder and serve. If you plan to serve the mousse in the evening, you should prepare it before noon.

Good luck to all you chocolate and mousse freaks out there!

But the most tell-tale sign of summer ending is the reminder from my family and friends who all ask the same question: “Which cake are you preparing for Rosh Hashana?”

Since everyone wants to have something with honey, as is customary on Rosh Hashanah, and because honey comes directly from the bees, this time we will prepare a dish called “bee-sting”. This is a uniquely delicious cake and in my opinion (I truly think so) not so complicated to make – though it does require some effort and patience…

It is a yeast brioche cake with crispy almond and honey frosting. While you can eat it “as is”, I like to upgrade it with vanilla cream filling.

Because we eat with our eyes, here’s the end-result:

But how do we get there? Here are the phases, step by step:

To prepare the brioche dough:

• Two cups of white flour (250 grams)

• 1/4 cube compressed yeasts dissolved in one-third cup of cold milk

• Two heaping tablespoons sugar

• 100 grams soft butter at room temperature

• Two egg yolks

• A pinch of salt, zest of half a lemon and a drop of vanilla extract

Preparation:

• Mix all ingredients together (you can easily use a hand mixer with kneading hooks).

• Keep kneading for about five minutes until smooth dough is formed.

• The dough is quite soft, but because it contains a lot of butter it’s not sticky.

• Cover the bowl with a wet cloth and leave to rise for about an hour.

• When the dough rises it will look aerated with bubbles:

Meanwhile, prepare the almond honey frosting:

Measure and insert into a medium/small pot:

• 50 grams sugar (about three heaping tablespoons)

• 50 grams honey (about one-third cup)

• 50 grams butter

• 30 grams heavy cream (about a quarter cup)

• Put aside a pack (100 grams) of blanched sliced almonds

Preparation:

Cook all the ingredients except the nuts over medium heat, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes until you have thick syrup that looks like this:

Add in the almonds, stir, and set aside to cool slightly.

After the dough has risen (as you saw in the picture), it’s time to prepare the cake:

• Generously butter a round pan (I used a 22cm round spring pan).

• Divide the dough in half – and here comes a small surprise …

• Roll one half of the dough in the size of the pan –this should yield 1cm thick round leaf.

• Prick with a fork several times to enable straight rise of the cake.

Spread the cooled almond frosting over the dough. The frosting layer will probably be sticky, so cut small pieces of it and spread evenly over the cake.  

When you’re done, cover the pan with a wet towel and let it rise in a warm place…

What shall we do with the remainder of the dough? 

You can freeze it and use later after defrosting.

I preferred to make small brioche cakes for “the morning after”- breakfast after Holiday eve – drinking coffee with brioche dipped in honey and butter (or not …) out in the garden before everybody wakes up, with only the birds singing, is a special treat.

To make the brioche, I divided the remainder of the dough into eight parts, formed balls and buttered 8 small cupcake pans.

I let them rise, covered, for an hour.

It’s now time to heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, gas mark 6, turbo.

Once the cake has risen, place it at the center of the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.

Take out the cake from the oven when it’s golden-brown and shiny.

Brush the brioche cakes well with a beaten egg and bake in the same temperature for 10 minutes.

At the end of the process they will look like this:

And that’s it, we’re done … You can enjoy the cake “as is”, but the more industrious bakers among you can fill it with easy and delicious cream filling.

I whipped heavy cream and instant vanilla pudding according to the manufacturer’s instructions (half a pudding sachet is enough for cake filling).

I cut the cake width-wise into two layers, placing the cream on the bottom layer, and cutting the top layer into 12 triangles which I put back on the cream layer. It looks like this:

And now that we’re done, all that remains for us to do is to serve this sweet cake with coffee.

Doron is in charge of the development of pastry and cereal, and he aspires to pass the knowledge he has accumulated in close to 50 years on to the next generation of pastry and candy technologists.

His confectioner training in Germany and food technology training in Berlin led to theoretical and professional experience in the fields of technology and operations. This professionalism is the foundation of his years of his work.

The innovational thinking, the curiosity, and the ambition to stick to professionalism are part of the identifying marks that contribute to original development in the organization.

These attributes, together with Doron’s talent to motivate his peers have made him the address to consultation and a never ending source of knowledge.

With the Hanukka Holiday coming up soon, I would like to present you with a recipe I tried and tested at home. It’s made from Elite chocolate snacks fried in a beer batter. You can’t imagine how simple it is to make, and more importantly, how gooey, moist and delicious it tastes. Hundreds and thousands of backpackers in Nepal must know this recipe in various forms. Here is the Israeli version:

Recipe ingredients:

Two cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, two eggs, a pinch of salt, two tablespoons of sugar, one cup of beer, one cup of milk, two tablespoons of oil, an assortment of chocolate candies – preferably mini-size versions.

Preparation:

The batter is very easily made: Place two cups of flour in a bowl and mix a teaspoon of baking powder into it. Add two whole eggs and sprinkle a pinch of salt and two tablespoons of sugar. Pour in 3/4 cup of beer, 3/4 cup of milk and two tablespoons of oil. Whisk the batter until smooth.

Important tip: It is important not to prepare a batter which is too thin, so that enough of it sticks to the snacks once we dip them in. To achieve that, don’t pour all the milk in at once, but add it gradually, stirring constantly, until you get the desired consistency.

Heat oil (preferably canola) in a deep pot until it reaches 160˚ (320 Fahrenheit). Use a kitchen thermometer or a wet wooden spoon to check to see when the oil is bubbling. Be careful not to burn the oil.

Dip the chocolate candies in the batter you prepared. The thicker you coat the candies with the batter, the better preserved the chocolate inside it will be during the frying process. Use two forks to transfer the candies into the deep oil. They will sink to the bottom of the pot at first, but will resurface within several seconds.

Fry them for 3-4 minutes until they turn light brown. Using a fork, take out the candies from the oil and put them onto a paper towel or a strainer. Before frying the next batch, using a slotted spoon, remove all the drops of dough and cream that were left floating on the oil.

Bon Appétit!

Happy Holidays to you all,

Doron Golschiener