Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies

You can never have enough cookie recipes in your arsenal. I love the all-American Chocolate Chip Cookie, but sometimes they can become boring. This is a fun variation on the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie. The addition of ground hazelnuts gives this chewy cookie a Praline-like character. They are so good, that I bet that you can't eat just one!

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup hazelnut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups best quality semisweet chocolate chips

Position oven racks to center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or use Silpats.

Mix flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, and salt together using a whisk.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time and beat in thoroughly. Add the vanilla, mix in, and scrape the bowl again.

Add flour mixture and blend on low until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and blend until they are well distributed. Allow dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

After dough has rested, scoop out 1/4 cup portions, roll into a ball, then divide the ball in half. Place each half on prepared baking pans until you have 12 cookies per pan. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes. For best results, bake only 1 pan at a time. When finished, remove cookies to a cooling rack. Best served warm, but these cookies will keep for a week in a covered container.

Heavenly Challah

Challah is a most wonderful bread! Not only is it used by Jewish People in their weekly Sabbath Ritual, it also makes the world's best French Toast! The rich egg dough is very Brioche-like, but not quite as delicate. It is also easier to make. There are many recipes for Challah. Some use dairy products, some do not. Since Challah is part of the Sabbath Dinner, where typically meat is served, it is traditional to make a Challah that is dairy free. This is in keeping with the Biblical command to not mix meat and milk. Also, it is customary to make 2 loaves of Challah to symbolize the double portion of Manna that the Israelites gathered in the desert prior to the Sabbath, as no work was to be done on the Sabbath. Modern Challah, which bears little resemblance to Manna, is actually an adaptation of a rich, braided, egg-laden, Central European/German Bread that is a relative of Brioche. The Ashkenazic Jews of this area adapted it as their Sabbath loaf because of its fine richness - a far cry from their heavy, rustic, daily loaves.

Challah
Makes 2 large loaves

• 6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• scant 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil (such as canola)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, and the warm water. Mix together until all of the flour is moistened. Cover and let the yeast proof in a warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the flour mixture should be active and bubbly. This is the starter sponge. While the sponge is forming, lightly oil a baking sheet and put aside.

Add all of remaining ingredients to the sponge, except the remaining flour, and begin mixing with the dough hook attachment. Once the mixture begins to come together, begin adding flour until a smooth dough is formed that does not stick to the bowl. You may not need all of the flour, but you will probably need most of it. Once the dough begins to pull away from the bowl, increase the mixer speed until the dough begins to slap against the sides of the bowl. If the dough begins to stick at all, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. You want the dough to be a cohesive whole that freely moves around the bowl, slapping loudly. Knead in this manor for 15 minutes. (Your mixer will get hot, so don't worry. Also, you will want to hold on to the mixer during this process so that it does not "walk" off the counter!)

After 15 minutes, cover the dough, and allow to rest in a warm place for at least 2 hours. After 2 hours, place dough an a very lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each of the 8 portions into thick "snakes" about 10 inches long. Each loaf will be made of 4 of these "snakes".

To Braid The Challah:
1 2 3 4
Line up 4 of the dough "snakes" in a row like this, llll. Begin braiding in the middle by placing piece 4 over piece 3. Then, place piece 2 over piece 4. Finally place piece 1 UNDER piece 4. Repeat. Continue in this manor until you reach the end. Then, gather all of the ends together and tuck them under the loaf. Flip loaf around, and repeat exactly on the other side until you reach the other end. Again, tuck the gathered ends under the loaf. Transfer braided loaf to prepared baking pan. Braid second loaf, and place on same pan, leaving enough room for the challah to rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, leave in a warm place, and allow to rise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Begin preheating oven to 350 degrees.

Before the loaves are baked , you must egg wash them to give a shiny appearance. You will need:

• 1 egg
  
• 1 teaspoon water
• sesame or poppy seeds, optional

Whisk egg and water together thoroughly. Gently brush loaves with egg wash, being careful to cover all exposed surfaces without allowing egg to pool on baking sheet around loaves. Sprinkle with seed garnish if desired.

Bake in middle of preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. When fully baked, Challah will sound hollow when thumped on the bottom, and will be a rich mahogany brown color.

Remove immediately from baking pan and allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Best enjoyed fresh (of course), but it will keep for 1 week if wrapped tightly.