Recipe: Cinnamon Bun Pie

Great news, everyone! I got permission to post the recipe for the Cinnamon Bun Pie I can't stop raving about that I mentioned in my review of Real Life Kosher Cooking. I'm going to post the straight recipe and then, at the end, I'll include my substitution notes. If you make this, let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour

Cinnamon Filling
1/3 cup ground pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbls cinnamon
1/4 cup oil

1 graham cracker crust

Cream Cheese Glaze
2 ounces (1/4 package) nondairy cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbls soy milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat together oil and sugars until combined and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add baking powder and vanilla, beating well to combine after each addition. 
3. Turn mixer speed to low; gradually add flour. Beat until combined. Set aside.
4. Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, combine filling ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
5. When filling pie crust, be careful to add each layer very gently, so you don't break the crust. Pour 1/4 of the batter into the graham cracker crust; use a flexible spatula to smooth the top. Top with 1/3 of the filling. Smooth the top.
6. Repeat the process, ending with the batter. Note that the batter will be hard to spread; you can make fewer layers so that it's easier to assemble.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until top is set. It's meant to be soft in the center, so don't over bake it. 
8. Prepare the glaze: Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
9. For best results, serve warm. Drizzle glaze over each slice just before serving.

Notes

• I used Cup4Cup gluten-free flour as a substitute, and it worked perfectly. I also substituted a gluten-free graham cracker crust. 
• For the glaze, I used regular cream cheese and regular milk. 
• I used pecan pieces instead of ground pecans, and it added a nice crunch to the pie. 
• When "building" the pie, I found the best/easiest way to assemble the pie was to use gloves and smooth the dough out in the pie pan. A spatula just didn't do the trick. 
• This pie freezes well, so feel free to freeze it!

Purchase your own copy of Real Life Kosher Cooking now on Amazon!

Cookbook Review: Real Life Kosher Cooking

I'm back! It's been a while. Like, a really long while. Life is busy, I've had a cough for about six weeks now that I'm so, so, so over*, but my energy levels are slowly building back up, so I've been cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

I recently received a free copy of Real Life Kosher Cooking by the amazing Miriam Pascal of The Overtime Cook for review, and I was so excited to dig into this cookbook, mostly because the title suggests some quick, easy, "real life" recipes for busy folks like you and me.

When I get cookbooks for review, the first thing I do is dig through the cookbook quickly to see whether there's a good balance of vegetarian recipes and desserts mixed in with the typical meat recipes. Since we're vegetarian at home, it's important that a kosher cookbook offer up plenty of options for those meatless evenings. Likewise, I like to see if the meat recipes are easily convertible into vegetarian dishes using mushrooms, tofu, and other easy substitutes.

Guess what? This cookbook has it all ... and you won't spend all day in the kitchen.

Next up, I pick out a few recipes that I think I'll love (okay, that my family might enjoy, too), and in this case, I zoned in on one recipe in particular: Cinnamon. Bun. Pie.

Yes, I'm gluten-free (not by choice, believe me), and this Cinnamon Bun Pie recipe was screaming my name. I love love love love love cinnamon rolls. Back when I lived in New Jersey and traveled into the city almost daily for school at NYU, I'd walk past that Cinnabon in the bus station and die. Like, just melt. Not only wasn't it kosher, but it wasn't gluten free. Since then, I've attempted to make gluten-free cinnamon rolls, I've tried (and tried again) the Udi's Cinnamon Rolls, and I've been nothing but disappointed and irritated with the amount of work that goes into making my own.

Enter Miriam Pascal and the Cinnamon Bun Pie! Now, her recipe isn't gluten free, but with two easy substitutions (Cup4Cup flour + a gluten-free graham cracker curst) ... *poof* ... gluten free. I don't know how the regular, gluten-y dough works out in this recipe, but with the gluten-free version I found that the easiest way to "build" the pie was to pop on some gloves, spray them with oil, and press the dough into the pan. It made it so easy to build the pie, especially the second layer that needed to be spread around, and it got me closer to baking and eating it.

What can I say? This is hand's down the most delicious cinnamon roll I've ever tasted in my life. The center of the pie stays moist and gooey, while the edges bake into that perfect crispy, crusty cinnamon roll that you want to douse in more and more frosting. I was apprehensive about the graham cracker crust, but it plays perfectly into that cinnamon goodness. The other great thing about this pie is that it's incredibly rich, so small pieces with plenty of frosting go a long way. Even my husband enjoyed it. I might cut down on the amount of sugar the next time I make it (like tomorrow), but otherwise the easy is exactly what you're looking for:

Easy.
Quick.
Delicious.
Kosher.
A real crowd-pleaser.

Of course, after I made the Cinnamon Bun Pie I realized I needed to sample a few more recipes, preferably of the savory variety, to balance out my love of sweets and desserts. With Shabbat on the way last week, I decided to go Asian. I made my own recipe for Garlic Roasted Eggplant and paired it with two recipes from Real Life Kosher Cooking: Garlicky Roasted Mushrooms and Snow Peas + Sauteed Cabbage and Vegetables.

These two recipes were the perfect centerpieces for our Asian Shabbat dinner. The mushrooms and peas had an excellent crunch and plenty of flavor, while the cabbage and vegetables truly tasted like the insides of an egg roll. I do think next time I'll do something to add a bit more texture to the cabbage, because my husband commented that it was missing a bit of crunch and a bite. In the cookbook, Miriam does say that both of these dishes are best served fresh, and I did warm them up for Shabbat dinner, but the integrity and flavor of both of the dishes stood up to being reheated.

I'm eager to try so many of Miriam's other recipes in this cookbook, because even the recipes that look challenging turn out to be extremely quick and easy (I'm looking at you, Cinnamon Bun Pie).

Have you seen this new cookbook? Which recipes from The Overtime Cook are your absolute favorite? 


*If you're a mommy who has given vaginal birth, you're totally feeling for me right now.

Best Giveaway Ever: A Cheese Basket!

As I quipped to my husband a few nights ago, "There are those who need a coffee fix (me), there are those who need a chocolate fix (also me), and then, Tuvia, there are those that need a cheese fix (me!)."

As a perpetual snacker, I've been known to grab a slice of cheese to hold me over before a meal. The  more cheese on my pizza, the better. Grilled cheese? My favorite comfort food. On (Gregorian) New Year's, we dined on cheese and crackers, and for our Super Bowl Party, we prepared a wide array of cheesy treats (including cheese fondue, thanks to some guests). And, of course, my favorite kind of cheese? That which pours out of my husband, Tuvia, who, because of my love of all things cheese, has been deemed the Cheeseball ...

But where am I going with this? Well, a giveaway, that's where I'm going!

The amazing folks at Anderson International Foods, who are behind the delicious lines of (mostly) cholov Yisrael cheeses Natural & Kosher, Les Petites Fermeries, Organic & Kosher, and the new Pure & Kosher, dropped the most amazing basket of cheeses at my front door late last week to review (of course, it arrived right after we'd gone out for burgers so I had to wait three hours before cracking into the cheese, which I did, at nearly midnight). Of course, the variety and amount of cheese had my eyes popping, and Tuvia was more than gracious in helping me in sampling.

My favorites? The Goat Cheese Medallions with Cranberries and Maple Syrup (chalav stam). This is one of those moments when I wish there was taste-o-vision, because this cheese is more like dessert in its flavor. Like eating a thick, creamy sweet drop of yogurt or ice cream. Even Tuvia was a fan of this one. Oh! And? It's gluten-free! Hoo-rah!

There also was the Processed Olives Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which, let's be honest, sounds a little crazy, right? After tasting it, however, the flavor of black olives emanates from the cheese, and I'm very much looking forward to making a gluten-free pizza with this. How? The cheese is round, so I plan on throwing some pasta sauce on a pita, putting the round cheese on top, and going for it. It's the cheese and olives in one! Brilliant!

Having never had Havarti (chalav stam) before (do I live under a rock?), Tuvia and I were eager to crack the package open. With crackers in hand, Tuvia gave it a go and really liked the flavor, likening it very much to our favorite cheese -- Muenster. The flavor was muted, but it was creamy and delicious. He also cracked into the Sharp Goat Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which piqued both of our curiosities. Tuvia said the hints of goat cheese were very strong, but he ate half a block on his own anyway!

We have a lot of cheese left, and I'm stoked that a lot of it is kosher for Passover, too. So, I'm not going to lie, we're saving a lot of it for Passover cheese cravings -- including the Goat Cheese Medallions (chalav stam), Goat Mozzarella with Fine Herbs (chalav Yisrael) and Goat Mozzarella with Red Peppers (chalav Yisrael). What I do have to say overall about these cheeses, however, is that they're classy, upscale, and they won't break the bank. I'm no cheese snob, but I'd put out any of these cheeses on my cheese plate any day.


But I'm sure you're wondering -- how can I win a basket of delicious kosher cheeses? Here are the details -- read them carefully!

• The giveaway runs through Friday, March 4, at noon (EST). 
• To enter, you must post a comment on this post with an original cheese recipe from your arsenal -- and if it's gluten-free, you'll make me a happy camper. Original can be a recipe you found that you adapted, I just don't want you to Google "cheese recipe" and put something here!
• The winner will be chosen at random, but must provide an original recipe in order to win. 

The winner will receive an amazing cheese basket from Anderson International Foods delivered right to your door, and your recipe will be featured March 10 on the Sincerely Brigitte blog of Anderson International Foods CEO Brigitte Mizrahi, a French cheese connoisseur and the woman behind the four lines of cheese currently on the market today.

Also, be sure to "like" the Sincerely Brigitte Facebook Page and follow Brigitte on Twitter! Good luck everyone!

I Say Kosher, You Say Yum!

As many of you know, I'm heading to Kosher Fest tomorrow. I'm covering the event -- mostly -- for my Gluten-Free Kosher Critic blog, but I'll probably end up posting everything here and crossing over there. I'm hoping to do some live blogging from the event, and maybe even get an interview with a few folks who create and promote my favorite kosher eats. Are you excited? I'm excited. I'm stoked.

I'm so stoked, in fact, that I'd like to share with you this hilariously unhealthy remnant of Jewish food gone by: The Art of Jewish Cooking by Jennie Grossinger circa 1965. Yes, these delicious recipes call for everyone's favorite ingredient.

FAT

Yes, the recipes just say "2 Tablespoons fat" or "1 cup fat." I know that nowadays we call this "butter" or "margarine" or whatever. But, still. It grosses me out to even look at the recipes. (Sorry Jennie Grossinger, I just can't help it.) Especially as I, someone who loves food (even though it's the enemy), who is attempting to battle this thing called fat with this other thing called fresh, healthy eating. I attended a mini workshop today for Jewish teen educators on how to tap into the minds of Jewish teens with food -- but healthy, relatable, unique, and experiential food. The session spoke a lot to me, and it was awesomely interactive. If you're interested in hooking up with the gal running an awesome set of programming on food for Jewish teens in the NY area, let me know, and I'll set you up.

Ultimately, my goal at Kosher Fest tomorrow is to track down some healthy kosher eats that haven't been processed until kingdom come. Things that leave out the bad oils and the HFCS (or sugar, whatever) and put in the good things we need to sustain ourselves. And? Gluten-free goodies. After all, I'm not only kosher, but also gluten free, which compounds the food difficulties for an on-the-go, busy person like myself. I can't take freshly steamed veggies to work everyday, guys. It just isn't going to happen. Have you seen me in the city? Have you seen the amount of crap I schlep around? I'm a worker, student, and wife. I schlep. It's what I do.

Anyhow, hopefully I can pique your interest with my perfectly delectable posts tomorrow from Kosher Fest. I'm interested in how companies are understanding and marketing "kosher" food. Is it just kosher now? Did we lose the Jewish part of kosher food? What, to you, is kosher food? Is it just kosher food or is it Jewish food? Is it Sephardic or Ashkenazic? Gefilte fish and cholent or baba ganoush and shaksuka? 

This week it's all about food. So? Dig in!

The Liberated Me.

Liberating: Driving in my little Yaris (now deemed the Hot Temple Time Machine a.k.a. HTTM a.k.a. Carmine) with music blaring, singing at the top of my lungs. I. Am. Free.

Liberating: Signing up for a gym membership and actually going. Riding a bike and pumping my heart rate  while reading a new book. Sweating. Getting healthy.

Liberating: Choosing to go Gluten Free on my own accord, despite a failed blood test, because I have averse reactions to wheat/gluten. Feeling better, already. No stomach ache. Just me and natural goodies. Making good with my body.

Frustrating: Figuring out how to be kosher, vegetarian, and gluten free. Mad props to The Kosher Cupcake for recipes right up my alley. There's hope for me yet. I just need to figure out how to make some yummy kosher, gluten free challot (since they serve as mezonot and will allow me to make ha'motzi!), or maybe I'll just order some from Heaven Mills. YUMtimes. There's also some interesting stuff up on Gluten Free Mama, including a shopping guide. FTW!

Liberating: Emailing in my final paper for my M.A. in Judaic Studies at the University of Connecticut. Done and done.

Liberating: The consideration that I might post some of my poetry up here. Stay tuned.