Matzo and Coconut Cream Napoleon

Another great dessert solution for passover! Also taken from Janna Gur's The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey this is a fresh twist on our favorite classic napoleon cake. Instead of puff pastry we use matzahs dipped in caramel, our cream is coconut based, and we add some strawberries to liven up the taste! It might look complicated, but it's really quite a simple dish and can make for a very good impression! Just make sure you prepare the different parts ahead of time to allow the cream and matzahs time to cool before assembly.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut cream:

800ml coconut milk (2 cans)

5 tbsp corn starch

8 egg yolks

150g sugar (3/4cup+1/2tbsp)

3 tsp rose water 

Caramel matzot:

10-15 matzos

oil

250g sugar (1¼ cup)

1 cup coconut milk

Plating:

strawberries

confectioners’ sugar

METHOD

1.     Coconut cream: dissolve the corn starch in ½ cup coconut milk, add the egg yolks and most of the sugar, and beat well.

2.     Bring the remaining coconut milk and the remaining sugar to a boil and gradually add to the egg mixture.

3.     Transfer the mixture back to the pan and heat slowly, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a cream. Remove from heat, add rose water, let it cool and then place in a piping bag.

4.     Caramel matzos: wet each matzo with water and wrap in kitchen towel for 30 minutes. Then cut into circles or squares by using a cookie cutter. Fry each piece in oil on both sides until golden. Remove and dry on paper towel.

5.     Dissolve the sugar in a saucepan with a few tbsps of water over medium heat until it caramelizes. Bring coconut milk to a boil and gradually pour into the caramel, stirring constantly. Cook for a few minutes until smooth and creamy.

6.     Dip the fried matzos in the caramel for 2 minutes, remove and cool.

To serve: place a matzo disk, pipe some cream on top, put a few pieces of strawberries, put another matzo, more cream and fruit, and another matzo. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve!

Empanadas de Humita (Corn Filled Pastry)

After studying abroad in Argentina I've been looking for corn empanadas (stuffed pastry) everywhere I go, and of course never is it the same as it was back there in the little street bars, with the Argentine atmosphere all around. However, when you can't find something outside, I figured why not try to make it at home... This recipe has tons of variations so feel free to play around with it, but this is a basic and simple way to make these delicious corn empanadas.

INGREDIENTS

30 empanada cover sheets

2 chopped onions

500g yellow corn

500g creamy corn

200g grated mozarella

Salt

6 tbsp heavy cream

1 egg

METHOD

1.  Fry the onion, mix with remaining ingredients and refrigerate.

2.  Put some in the center of each cover sheet, close in half, and fold from one point little pinches inward all the way around to form the braided appearance.

3.  Paint empanadas with egg and water mixture.

4.  Bake in 220C (428F), 15-20min, until golden.

5.  To avoid empanadas opening, assure that there is no air trapped when closing them, and don’t over bake. 

Cheese Bourekas (Cheese Filled Pastry)

An absolute must taste when you visit Israel, bourekas is the favorite Israeli pastry. It comes in many variations, filled with cheese, mushrooms, spinach, potatoes, or other ethnic variations. This cheese bourekas can be served as an appetizer any time of the day or as a breakfast food, opening it up and putting slices of hard boiled egg inside it. Simple enough to make at home when you can't have the real thing so give it a try! This recipe is taken from my all time favorite, The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey

INGREDIENTS

500g gvina levana (substitute for ricotta)

250g kashkaval (substitute for grated parmesan)

250g brinza (substitute for crumbled feta)  

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp corn starch

Black pepper

1.5 kg puff pastry dough

1 beaten egg with 1tbsp water

Sesame seeds

METHOD

1.  Beat all the ingredients in the filling until smooth

2.  Cut dough into squares - the puff pastry sheets commonly sold here can be cut to 9 squares each - about 2 inches wide. 

3. Place filling in middle, fold over into a triangle, pinch together at ends

4.  Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds

5.  Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 30mins