Strawberry Crumb Bars

This recipe is just as delicious as it is easy!  I made this for Father's Day and everyone LOVED it!  It's the perfect summertime dessert!  It uses only fresh strawberries for the filling but when it bakes the strawberries bake into a jam consistency making this dessert sweet and gooey and perfect!  You can definitely substitute other berries such as blueberries, raspberries or blackberries if you prefer.  I'm exited to make this again maybe next time trying mixed berries, YUM!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1 cup cold butter

1 egg, beaten

4 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons corn starch

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F.   Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper (this make for easy removal and quick clean up) . In a large bowl whisk together sugar, baking powder, salt and flour.  Cut cold butter into the flour mixture using 2 knives until pieces are pea sized.  Stir in the egg to form a chunky dough.  Pat down half of the dough mixture into the baking dish and reserve the other half as a topping for your crumb bars.  In another bowl combine the chopped strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Spread the strawberry mixture on top of the dough in the pan.  Crumble the remaining flour mixture of the top of the strawberry layer evenly.  Bake 45-55 minutes util slightly browned.  Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

The BEST Hamantashen

Happy Purim!

We all just love Hamantashen and we only make this to enjoy once a year during the Jewish Holiday Purim.   These are delicious little trangle shaped pastries filled with anything you like.  The most traditional fillings are Prune, Poppy Seed and Apricot jam but anything really goes!  So fill them with any topping you like!  Favorites in my house are Strawberry, Raspberry and Fig jam and as you can imagine Nutella is a big hit!

When we were still living in NJ we would go every year to our Chabad's Hamantash Bake and this is the BEST recipe from our Rabbi's wife, Malky.  If you still haven't found the perfect Hamantashen recipe, look no further!  You will not be disappointed.

I'm excited for the kids to make this with me again this year!

Ingredients:

3 Eggs
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Oil (vegetable or canola)
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
3 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla
3 Teaspoons baking powder
5-5 1/2 Cups Flour

Preparation:

In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar together until combined.  Add oil, vanilla and orange juice and mix until incorporated.  Next add baking powder and just enough flour until you form a dough that is not sticky.  Keep extra flour on hand and you can always add more if needed.   (dough can be made ahead, formed into a flat disc, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours if needed)

On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Use a circle cookie cutter or you can kick it "Old School" like I do and use the top of a glass to cut out as many circles as you can from your dough.

To form your Hamantashen place about 1/2 teaspoon of your filling in the center of your circle of dough and pinch or fold your dough into a triangle.  Please see diagram below:

Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes until the dough is slightly brown on the bottom of pastry.

*Flavors show: Fig, Apricot, Strawberry, Lemon and Chocolate.

How to Fold a Hamantashen: