Rhubarb Goat Cheese Rugelach
We spent Memorial Day weekend in Madison and Milwaukee, WI. We went to Madison a couple months ago and despite raining literally the whole weekend we loved it. This weekend was beautiful. We'd heard about their infamous farmer's market but I didn't realize it it's actually the largest all-produce farmer's market in the US. It was dreamy. The market wraps all the way around the capital building and takes about an hour to walk through. It was incredible. We especially love the farm-to-table vibe that Madison has been embracing since before it became cool.
The markets are filled with rhubarb this time of year. And I may or may not have come up with this recipe during the savasana of a yoga class. It's surprisingly light and summery.
Makes 48 rugelach
For the dough:
1 cup unsalted buter, at room temperature
8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
For the filling:
1 cup rhubarb vanilla compote
10 oz goat cheese, softened
zest of 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons milk (I used almond)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
For the glaze:
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Make the dough. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl whisk together salt and flour. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time until completely combined. Be careful to not over-mix. Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and cover, forming it into a solid disc. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days).
Prepare your fillings. In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese, zest, milk, and powdered sugar.
Divide your dough into 3 equal parts. Place 1/3 of the dough on a lightly floured, cold, work surface (keep the remaining refrigerated). Roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. It doesn't matter at all if it's a perfect circle. Spread 1/3 of the goat cheese onto the dough in a smooth even layer, keeping a half inch border around the edges. Top the goat cheese with 1/3 of the rhubarb compote. Using a pastry wheel or a knife, cut your dough into 16 pieces (like a pizza - see photos). Starting from the outside, roll each slice. Transfer the rugelach to a baking sheet lined with parchment, then place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water. Remove rugelach from freeze, paint the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops just begin to brown. Continue with remaining two thirds of the dough.
Notes:
Stores at room temperature for three to four days, in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer for up to two months (but you and I both know they won't last that long!)
Rhubarb Vanilla Compote
The Farmer's Market opened two weeks ago! There may only be like 7 vendors at this point in the season but I was so excited to trek down there with Pumpkin on opening day it felt like Christmas. We've been eating lots of asparagus, strawberries, and RHUBARB. I love the start of summer.
I especially love the delicious specks of vanilla bean in this rhubarb compote. It's perfect for spreading over toast, putting in overnight oats, or serving over ice cream. Check back next week and we'll be using it in my favorite Jewish treat! Any gueses?
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 pound rhubarb
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch of salt
Dice the rhubarb into small pieces. Slice the vanilla bean. Using the back of a butter knife, remove the vanilla beans and combine them along with the vanilla bean pod, rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until it becomes a jam-like consistency, about 15 minutes.
Dark Chocolate Berry Swirl Bread
I've been a long time reader of Alexandra Stafford's blog. In fact, we probably cook from it at least once a week. So when her book, Bread Toast Crumbs came out last month, it arrived in my mailbox with not a minute to spare. I've been wanting to be the type of person who bakes my own bread for a while now but unfortunately this whole grad school thing was not allowing that to happen. This cookbook has showed me otherwise. The recipes are simple and fairly quick and make me wonder why it's taken me so long to make homemade bread on a weekly basis because fresh out of the oven it's just such a game changer.
This bread is adapted from one in her book and it teeters on the line of being borderline too decadent. Creamy chocolate ganache with bursting juicy berries swirled together in a barely sweetened loaf that's all too unassuming until you cut it open and BAM - what dreams are made of. My dreams, at least. And somehow it's dairy and egg free. I seriously don't know how that happened but it wasn't hard at all.
Of course you could go ahead and use whole milk in the dough and butter in the ganache, but I've replaced them both with coconut milk to keep that fat content and creaminess factor high. Honestly, you'd never know the difference, plus that subtle coconut smell as you're mixing up the ganache is quite intoxicating.
So maybe make this for your mother on Sunday, maybe make it for yourself and eat the whole thing in 24 hours, maybe bring it to brunch. Either way, food is love, and everyone will love you.
Makes 1 loaf
For the Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour (384 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup boiling water + 1/4 cup room temp water
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
a knob of vegan butter* for greasing the pan
For the Filling:
3.5 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespooons powdered sugar
1 scant cup of berries (I used strawberries + raspberries)
Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Whisk to combine. In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk and water (both boiling & room temp). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry followed by the coconut oil. Use a rubber spatula to mix everything until it forms a cohesive dough. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
While the dough is rising make the ganache. Place the chocolate and coconut milk in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate begins to milk, then stir in the powdered sugar. Keep stirring until the chocolate has melted completely. Remove form heat and set aside to cool completely.
Grease a standard 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan generously with vegan butter. Once the dough has risen de-flat it with a fork and transfer it to a heavily floured work surface. With floured hands shape the dough into a ball (it should be very covered in flour at this point) and let sit for 20 minutes uncovered. Gentle shape the dough into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle (using either your hands or a rolling pin). Make sure you have plenty of flour underneath your rectangle so it doesn't stick to the surface. Spread the ganache all over the top of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch margin on all sides. Top with berries. Roll the bread from short end to short end into a thick 10 inch log, seam side down. Take a deep breath (you've got this!) and transfer it your buttered loaf pan.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, while you let the dough rise for about 10 minutes until it just begins to crown the rim of the pan. Cook the bread for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and firm. Remove from the pan and turn onto its side to cool (I let it rest on 1 side for 10 minutes then the other side for 10 minutes) before cutting into it!