Chai Spiced Truffles

These chai spiced chocolate truffles are perfect for Valentine’s Day. They are dark and dense orbs, made using good quality 70 percent dark chocolate infused with cream and the gorgeous sweet spices ordinarily used in chai, including ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

They can be made in advance, then refrigerated, leaving you more time to spend with your loved one.

They are perfect eaten after dinner and with a little dessert wine or just nibbled slowly all by themselves.

They don’t just have to be for your partner, either. Valentine’s Day is fast becoming a time to appreciate everyone you love — father, mother, siblings and friends.

Chai Spice Chocolate Truffles

Start to finish: 2 hours 25 minutes (25 minutes active)

Makes 48 truffles

8 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground dry ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium, combine the cream and butter.

Heat until the butter melts and the cream starts to bubble.

Be careful not to burn the cream.

Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate, whisking to melt the chocolate until you have a smooth mixture.

Add the cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sugar.

Mix well, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.

To make the truffles, place the cocoa powder in a bowl to one side.

Using a melon baller or small cookie scoop dipped in hot water, scoop out a little of the firm chocolate mixture and shape into a ball.

To coat, roll around in the bowl of cocoa powder until well covered.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from Meera Sodha for the Associated Press.

Nutritional information per truffle: 50 calories; 40 calories from fat (80 percent of total calories); 4 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 0 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; and 1 g protein.

Mexican Chocolate Chip Brownies

These brownies are on the fudgier side. The kick from the spices — cayenne, cinnamon and ancho chili powder — is at first subtle, then more pronounced, then fades. All of which means, of course, that you must go back and have another bite. And another.

Don’t be tempted to substitute regular chili powder or chili spice blend. These spice mixes have additional spices in them. They may work wonderfully in a beefy chili, but won’t bring anything to the party here, and will in fact confuse things.

Buy pure ancho chili powder for this recipe, which is made from the ancho pepper. It has a mild, slightly smoky and somewhat fruity flavor. And be sure to keep it on hand to use for spicing up all kinds of Mexican dishes.

It is no accident that this recipe makes a large pan. Valentine’s Day may be meant for couples, but these brownies are meant for sharing.

Mexican Chocolate Chip Brownies

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 24

3 cups (18 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter

13/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low, melt 2 cups of the chocolate chips with the butter, stirring frequently.

As soon as the mixture is smooth remove it from the heat.

Stir in the sugar and vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

While the chocolate is melting, in a medium bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and ancho chili powder.

After beating the eggs into the chocolate mixture, stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or skewer inserted at the center comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Cut into 24 squares.

Recipe from Katie Workman for the Associated Press.

Nutritional information per serving: 230 calories; 120 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 50 mg cholesterol; 115 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 22 g sugar; and 3 g protein.

Eggless Challah!

Sephardic Challah With Whole Spices

Julia Moskin

• Time4 to 5 hours
• Yield2 round loaves

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Sabra Krock for The New York Times

Challah is tremendously popular in the United States, among Jews and non-Jews alike.  But it doesn’t say anywhere in Jewish scripture that challah is a braided, sweet, eggy, deliciously squishy bread of the kind familiar to most Americans; that loaf is Ashkenazi, from Eastern European Jews. The Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews from North Africa and the Middle East, have their own distinct traditional loaves. Here, use the raisins, eggs and full amount of honey to make a richer, festive Sephardic loaf that is delicious by itself; leave them out for a lean, savory Mizrahi bread that goes beautifully with Moroccan tagines and Middle Eastern mezes, salads and dips.

Featured in: A Twist On The Traditional Challah. 

Anise, Caraway Seed, Sesame Seed, Jewish

32 ratings

Ingredients

• ½ cup/75 grams raisins, dark or golden or a combination (optional)
• 4 tablespoons/40 grams sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams caraway or coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams anise, cumin or poppy seeds
• 1 envelope/7 grams active dry yeast
• 5 cups/600 grams bread flour, more for dusting work surface
• 2 ½ tablespoons/30milliliters/30 grams extra-virgin olive oil, more for oiling bowl and pans
• 2 to 4 tablespoons/30 to 60 grams honey (depending on how sweet you like your challah)
• 2 eggs, at room temperature (optional)
• 1 tablespoon/16 grams kosher salt
• Cornmeal, for dusting
• 2 egg yolks

Preparation

1. If using, cover raisins in 2 cups/500 milliliters warm water and let plump for 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. In a skillet, toast 1 tablespoon sesame, the caraway and the anise or other seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
3. In a small bowl, combine yeast with 2 tablespoons warm water (you can use the soaking water from the raisins if handy). Let stand until thoroughly moistened, about 5 minutes.
4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour with olive oil, honey, eggs (if using) and warm water (3/4 cup/180 milliliters if using eggs; 1 1/2 cups/360 milliliters if not).
5. Mix at low speed until a very soft dough forms. If it is stiff, add warm water a tablespoon at a time. Add salt, yeast mixture and toasted seeds and mix at medium-low speed until the dough is supple and smooth, 10 minutes. Mix in raisins. Using oiled hands, transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free spot until the dough is doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Lightly oil 2 small cookie sheets and dust them with cornmeal. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press to deflate. Cut the dough in half and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each piece into an 18-inch-long rope and let rest for 5 minutes longer, then roll each rope into a 32-inch rope. Take 1 of the ropes and, starting from 1 end, form the dough into a coil; tuck the ends under the completed coil. Repeat with the remaining rope.
7. Transfer each coil to a baking sheet and cover each loaf with a large inverted bowl. Let stand for 1 hour, until the loaves have nearly doubled in bulk. (The risen loaves can be frozen, wrapped, for up to 2 weeks; top and bake just before serving.)
8. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the loaves and let stand uncovered for 30 minutes. Brush with the egg wash once more and sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds. Bake the loaves side-by-side in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, until they're golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer the loaves to racks and let cool before serving or slicing.