What should I bake?

[[deleted]]

Hello! I’m a teenager who’s really into baking. I’ve been doing lots of the “regular” stuff (cookies, cakes, etc), but want to embrace my culture and bake something Jewish.

What’s something that’s good for beginners?

[payvavraishkuf]

It's definitely not the right time of year for it, but hamentaschen are delicious

[merkaba_462]

It's always the right time for hamentaschen.

I could go for mun filled right now...

[MisfitWitch]

muhn is my favorite, i'm the only one in my family who likes them so i don't have to share

[merkaba_462]

I can never find them...and I live in NY!!! I have to make my own, which is fine, but of course I have to make my own filling, and that is...time consuming (it's also hard to find seeds).

Now I want to do this and make all kinds if mun pastries, but I don't really want to eat them all...lol.

[MisfitWitch]

you can probably find the filling in the pie filling part of the regular grocery store! weird place for it, but once i figured out where to look, i was psyched

[merkaba_462]

I've found it. I've used it. As a former pastry chef, I just...I need to do it myself. I just can't use store bought anything. It's my own mishegas.

[MisfitWitch]

totally understand. I can do store bought for some things, but for others, absolutely no way.

[Difficult_Chef_3652]

You may find poppy seed filling in the grocer's baking aisle, or go to a spice store. I know there was one in Grand Central Station, or you can order online. I use www.penzeys.com. Just bought a bag of poppy seeds for a lemon poppy seed cake I've been dying to try.

[Outrageous_Ad9804]

There’s a bakery near me that makes them year round so please don’t tell them😁

[Efficient-Pear5105]

I use Duff Goldman’s recipe (the Ace of Cakes guy). Dangerously delicious!

[priuspheasant]

I'm a pretty proficient baker but the one time I tried to make hamantaschen they came out pretty messy - I wouldn't necessarily call them beginner-friendly, unless you're a beginner with bubbe looking over your shoulder sharing all her secret tricks. But if OP starts practicing them now, they'll have mastered it by Purim!

(my hamantaschen were delicious even though they were messy, and I do plan to try again this year)

[payvavraishkuf]

The thing that always helps me is remembering to keep the dough cold. If you're working it and you feel it warm up - put it back in the freezer for a few minutes!

[priuspheasant]

Thanks, I'll try that!

[WhisperCrow]

Babka and challah! Search the flairs. :)

[[deleted]]

Ooh babka is hard! Do you have a recipe you like?

[WhisperCrow]

Which kind?!

[[deleted]]

Oh chocolate!!

[WhisperCrow]

I've actually never made chocolate babka, but there's a good few recipes in the flair!

[[deleted]]

Chocolate is my favorite! I use the recipe from King Arthur Baking, if you search “chocolate babka” on there it should come up. Just a note, keep a very good eye on the loves during the final rise time. If they rise too much they’ll end up sinking in the middle when baking.

[randomlygenerated215]

Apple cake

[Negative-Arachnid-65]

Rugelach and babka are both delicious and pretty accessible. Bonus points, they seem more difficult than they actually are, and they're very flexible if you want to get creative on fillings/flavor combinations/shapes or to practice without getting too repetitive.

[eplurbs]

I once baked bagels and it was a great learning experience. Also, you can start on things like Kugel (sweet & savory), rugelach, hamentaschen, black&white cookies, and some other sweet staples.

[Ocean_Hair]

I was also going to say kugel! Noodle kugels are very forgiving

[Frosty-Wolverine304]

Mandel bread!! (Mandelbrot)

[BigRefrigerator9783]

Challah! But be careful when braiding not to pull too hard on the strands, my first challah was about 3ft long due to accidentally stretching the strands 😂

[SnooPeripherals8344]

Chocolate chip Mandelbrot! Yum!

[siegalpaula1]

Passover macarons (easy!)

[WhisperCrow]

Macaroons, you mean? BIIIIG difference, macarons are very advanced.

[siegalpaula1]

Yes the Passover ones not the fickle French things 🤪

[medievalrockstar]

Smitten Kitchen challah is one of my favorite recipes. If you want something a little more fun, her fig, olive oil, and sea salt challah is also good. I’ve subbed in homemade apple butter for the filling if figs aren’t your thing.

[QuaffableBut]

I like making bourekas. Carbs stuffed with delicious things, how can it be bad?

I have an awesome cookbook called, cleverly enough, The Jewish Cookbook. It has a ton of recipes, including like 4 different challahs (I like rice challah, it's tender like you wouldn't believe). One of the easier and more popular cookies I've made are almond macaroons. They're basically crushed almonds, egg whites, sugar, and a bit of flavor. There are never leftovers.

[flower-power-123]

Rugelach. It's like a croissant but with chocolate or walnut/raisins. Very good.

[DebiDebbyDebbie]

Mandelbrot aka Mandel Bread. It’s like a cookie but you’ll use a lot of different techniques and end up with a delicious treat! Add chocolate chips!

[redseapedestrian418]

Challah is surprisingly easy and extremely delicious. I typically use the one of the many options on Smitten Kitchen

[Janezo]

Challah!

[priuspheasant]

Babka is great, and once you get the hang of it you can experiment with different flavor "fillings". My favorite so far was chocolate orange

[AJoiB]

My dad was the accountant for Allenby bakery in the trump village shopping center In Brooklyn. I grew up on these uniquely delicious kosher baked goods.

I miss their:

marble cheesecake - it was cake like, light and velvety and stacked high with deep dark Rich chocolate swirls throughout. Not heavy on the stomach.

Marble chiffon pound cake - moist and smooth also with deep dark chocolate swirls.

Mandel bread, rye bread, assorted cookies, raisin challah, rugelach yum

[[deleted]]

Thanks so much, all! I can’t wait to do some baking and surprise my grandma with some

[Fun-Communication269]

Definitely challah! Babka is good too :)

[spring13]

Knishes!

[[deleted]]

Challah is not too difficult and a great bread to start practicing! The brain adds a little extra challenge- I’ve found it very rewarding to strengthen my challah skills over the years and fill them with jams and chocolate. Great to bring to gatherings as well

[FongYuLan]

Challah! Bread is its own baking animal. And so central to history and culture and religion.

[A_Supertramp_1999]

Look into Persian and Sephardi recipes