Learn how to make cheesecake with Temple Israel! The previous class was on making chocolate babka!

Free Babka Baking Class

A family from Temple Israel is offering a FREE class, via Zoom, called Mixing with Mishpacha: Babka Cooking Class.

The class takes place on Thursday, May 7th, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is taught by Karen Knoble and her kids.

Follow the above link and you’ll see the URL for the Zoom meeting. You’ve probably used Zoom by now, but if not, here’s a tutorial on getting started with Zoom.

If you have questions about the class, please Facebook message the organizer, Temple Israel.

“Mispacha” is the Hebrew word for “family.”

And babka, well, babka is one of the best desserts in the world. It’s a sweet bread filled with a variety of fillings, but the best one (don’t debate me on this) is chocolate babka.

You might also be interested in 10 websites with free cooking lessons.

Also, I don’t know what recipe the class will use, but if you scroll down I’ll share the recipe my son uses for chocolate babka, which is adapted from the one in The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking.

Babka is associated with Central and European Jewish tradition, particularly from Poland.

If you’ve never had babka, but it sounds familiar, it might be because of the Seinfeld episode in which Jerry and Elaine try to buy a chocolate babka, but someone else going to the same dinner party get the last one, so Jerry and Elaine have to get a cinnamon babka, which is a “lesser babka.”

Free Cheesecake Making Class

Another Mixing with Mishpacha class will take place on Thursday, May 21st, 2020, at 11 a.m. This one will focus on cheesecake!

Learn why it’s traditional to eat dairy on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and learn how to make a cheesecake of your own to enjoy.

Our recipe for chocolate babka

Previously, Temple Israel had

Makes 3 babkas, which you can bake on different days.

Ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm milk
16 egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
3/4 cup sugar
1 to 1/1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
3/4 cups unsalted butter, melted
7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped (we used a Ninja blender)
2/3 cup cinnamon sugar (2 parts cinnamon to 1 part sugar)

Method:

Mix the egg yolks, sugar, salt, melted butter, yeast, milk in 6-quart bowl.
Mix in the flour without kneading. We used the paddle attachment on our mixer.
Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Take 1/3 of the dough, around 1 1/2 pounds, dust with flour, and shape it into a ball by stretching it and rotating it as you go.
Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 nonstick loaf pan,
Roll dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle with a width that will fit into the loaf pan.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the chocolate chips onto the surface.
Then sprinkle 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar on top of the chocolate chips.
Roll dough into a log.
Tuck the ends under.
Put into pan and let it rise for 90 minutes, covered loosely.
Put the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown and firm.
Allow to cool (if possible–it’s not possible for us) and slice.