Black Cocoa Halva Israeli Swirl Cookies

For Chanukah this year, I was mulling over what to bake, probably some kind of rugelach? Or maybe I’d try black-and-white cookies finally? But then Shannon Sarna’s Modern Jewish Comfort Food arrived, and all of that went right out the window because her beautiful new book includes a recipe for “Israeli Swirl Cookies” with two […]

Chocolate-Halva Babka

As much as I love contemporary baking like layer cakes, cupcakes, and pastries, there are few baked goods that conjure childhood nostalgia like babka. Aside from my mom’s birthday cakes shaped in the number of my age each year, the most memorable and most loved cake that she made (and the most labor-intensive) was her “ugat-sh’marim”, or yeast […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Conversation Heart Cakes (aka Black Velvet Cakes)

There is something about heart-shaped things. Whether they are edible or decorative, I appreciate the warm fuzzies that they bring to the day. Truth be told… I am not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day. While the sentiment is endearing, I think it’s overdone and too commercialized, and most of the romantic places to go with your sweetheart […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Black Cocoa Bundt Cake with Butter Whiskey Glaze

While I don’t have a lot of warm, fuzzy Dad memories, I need absolutely zero excuses to make an ultra-chocolaty cake, particularly one with black cocoa in it. It’s a day that ends in “-day”? Sounds like a GREAT reason to make cake! I got out of bed today? Let me just grab the flour. This week for Baked […]