Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are really the best eggless fall dessert. Easy and super soft, the alchemy of cinnamon, pumpkin, and rising dough creates airy spirals that accommodate yummy quantities of spice and icing!
...Orange Kheer | Santre Ki Kheer
Orange kheer is an edible journey worth taking. Called Komlalebur payesh or komola kheer in Bengali and santre ki kheer in Hindi, the kheer recipe is simple to make and requires few ingredients, and is so much lighter than most other kheers!
...Easy Kalakand Recipe
This is not a kalakand recipe that requires hours and some serious muscle workout. This is a super simple instant kalakand recipe for Diwali where truly magical things happen when you mix paneer, condensed milk, and cardamom.
...Easy Persian Love Cake
The recipe for Persian love cake is super, super, super simple. The rose pistachio cake has a dense and heavy crumb, but it’s absolutely light on the palate. The lemon and cardamom notes give the Iranian cake a devilishly refreshing flavor.
Jump to:
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS LOVE CAKE?
Fantastically easy to make
Moist, soft, and soaked in floral and citrus flavor
A charming cake that’ll fit right in for Diwali and the upcoming festive season
WHAT ARE PERSIAN LOVE CAKES?
The story of love cakes began in Iranian folklore, where a woman fell head over heels for a prince. In order to bewitch the prince, or so the story goes, she baked a magic cake full of a love potion.
And voilà, the love cake was born.
The term "Persian love cake" was minted by the British-Iranian author Yasmin Khan for a recipe featured in her book The Saffron Tales.
You’ll find endless variations of the original recipe. Some have semolina, and some don’t. Some make the glaze with lemon juice, and some don’t. I’ve been waiting to make this rose pistachio cake for so long that I decided to go with the most popular recipe, Yasmin’s, and make it my own.
HOW TO MAKE PERSIAN LOVE CAKE?
I did not stay true to Yasmin’s recipe for Persian love cake. While I was inspired by her version, I took the liberty to tweak it in two places.
I created an eggless version and forgo the lemon and rosewater syrup because I was craving a flavor very different from my Baklava cake, which did get a syrup soak.
Regardless of whether you choose to immerse the cake in the syrup, it’ll still be enchanting, lemony, and rosy!
Step 1: In a bowl, whisk together almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, caster sugar, and salt.
Step 2: Add cardamom powder, freshly grated nutmeg, and lemon zest to the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Separately, combine Greek yogurt, coconut oil, rose water, and lemon juice.
Step 4: Fold the wet ingredients into the dry using a spatula, and then pour into an 8-inch pan.
Step 5: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, when you insert a toothpick or skewer in the center it should come out clean.
Step 6: Once baked, let it sit in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 7: In the meantime, make your glaze by beating icing sugar, milk, and rose water until smooth and slightly thick.
Step 8: Turn the Persian love cake over on your serving platter and drizzle the glaze on top.
Last step: Garnish with pistachios and dried rose petals, and your pistachio rose cake is ready!
PERSIAN CAKE NOTES
- Don’t overmix the batter when you’re combining the wet and dry ingredients.
- Don’t pour the glaze while it is hot or warm because the heat will melt the icing. Instead, wait for the Persian cake to cool down completely.
- I had a bundle of edible flowers that I decided to use to deck up the rose cardamom cake. It’s a completely optional step. Simple pistachio and dried rosebud garnish are more than enough to make the cake stunning.
- The cake crumb is very moist thanks to the almond flour and icing, so it stores well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
SUBSTITUTES
Egg: My Persian love cake recipe is eggless, but that is just a personal preference. You can include two eggs but remember to reduce the yogurt to half.
Flavors: I know a lot of people do not love the taste and aroma of rosewater cakes. But for this Persian cake, it is non-negotiable. It is the star ingredient that makes the cake stand out. I promise it does not overwhelm the flavor because the lemon juice perfectly counterbalances it.
I have not baked the cake with orange zest, but I have seen plenty of recipes with it. So, you can substitute lemon for orange here.
Spices: If you don’t mind some textural play in your Persian love cake and don’t have cardamom powder, peel cardamom pods, remove the skin, and coarsely pound the seeds.
Nutmeg adds a warming dimension to the cake, so I would err on the side of caution and not omit it.
Oil: In place of coconut oil, either butter or any neutral-tasting oil will work like a charm.
RECIPES WITH ROSEWATER OR PISTACHIO
Eggless Rose Pistachio Cookies
Saffron Tres Leches Cake | Saffron Milk Cake
📖 Recipe
Easy Persian Love Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 125 gms All-purpose flour
- 1 cup / 100 gms Almond flour
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1.5 tsp Cardamom powder
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 2 tsp Lemon zest
- 1/2 cup / 100 gms Caster sugar
- 1 cup / 250 gms Greek yogurt, plain
- 1/2 cup / 90 gms Coconut oil
- 1 tbsp Rosewater
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
Glaze
- 1/3 cup / 35 gms Icing sugar
- 2 tsp Rosewater
- 1 tbsp Milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C. Grease and line the bottom of your 8" cake tin with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together both the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom powder, nutmeg, lemon zest, and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, coconut oil, rosewater, and lemon juice.
- Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well until a smooth batter is formed. Please don't overmix.
- Pour into your prepared tine and bake for 35 -40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool on a cooling rack, then turn it out on your serving platter.
- Pour the glaze over the completely cool cake and decorate with finely chopped pistachios and dried rose buds/petals.I had some really pretty cosmos flowers, so those went on the cake too. Traditionally though, just rose and pistachios are used.
- Let the icing set for a few minutes before slicing the cake. Enjoy!
Glaze
- Combine the icing sugar, rosewater, and milk in a small bowl. Mix well until you get a thick, smooth mixture.
Chena Murki |Chenna Murki Recipe
Chena murki is a 4-ingredient, super simple Indian sweet with a particular flavor combination (sugar and cardamom) that speaks my language. And it takes no time to make, so it is an ideal Diwali recipe to make at home!
...Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe
Addicted to cinnamon buns or cinnamon rolls but don’t want to put in the effort of making and then double-proofing dough? This cinnamon roll cake recipe is your savior. Incredibly cinnamony, you get to savor the fiery sweetness in the moist, fluffy, and utterly buttery crumbs of the cinnamon cake, accented with just a hint of crunch from the topping.
...Masala Roasted Nuts Recipe
Holiday nuts, spicy nuts, afternoon snacks, festive gifts, party nuts, nuts for cocktails and beers. There are a billion ways to use this roasted nuts recipe that turns ordinary cashews and almonds into crispy, fragrant morsels. And the recipe is so easy to make!
...Easy Besan Ka Halwa
Besan halwa is one of the most popular Indian halwa. It’s an Indian sweet you’ll find in every household. Bursting with notes of cardamom, besan ka halwa is soft, rich, and has a texture that melts in the mouth.
...Saffron Tres Leches Cake | Saffron Milk Cake
This easy Tres Leches Cake recipe makes a saffron milk cake that will forever be immortalized in your memory. The eggless Tres Leches Cake infused with floral saffron is rather, rather indulgent and quite simply stunning.
...Easiest Almond Burfi - Badam Burfi Recipe
Badam burfi, or almond burfi, is one of my favorite Diwali recipes. Also called badam katli, this badam burfi recipe takes no time and is just sweet enough, which is why I love making this mithai at home.
...40+ Easy Fall Dessert Recipes
Fall is here and that means celebrating everything pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and comforting! If you are looking for delicious and easy fall dessert recipes, I have you covered.
These 40+ recipes are perfect even for beginners. Here, you'll find the best fall dessert recipes for any occasion. From classic pumpkin and apple desserts to fun twists on fall flavours. We've got muffins, pies, cakes, no-bake treats and so much more - just about any autumnal dessert you could want!
That's it for now! Lots of comforting, yummy feel-good recipes to try. From a Pumpkin Mug Cake or Pumpkin Sheet Cake to Apple Braided Bread and Cinnamon Cheesecake, there is something for everyone. Each of these desserts have been tried, tested, and repeated in my home, so you know they come from a place of so much love!
I hope that you enjoy these fall-inspired dessert recipes and add some to your repertoire. I'd love to hear from you about your favorite autumn treats and what kind of recipes you'd be interested to see. Happy baking!
P.S I'll keep updating the list with more simple and delicious desserts whenever they are added to the blog!
More Easy Desserts You May Love
The Best Apple Puff Pastry Tart
This apple tart with puff pastry is a 5-step, 5-ingredient recipe with a sweet and woody depth from cinnamon playing off the crisp and tart apples. A fabulous puff pastry dessert with apples, that has all the feels of an apple pie but takes a fraction of the time to make.
...Easiest Homemade Cream Cheese
I give this four-ingredient homemade cream cheese recipe a big two thumbs up. The DIY cream cheese, rich, creamy, and with just a hint of tang, is totally fuss-free, cheaper to make at home, and fast becoming a pantry essential.
Growing up, we didn’t have a domestic brand of cream cheese. Not only was it incredibly hard to get your hands on a tub of imported one, but it was also prohibitively expensive. This was the homemade cream cheese recipe we used. It’s been a long time since I made cream cheese at home, and it was far easier than I remember.
Anyone planning a recipe that uses cream cheese and doesn't have access to a store-bought one (or prefers homemade ingredients)? This is the quickest way to make cream cheese from scratch.
Jump to:
WHY DO I REALLY LOVE THIS CREAM CHEESE RECIPE?
The recipe makes for a good quantity
A great way to add to the list of homemade ingredients
Gives you full control of the quality and quantity of ingredients
So much more creamy and fresher tasting than store-bought cream cheese
WHAT IS CREAM CHEESE?
When you make cheese from cream and milk, it’s called "cream cheese." The soft, creamy, spreadable, and mildly tangy fresh cheese is wonderful in both sweet and savory dishes. Think cheesecakes, frostings, schmears on bagels, dips, and more.
INGREDIENTS IN CREAM CHEESE
Milk: I definitely recommend full-fat milk when you make cream cheese at home. Don’t use low-fat as it doesn’t curdle as well and won’t give you that great luscious creamy texture.
Cream: I prefer to work with ingredients that are very, very readily available to all. That’s why the cream I used was the regular Amul/Mother Dairy one with 25% fat. It worked gorgeously.
If whipping cream is more convenient for you, use that. Or skip the cream altogether and substitute it for full-fat milk and make the homemade cream cheese entirely with milk.
Salt: You’ll only need it for seasoning. I suggest starting with a very small quantity and increasing the amount to match your preference when you’re blending the mixture.
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is what helps the cream and milk curdle. I’ve seen cream cheese recipes use regular white vinegar too. In fact, I’ve heard that it gives a thicker curds. I’ve yet to test the truth of it, but if you do, I’d love to know, so leave a comment!
HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE?
Homemade cream cheese keeps it easy and simple. You can halve or double the recipe, in either case I would advise consuming it within a week. It tastes the best fresh. So plan recipes that require cream cheese, like a bagel or puff pastry or even a sandwich meal.
Step 1: In a thick bottom pan, heat full-fat milk and cream with a little bit of salt.
Step 2: Continuously stir the mixture, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom, and when it comes to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil), add lemon juice.
Step 3: Continue to cook and stir on low heat until the mixture completely curdles. Within 3 to 5 minutes, you’ll notice the curds separating from the whey (that’s the liquid with a greenish tinge).
Step 4: Keep a sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth ready. Pour the mixture over it and let it drain for about 15 to 20 minutes. I let mine sit undisturbed for half an hour, just because I had the time.
Step 5: While the mixture is still warm, gently squeeze the curds to remove any excess liquid.
Step 6: Place the drained curds in your food processor, grinder, or mixer and pulse till you have rich, smooth, and creamy homemade cream cheese.
Final step: Adjust for taste by adding salt to the DIY cream cheese, and then eat fresh or store it.
DIY CREAM CHEESE TIPS
- Use a thick-bottom pan because it prevents the milk from getting burnt.
- Stirring frequently also deters burning.
- Don’t bring the milk and cream to a proper boil because too much heat makes the cream cheese grainy and gritty. Why? Because the protein in the milk gets denatured (read: insoluble).
- If the cream cheese has a granular feel even after blending, add salt and grind it some more till it is almost velvety.
- Always store homemade cream cheese in an airtight container in the fridge, and it’s good for up to 2 weeks.
USE CREAM CHEESE FOR BAKING
There are tons and tons of ways to use homemade cream cheese. The classic is obviously cheesecake (click that link for a roundup of the 15 best recipes). But there’s more to this divine spread, and I think of it as a blank canvas that I can experiment with endlessly.
- Make it into a dip
- Use it for sandwiches
- Add dried or fresh herbs for more flavor
- Combine with crushed garlic, spices, or seasoning for a savory note
- Mix with cinnamon, sugar, blueberry, or strawberry preserves for a sweeter taste
RECIPES WITH HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE
Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins
Cream Cheese Swirl Banana Bread
Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Mocha Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
📖 Recipe
Easiest Homemade Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups ( 500 ml) Milk, full fat
- 2 cups ( 500 ml) Cream
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2-3 tbsp Lemon juice You can also use white vinegar
Instructions
- Combine the milk, cream, and salt in a heavy-bottom saucepan.
- Bring the mixture up to a gentle boil on medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Add the lemon juice, and keep stirring.
- Cook this mixture until it curdles and you get a greenish whey. This will take 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Make sure the sieve is placed on top of a bowl to catch the whey.Save the whey for later use.
- Let the mixture drain well for 20-30 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor and blitz until you get a smooth, creamy cheese.
- Taste and adjust for salt. You can add any herbs/ garlic/ spices if you want at this point.
- Transfer into an air-tight container and refrigerate. This will keep well for a week. Enjoy!
Murmura Chivda (Easy Spicy Puffed Rice)
Murmura Chivda is a totally irresistible spicy puffed rice snack that's so easy to put together. The quick, short, and sweet murmura recipe is healthy, vegan, and if you don’t use cornflakes, then gluten-free.
...Baileys Cheesecake Recipe
This is the best Baileys cheesecake recipe. It's super creamy, densely velvety, and gently infused with Irish cream liquor. The perfect, indulgent dessert to make ahead of time, I just know this Irish cheesecake will be the edible gift this festive season.
...The Easiest Indian Cake Rusk ( Eggless)
Indian cake rusk makes a perfect snack, especially paired with a cup of tea or latte. Cake rusks are like twice-baked biscotti, but with an Indian bent. And yes, once you've tried an eggless homemade rusk, you'll never go back to store-bought rusk cookies again.
Tea calms my soul. Tea with cake rusk vaporizes all manners of problems. But there is an art to dunking rusks and achieving that soft but not soggy consistency. And people who grew up on cake rusks, like me, know it.
Even today, when I sit down with my evening cup, I still want to bite into a crisp, buttery rusk that tastes like the start of winter’s grip despite all the biscuits, biscotti, scones, and muffins I bake.
Jump to:
WHY TRY THIS RUSK RECIPE AT HOME?
Scrumptious for an early and quick breakfast
Better control over ingredients
Reduce the amount of sugar
Play around with flavors
Superior quality than the store-bought ones
WHAT ARE INDIAN CAKE RUSKS?
Rusks are extremely popular in India and are a staple tea-time snack in our homes. So, it was a surprise to learn that rusk recipes abound in Europe. Essentially, rusk cookies are twice-baked, crunchy biscuits that shatter in your mouth.
When you bake cake batter two times, you get cake rusks. When you bake bread dough twice, you get bread rusks. They’re very similar to thicker and shorter Swedish biscotti, so a lot of people call the cake rusk Indian biscotti.
HOW TO MAKE CAKE RUSK?
Step 1: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and some milk powder in a bowl.
Step 2: In another bowl, beat softened butter with sugar (a handheld whisk will work just fine, you don’t need an electric one) until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Combine the yogurt and the beaten butter.
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix in a hefty amount of coarsely ground fennel seeds.
FIRST BAKE CAKE RUSK
Step 5: Pour the batter into an 8-inch greased baking pan. I should have also lined the pan with parchment paper, but oh, well, we live 'n' learn.
Step 6: Level the batter, make sure it is evenly spread, and bake at 170 °C for 30 to 35 mins (a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean).
Step 7: Take out the cake and let it cool completely (this is important).
Step 8: Cut the cake in half and then into thin slices (the cake is soft, and a few slices may crumble, but don’t let that bother you).
SECOND BAKE CAKE RUSKS
Step 9: Place each slice on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes at 160 °C.
Step 10: Halfway through, flip the cake rusks so they are evenly baked on both sides.
Final step: Allow the rusks to cool before serving with piping hot mugs of tea.
CAKE RUSK RECIPE NOTES
Baking: Oven temperatures differ. I recommend keeping an eye on your rusk cookies during the second bake. You want them crispy and a deep golden brown, not burnt. Also, keep this in mind: Indian rusks crisp further as they cool. So, bake accordingly.
Storage: Homemade rusks have a long shelf life and keep really well as long as you store them in an air-tight container and only after they have cooled entirely. Store them while they’re still warm, and come at tea time you’ll have mushy cake rusks.
RUSK RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Flour: Whole wheat flour is a fantastic alternative to all-purpose flour for this cake rusk recipe. For those who love an extra crunch to their rusks, I suggest replacing 1/4th cup of flour with semolina.
Milk powder: You can skip it, but it lends more dimensions to the cake rusk flavor and a richness that I’ve found is hard to replicate with any other ingredient.
Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt works well or homemade hung yogurt, just make sure the latter is thoroughly drained, so the batter is not watery. My Indian cake rusk recipe is eggless, although you can substitute the yogurt with 2 eggs.
Spices: Along with fennel, cardamom powder would be wonderful to enliven the homemade rusks.
Sugar: I haven’t tried the rusk recipe with jaggery, but it may add a melody of flavors. Drop me a comment if you try the cake rusks with it.
LOVE CAKE RUSKS? DON’T FORGET TO TRY THESE TEA-TIME RECIPES
Eggless Rose Shortbread Cookies
📖 Recipe
The Easiest Indian Cake Rusk Recipe ( Eggless)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup ( 160 gms) All-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 3 tbsp Milk powder
- 1/4 cup ( 60 gms) Butter softened
- 1/2 cup ( 100 gms) Caster sugar
- 1/2 cup ( 130 gms) Greek yogurt, plain
- 2 tsp Fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 170 C. Grease an 8" pan very well. You can line it with parchment paper too.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and milk powder in a bowl.
- In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light.
- Whisk in the yogurt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold in the fennel seeds.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and level the batter.
- Bake at 170 C for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Cut the cake in half and then into thin slices.
- Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Bake for another 20-25 minutes at 160 C or until the rusks are golden and crispy.Halfway through the baking time, flip the rusks so they are evenly baked.
- Cool completely and serve with hot mugs of tea. Enjoy!
Pistachio Cake Recipe
This recipe for pistachio cake is for an easy eggless cake where the list of ingredients is brief but bountiful in flavor. Without asking for much effort, the green pistachio cake is a great addition to the festive table.
...15+ BEST Easy Cheesecake Recipes!
Are you looking for delicious, simple cheesecakes that are super easy to make? Look no further, I have you covered with this list of the best easy cheesecake recipes.
These 20 easy recipes are perfect even for beginners. Here, you'll find the best cheesecake match for any occasion. From a rich chocolate recipe for Mother's Day to a quick No-Bake Cheesecake for hot summer days, there is something for everyone.
Easy Tips for Making the Best Cheesecakes
Now that you may have found a cheesecake recipe to try, here are a few of my expert tips on making sure it turns out beautifully!
- Cheesecakes need to cool: any cheesecake, mango, strawberry, hazelnut, etc., needs to cool. That’s my first tip and one that I always ask people to follow. Make the cheesecake a day ahead and let it chill in the fridge overnight. It makes a wonderful difference to the consistency and is the secret to a good cake.
- Don’t over mix the filling: The more you whisk, the more aerated it becomes, which can cause cracks. Plus, less air keeps the cake moist, rich, and dense.
- Use a springform cake pan: and cover the base and sides with foil. It’s easier to remove and gives you a mess-free oven (in case the batter decides to leak out).
- Bake a cheesecake at a low temperature: It’s key to a moist cake and not a dry one.
Note - these tips apply to most cheesecakes in my expereince, but always follow the recipe specific tips to ensure you don't miss any small details!
I hope that you fall in love with these simple cheesecake recipes & add some to your dessert reportoire! I'd love to hear from you about your favorite cheesecakes and what kind of recipes you'd be interested to see. Happy baking!
More Cheesecake Desserts You May Love
Chocolate Cheesecake Popsicles
Eggless Rose Shortbread Cookies
Rose shortbread cookies are so easy to throw together that you need just 1 bowl; 6, regular ingredients; and no special equipment. The dough is a 10-minute job. Plus, these are eggless rose cookies, perfect if you’re looking for festive cookie ideas.
These shortbread cookies with rose water are an adaptation of one of my most popular recipes: eggless rose pistachio cookies. Very reminiscent of festive flavors, the rose water and cardamom make the tender cookies sing. So, if you’ve been looking for Diwali cookie recipes, these rose biscuits should definitely be in your repertoire.
Jump to:
Tips for making the best shortbread cookies
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE ROSE COOKIES
No better match for your tea
Subtle, interesting flavors and just 6 ingredients
Simple, rewarding, and doable even on a busy day
Store well for 2 to 3 weeks and perfect for holidays
Elegant, incredibly delicious, and, most importantly, great for gifting in jars or boxes
WHAT ARE SHORTBREAD COOKIES?
Shortbread cookies are traditional Scottish biscuits made with one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour. It’s this 1:2:3 proportion that makes a shortbread, a shortbread, and lends that characteristic melt-in-the-mouth feel. Though these aren't the ratios I strictly followed for this recipe!
These cookies are generally a staple during the holiday season and are known for their crumbly interior and slightly crisp exterior. Compared to normal cookies, shortbread is softer, more buttery, more tender, and doesn’t use any leavening agent like baking powder.
HOW TO MAKE ROSE SHORTBREAD COOKIES?
After almost two decades of baking, what I’ve come to love most is cooking simply. Give me a recipe with a handful of ingredients that are right there in my pantry, and I’m a goner.
That’s why I couldn't resist the delicate, buttery charm of these rose-flavored cookies. The recipe is easy and simple and makes shortbread cookies exactly how they should be.
Step 1: Cream together softened, room-temperature butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Since these are rosewater cookies, whisk in a hefty dose of it, followed by flour, cardamom powder, and dried rose petals.
Step 3: Use a spatula or your hands to make a silky soft and pliable dough (it comes together quickly).
Step 4: Halve the dough and then roll each half into a log, mine were about ten-inch long and more squarish than round. But the shape really doesn’t matter. What it does is that it’s the quicker and simpler way of making these cookies compared to using a cookie cutter.
LET’S BAKE THE ROSEWATER COOKIES
Step 5: Slide the logs onto your baking sheet and stash them in the fridge for 30 minutes. By the way, you can freeze the dough of these rose cookies for up to 3 weeks, as long as you double-wrap them.
Step 6: With a sharp knife, slice off cookies about an eighth-of-an-inch thick and place them spaced apart on the tray.
Final step: Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. And when the countdown is about to end, watch your rose shortbread cookies closely. I’ve had batches a little too toasty for my taste before because I left them unattended at the last moment.
TIPS FOR THE BEST SHORTBREAD COOKIES
- The key to these shortbread cookies with icing sugar is the temperature of the butter. It can’t be melted. It can’t be frozen. It can’t be cold. It has to be room temperature and just about soft. That’s the secret to achieving a wonderful, flaky texture.
- Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of rosewater in the shortbread dough.
- If your dough feels dry or keeps falling apart, add a tablespoon or two of room-temperature cream (or milk) to it.
- Want buttery, crumbly rose shortbread? Refrigerate the dough before baking.
- If this is one of your make-ahead holiday cookie ideas and you’ve frozen the shortbread cookie dough, don’t thaw it. Give it a couple of minutes on the countertop, so it’s not rock hard, slice and then bake for a little longer than 14 minutes.
- Bake the sliced rose cookies immediately, or plop them back in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
- Add a minute or two extra oven time, if you like a slightly crisper and browner shortbread cookie.
VARIATIONS OF THIS ROSE BISCUITS RECIPE
Rose: Dried rose petals are easily available in supermarkets and online. For the rose water, make sure you get food-grade and of good quality. The better the quality, the subtler the taste of the aromatic. Remember, what you want is rose-flavored cookies, not drowning in rose cookies.
Add-ons: Saffron would be a fantastic addition to these rose shortbread cookies. But if you’re looking to up the texture quotient and give the cookies a nutty dimension, add thinly sliced almonds into the dough.
MORE HOLIDAY COOKIES
Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies
DIWALI COOKIES RECIPE
Easy Chai Spiced Walnut Cookies
Nankhatai | Eggless Cardamom Cookies
📖 Recipe
Eggless Rose Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (150 gms) Butter softened I used salted butter. You can use unsalted butter too.
- 1 cup (100 gms) Icing sugar
- 2 cups (260 gms) All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Rosewater
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- 2-3 tbsp Dried rose petals
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the rosewater, and beat again for a minute.
- Add all-purpose flour, cardamom powder, and dried rose petals.
- Bring everything together into a dough using a spatula or your hands.
- You may need to add a tablespoon or two of milk if the dough is dry-ish.
- Your dough should be soft and pliable.
- Divide the dough into half. Roll each half into a 10" log. I made square-ish logs.
- Place the logs carefully on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. *
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C.
- Cut each log into slices, about 1/8" in thickness.
- Place the slices on the prepared trays. Make sure there is a little gap between them as they will spread a bit during baking.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until light golden in color. Bake for extra 1-2 minutes if you want crispier cookies.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool.
- Store the cooled cookies in an air-tight jar. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can also wrap the logs well in plastic wrap or butter paper and refrigerate them for 2-3 days or freeze for 2-3 weeks.
Easy & Quick Cheese Straws Recipe
This cheese straws recipe is the cleverest appetizer idea because they are just 2-ingredient cheese straws. All you need is puff pastry (store-bought or homemade) and cheese. It doesn't get unbelievably simpler than this.
...Pistachio Financiers Recipe
Pistachio financiers are so deliriously good and delightfully rich that they make a great recipe for the holiday season. Heftier and more indulgent than a simple almond tea cake, it's a good thing they’re just bite-sized snacks.
...The Best Monkey Bread Recipe
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I call it the easy fruit tart because it’s a super easy summer fruit dessert. Making the crust and the filling take all of 15-20 minutes from start to finish, and there’s not much technique to it. So, if you’re looking for a perfect summer dessert to celebrate seasonal fruits, this is it!
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Cherry cheesecake muffins are very light, very moist, and very juicy. The perfect snack or dessert made with only basic ingredients and barely any effort. Want a recipe that doesn’t sit heavy but is still rich? Try these easy cherry muffins.
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...Vegan Gnocchi
Vegan gnocchi is a fun middle-of-the-week meal idea that’s easy to make and can be planned. Serve them with tomato sauce or sage-spiced brown butter; it’ll be the best homemade gnocchi you'll ever try!
Is gnocchi vegan? No, not the traditional recipe as it uses eggs. But my recipe doesn’t, so it’s perfectly vegan-diet-friendly. In case you're looking for a gluten-free option, do check out my gluten-free gnocchi. The result, I promise you, will be scrumptious.
Plates-licked-clean tasty.
You get these tiny little morsel-sized dumplings that hold just the right amount of tomato sauce. If you’re not a fan of marinara, pesto is another great way to serve this gnocchi.
Or you can go the classic way and toss it with brown butter and sage.
Jump to :
Why is this the best homemade vegan gnocchi ever!
Easy recipe
Uses just 2 ingredients (not counting salt and pepper)
Pillowy, tender, and hearty
Great make-ahead recipe...frozen gnocchi is a life-saver for busy or lazy days!
How to make vegan gnocchi?
It's a really good idea to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. So, they don’t absorb any water, making sure the gnocchi dough holds together really well.
I highly suggest you do the same.
Step 1: Clean the potatoes thoroughly. Don’t peel them. Simply prick with a fork all over and then bake for 45–50 minutes till cooked through.
Step 2: As soon as the potatoes are cool enough that you can handle them, peel them. You don’t want them to get completely cold because then they clump together!
Step 3: Next, either grate the flesh (using the thicker side of a box grater) or press it through a potato ricer. While grating or pressing, spread out the strands on the work surface so they don’t stick to each other.
Step 4: Sift flour, salt, and pepper on top of the grated/pressed potatoes and, with your hands, bring it together to form a soft dough that’s not sticky. It comes together rather easily, like pastry dough.
Step 5: Cover the dough and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
How to shape vegan gnocchi?
Step 6: Divide the dough into pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it back and forth under your hands to form a rope.
Step 7: Cut each rope into small pieces of equal size. At this point, the vegan gnocchi is ready to cook, but you can choose to shape it further.
Step 8: To shape, use a fork or a wooden gnocchi roller. If you pick a fork, push the fluffy dough piece into the tines with your thumb very gently. And you’ll see those signature ridges forming. They help the sauce cling to the gnocchi!
Step 9: Arrange the gnocchi in an even layer on a tray or sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle flour and let them rest for about 20 minutes.
Cooking gnocchi
Step 10: Bring salted water to a rolling boil and slide your gnocchi into it. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Mine could comfortably hold about 15 at a time.
Step 11: Cook until the pieces float to the surface. I like to use a slotted spoon and put the vegan gnocchi straight from the pot into the sauce. You can choose to transfer them on a tray greased with olive oil till all the gnocchi are cooked.
Final step: Toss with some delicious homemade tomato sauce. Top with cheese and parsley and serve!
My tips for making gnocchi
What makes good gnocchi? It cannot be mushy. It cannot be dense. And it cannot be chewy.
So, how do you get homemade gnocchi that’s creamy, light, and airy? You follow these tips:
- Pick potatoes of the same size so they bake evenly. How long it takes to bake them will depend upon their size.
- Bake the potatoes, don’t boil them. It’ll keep them starchy, which helps hold the dough together. When you boil potatoes, you increase the moisture quotient. Not what you want.
- Steam them ( unpeeled) in your microwave or stovetop if you like.
- If you have no other option but to boil, keep the peel on. It’ll stop them from absorbing water. Peel them afterward.
- Never mash your potatoes using a food processor when making homemade gnocchi. You’ll end up with a gummy mass. What you’re looking for is light and fluffy gnocchi. That’s why I recommend a grater or ricer. It helps aerate them. If you don’t have either, try a fork.
- Avoid using too much flour to form the dough. Else, it’ll develop the gluten network, making the gnocchi hard and chewy.
- The quantity of flour should always be less than the quantity of mashed potatoes. The trick I used was to add a bit and wait for it to be completely combined before sprinkling more.
- If you opt to shape the homemade gnocchi, don’t worry if the first couple of them look wonky. Keep going; by the second dough rope, you’ll get the hang of it.
Can vegan gnocchi be frozen?
It’s rather easy to store vegan gnocchi. In the freezer, they last a long time. After you complete step 9 and have decided not to cook it the same day, place them to a tray and freeze for 2-3 hours. Then transfer the frozen gnocchi into a Ziplock and freeze them for later use.
Whenever you’re ready to make the gnocchi, simply drop them into simmering water. You don’t need to thaw them.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing cooked gnocchi. The texture becomes quite gummy.
- Also, if you’re making the gnocchi in the morning and cooking them in the evening (like I did), keep them in the refrigerator. They stay fine for 3-4 hours.
More easy and tasty dinner recipes
Khachapuri – Georgian Cheese Bread
📖 Recipe
Vegan Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 600 gms Potatoes
- 125 gms ( 1 cup) All-purpose flour Plus extra for flouring the work surface and sprinkling on top
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes well. Don't peel them. Prick with a fork all over and bake for 45-50 minutes (or until cooked through) at 200 C.
- As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and mash them using a potato ricer or a box grater.
- Sift flour, salt, and pepper on top of the potato pile and with your hands, bring it together to form a soft dough.
- This comes together very easily, but please work on this dough very gently as you would for a pastry dough. Light touch ensures soft and pillowy gnocchi.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into pieces and working with one piece at a time, roll it back and forth under your hands to form a rope.
- Cut each rope into small equal-sized pieces.
- Roll each piece over a fork or a gnocchi board to give them a ridged surface. you can also leave the dough pieces as is.
- Lightly sprinkle the gnocchi with flour and let it rest for 20 minutes.*
- Cook the gnocchi by adding them to salted boiling water. They will be done when they float to the top.
- Add to your favorite sauce and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Super Easy No-Knead Focaccia
No-knead focaccia is a super-easy snack idea made with zero effort and no technique (not even kneading). With the softest crumbs, fantastic texture, and delicious flavor, it’s the easy focaccia recipe you didn’t know you were looking for.
This homemade focaccia gives that visceral satisfaction you can get only from freshly baked bread! Barely out of the oven, and I know it’s the best focaccia bread I’ve made, and that’s saying something because I’ve baked by the dozen.
The warm crust is fragrant with rosemary, and when you bite in, it crunches marvelously, and then you get the kick from the sea salt. The crumbs are soft but still chewy and with that little tang from the long fermentation that makes you have one more slice.
Jump to:
Why should you make this recipe
Why do you need to try this recipe for homemade focaccia?
It requires no kneading. The fridge and oven do most of the work.
It takes zilch effort — only 15 minutes over 2 days!
It uses no special equipment or technique. Just a pan, a whisk, a spatula, and some folding over.
Never baked bread at home? This is the safest, easiest, and tastiest recipe to begin with!
What is the no-knead method?
I love the no-knead method of making bread. Like everyone on this earth, I was introduced to the concept by Jim Lahey long, long ago. My copy of his book became a bible of sorts and Jim, my guru.
Since then, I’ve baked plenty of no-knead breads, but this homemade focaccia (adapted from Alexandra’s Kitchen with a few Tasha twists thrown in) was the simplest. By far.
Why? Because (a) the dough was the most comfortable to work with, (b) it gave excellent results, and (c) it’s fantastic for beginners.
So, what is the super easy no-knead method?
It’s exactly what it says. You mix all the ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, and yeast) in a bowl and let it sit and proof. You don’t knead.
How does it work?
In bread, there are 2 ways to form a gluten network (the internal structure that makes freshly baked bread so amazing).
The first is kneading.
As you work the dough with your hands, the normally knotted up proteins in the flour untangle, and join together, developing the network of gluten.
The other is by letting the dough rest.
When you give the dough a lot of time to proof, the proteins break down into teeny, tiny (and manageable) strands. At the same time, thanks to the yeast consuming sugar, air bubbles (CO2) start to bubble up in the dough.
These bubbles push and nudge the protein strands into alignment. And once they are lined up like good little soldiers, they start to cross-link, creating the network of gluten. Without you having to knead the dough till your forearms hurt.
So much science!!
How to make no knead focaccia?
The key here is time.
Because there is no kneading involved, it needs a long rise. The longer you let the dough rest, the more depth of flavor and airy crumbs you get.
Yes, this means you need to plan ahead, but who's complaining when you literally don’t have to do anything else for this recipe!
On day 1 do 5 mins of prep on no-knead focaccia
Step 1: Combine the ingredients for focaccia bread (flour, salt, and yeast). Whisk in a teaspoon of sugar.
Step 2: Add water and with a spatula mix until everything is blended, and you have a well-hydrated dough. It’ll be sticky and shaggy.
Step 3: Paint the dough surface with olive oil so that the top layer doesn’t become dry and crusty during the first rise.
Step 4: Cover the bowl with cling wrap or a kitchen towel. For those using a towel, I recommend securing it with a rubber band to keep it draft-free.
Step 5: Slide the bowl into the fridge and let it do its magic for 18 to 24 hours.
On day 2 bake the no-knead focaccia bread
Step 6: By the next day, the dough would have risen well. You’re now going to deflate it gently. First, oil your hands and then scrape the dough away from the edges.
Step 7: Next, turn the dough over in 4 parts. Hold a portion of dough and fold it towards the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and then fold over the dough again. Rotate the bowl and fold the dough 2 more times (watch the video). This completes 1 cycle.
Step 8: Do the fold and rotate process one more time to form a rough ball.
Step 9: Now, prep your pan by greasing it well with olive oil. This particular pan of mine tends to be sticky, so I also lined it with parchment paper. After that, I poured some more oil smack-dab in the middle.
Step 10: Lift the dough off the bowl and plonk it over the olive oil in your baking dish.
Step 11: Let the focaccia dough proof a second time. Since it’s warm here, my rise took about an hour and a half.
Now, let’s bake the best focaccia bread
Step 12: Homemade focaccia bread needs a hot, hot, hot oven. So, preheat it to 220 °C or 425 °F.
Step 13: While the oven preheats, get to the fun part. Scatter rosemary on the soft dough.
Step 14: Spread more olive oil on top, and then make dimples by shaping your fingers into claws and pressing them into the pillowy dough. The feeling is utterly satisfying, like sinking your hands in cotton.
Step 15: Sprinkle with sea salt immediately and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Final step: Let the no-knead focaccia cool a bit and serve.
My tips for homemade focaccia bread
- Make sure your dough is not too wet or too hard. The best way to achieve the right consistency is to measure your ingredients.
- I am a big fan of cup measurements as they’re very convenient, but this recipe for homemade focaccia needs accuracy. And, frankly speaking, cups are not precise. So, invest in a kitchen scale. Even a small battery-operated one will make all the difference.
- Use a 9 by 13" or 10 by 12" baking dish. If you don’t have either, opt for a 10" round pan. Or you can split the dough into two 9-inch pans.
- Always add all your focaccia toppings before the olive oil. The slick coating keeps them from getting burnt during baking.
- The only thing I’d do differently the next time I bake no-knead focaccia is to use more rosemary. At least half the amount more, if not double.
How do you know the dough is ready after the 2nd proof?
It’ll spread out to fill the pan and will be dotted with beautiful bubbles.
Why do you need to add olive oil to the baking dish?
Greasing the baking dish is the best way to ensure the cake, the bread, the brownie, or whatever else you’re baking doesn’t stick to it. With no-knead focaccia, we go a step further.
We’re not just coating the pan but also pouring the olive oil right in the center. It’s a hefty amount that allows the bottom of the bread to bake gorgeously, lending it that crunchy, chewy texture and complex flavor.
Focaccia variations you can try
Herbs: Rosemary is the classic choice for focaccia, but don’t let that stop you from experimenting. Any herb you prefer will be fantastic. Thyme, for example.
You can even mix it in the dough, as I did with my herb and garlic focaccia. Incidentally, if you’re looking for quicker homemade focaccia bread, that’s the recipe you should try.
Toppings: From olives to cherry tomatoes, from sliced onions to figs, you can bake endless focaccia versions. Or go to town with toppings and create an entire Instagrammable gardenscape.
Serving the no-knead focaccia
Serve it warm, and the tender interior and crisp crust simply beg for a nibble.
Let it cool and serve it in slices as an easy snack or even an appetizer. And if there’s any leftover, although I hardly think so, use it for sandwiches.
📖 Recipe
Super Easy No-Knead Focaccia
Ingredients
- 4 cups ( 512 gms) All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 2 cups ( 455 gms) Lukewarm water
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- Sea salt and Rosemary for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Pour over the lukewarm water. Mix well with a spatula until a sticky dough is formed.
- Pour a teaspoon or two of olive oil on the surface of the dough and rub it all over.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18-24 hours. I kept it for 24 hours.
- When you're ready to bake, grease a 9" x 13" or 10" x 12" pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. You may not need to do that if your pan is non-stick.I used a 10" x12" pan and lined it too.
- Take out the refrigerated dough. Oil your hands and gently bring the proofed dough in from the sides of the bowl.
- Fold the dough over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter of the way and fold the dough over itself again. Do 3 more quarter turns of the bowl with folding over the dough each time.Repeat this step once more.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the center of the prepared pan.
- Gently place the deflated dough on the olive oil. Roll it a couple of times to coat it well with oil.
- Cover this with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and keep in a draft-free place for 2-4 hours or until the dough doubles and covers the pan.Mine doubled in 1.5 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 220 C.
- Sprinkle rosemary ( if using ) all over the surface of the dough.
- Pour over the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the dough and spread it all over. Dimple the dough using your fingers. Sprinkle the sea salt.
- Bake the bread at 220 C for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. The bottom of the bread should be crispy.
- Let the bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out on a cooling rack. Slice warm or let it cool completely. Enjoy!
The Best Matcha Donuts
Fat and plump, these are the best matcha donuts you’ll ever have. They are so good that they’ll even fool connoisseur donut eaters into thinking they’re fried. They are not.
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These cherry puff pastry tarts have an elegant, rustic beauty. With each creamy bite, you get a mouthful of summer rubies tucked inside deeply rich, buttery, shattering layers of pastry.
...Peach Cheesecake
Super creamy with a triple whammy of the sun-kissed fruit that lovingly nudges the flavors to come into their own, the peach cheesecake (not to be too cheesy here) leaves you feeling peachy.
...French Financier Recipe
The golden, crispy-edged, and buttery French financiers were gobbled up so quickly that I barely had time to click photos. A good dose of almonds and butter keeps them supremely moist and tender. Whoever called them small vessels of joy the first time had it right. These elegant, tiny cakes hit you with their aroma before you even taste them.
...Chocolate Cherry Madeleines
These chocolate cherry madeleines with their dense crumb redolent and moist with cherry juices and gooey chocolate chips were a big hit at my home. Dipping them in chocolate was just the “cherry” on top!
...Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins
The flavors of chocolate cream cheese muffins are fantastic and rich. The tangy touch of yogurt and cream cheese intersects with chocolate in perfect balance, striking the right notes in every way.
It’s been less than 24 hours, and my family is already begging for more!
...Wool Roll Bread
Words do not do justice to wool roll bread. The pictures do. It’s just as pillowy and poofy in real life. With the softest, fluffiest crumb, the delicate, delicious milk bread tests the boundaries of your willpower. So, if you could keep just one homemade bread recipe in your box, make it wool bread, with eyes closed and complete trust.
...Lemon Panna Cotta
Silky smooth, lemon panna cotta is a thing of beauty that you really don’t want to mar with your spoon. But after that first bite of cold and creamy, wobbly, and soft panna cotta, you don’t give a fig.
The dessert, which literally means cooked cream (though my recipe calls for milk), is as good as a dessert with fresh flavors can get. If you’re not a fan of overly sweet or chocolate desserts, this will utterly satisfy your sweet tooth.
...Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones
Buttery, tender, and flaky, these chocolate chip buttermilk scones are a pleasure, best shared with others. With all the earmarks of a classic scones, they melt in your mouth. Wonderfully light and so, so moist, it’s the delicate magic of buttermilk at work. Each bite has chocolatey hints playing hide and seek in golden layers.
...Cinnamon Bread Pudding
The crumbly layers of cinnamon bread pudding infused with creamy custard and crusted with cinnamon sugar disappeared far too quickly for my satisfaction. And as I sit here writing this, I’m desperately trying to make the last remnants of it stretch and womanfully resist licking clean the drizzling of rum-tinged caramel.
...Easy Challah Bread
Challah is one badass bread, all pillowy inside and golden-brown soft on the outside. Don’t let the fancy facade fool you. There’s a reason I call the recipe easy challah bread. There’s not much technique to it, and you’ll need only basic pantry ingredients.
Jump to
What is challah?
Challah is a braided, enriched bread, meaning it uses yeast and contains over 10% fat, eaten by Jewish communities on Shabbat and other major holidays. Across Eastern Europe, it’s known by many other names like hallah, kitke, berches, chałka, khale, etc. It can be easily made at home, irrespective of your experience level.
How do you pronounce challah?
Challah, a Hebrew word that appears in the Bible, is not pronounced with the hard “ch” sound like in chip or chai. Keep the “c” silent and sound it like “haa·luh”
What does challah taste like?
Challah is not like the usual white loaves of bread that taste plain. It has a hint of sweetness to it and feels rich and soft on the palate. And if you’re wondering if it tastes as decadent as it looks, then the answer is an emphatic yes.
How to make challah bread?
There are 5 steps to making challah: you knead, you proof twice, you shape, and you bake. It seems complicated, but it’s not. You'll have an absolutely stunning, show-stopping loaf ready in about 3 hours and an afternoon well spent.
Prepare the challah dough
Step 1: Combine eggs, water, yeast, olive oil, and honey in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Step 2: Add in the flour and mix till it forms a rough mass.
Step 3: If you’re going to knead by hand, transfer the shaggy dough to a floured surface and knead it for a good 10 to 12 minutes. I used my stand mixer, and at a low setting, it took about 9-10 minutes to form a soft, supple, and smooth dough. Whichever route you choose, it’s important to knead well so the braids of challah don’t split during baking.
First proof of challah
Step 4: Grease a mixing bowl, place the dough in it and cover with a damp kitchen towel. A cling wrap is also fine, but I’ve found that in dry heat like the one here, a damp towel works better. It keeps the dough moist.
Step 5: Allow the dough to rise and double in volume. It’s sweltering hot here, so my challah dough took 45 minutes to rise. But in cooler kitchens, it can take one and a half to two hours.
Divide and shape the dough into strands
Step 6: Punch the dough down to help it deflate, then divide it into 6 equal pieces.
Step 7: Roll each piece into a ball, cover with a damp towel again, and set aside for 5 minutes.
Step 8: Taking one ball at a time, roll it into a 6- to 7-inch long rope while covering the rest.
Step 9: Going back to the first rope, roll it again till it forms a 12-inch-long strand.
Step 10: Repeat for all 6 strands.
Step 11: Pick 3 dough strands and arrange them side by side at 90-degrees to you. Pinch their ends (the one farthest from you) together.
Step 12: Then start braiding like you’re making a plait. Make sure you apply the same tension throughout the process, or else some sections of the braid will be loose and some tight, creating a misshapen loaf.
Step 13: When you reach the bottom of the braid, pinch the loose ends together and fold it under the loaf. Make sure you tuck the top end of the braid in the same fashion.
Step 14: Take the remaining three dough strands and repeat the process.
Second proof challah dough
Step 15: Place the loaves on a parchment paper-covered tray. Cover with a kitchen towel again and let it rise for a second time till puffy. For me, it took about 35 minutes.
Step 16: Brush the top with egg wash (one whole egg whisked in a splash of water) for that shiny glaze.
Step 17: Dust with sesame seeds and bake for 24 to 30 minutes. (Challah bakes at a lower temperature. So, preheat at 200, but bake at 180.)
Step 18: Let challah cool on a rack, and then dig in.
Substitute ingredients for this easy challah bread recipe
Honey: use regular white sugar.
Olive oil: any vegetable oil you prefer.
Sesame seeds: sprinkle poppy instead.
Egg wash: try milk or lightly beaten cream.
Eggs: I’ve not tried eggless challah, but those who have said to just omit the eggs and increase the amount of water.
Good to know when making challah bread
- There are many ways to braid challah, from 4 strands to 14 strands. The easiest is obviously the 3 strands, so stick to it if it is your first go-around.
- You have to give the bread ample time to proof so it rises to its absolute maximum. When challah is not proofed enough, it’s denser and the braids tend to split.
How do you know when your challah is proofed and ready to bake?
You’ll know when you see the dough. It’ll be puffy and twice its size. Or you can do a poke test. Press a knuckle or fingertips and if the challah dough springs back instantly, it needs more time.
On the other hand, if it leaves a trace or mark of your knuckle on the dough, it’s ready to be baked. Another way to know if the dough is ready to bake is to give it a wobble. If it jiggles, it’s time for the oven.
Is challah dough sticky?
The dough of challah bread should feel smooth, elastic, and stretchy. It should not stick to the bowl sides or your hands. If it’s sticky, add a spoonful of flour and continue kneading till you get the consistency right. The key here is to use as little additional flour as you can.
What’s the difference between brioche and challah bread?
Both brioche (French origin) and challah (Jewish origin) are enriched breads, so they seem similar, but there are distinct differences. For one, challah doesn’t have any dairy in it. So, while brioche is made with butter, challah is made with oil. That also makes brioche a little richer than challah.
Leftover challah bread uses
Challah is lovely as-is, with morsels torn right from the loaf. But even after 3 days in the fridge (albeit properly covered), it was as soft as day 1. So, it makes fabulous bread for sandwiches, soups, and whatnots.
Try it with honey, butter, or jam. It’s also marvelous for French toast and bread puddings because the texture holds up really well.
More pillowy soft bread recipes
📖 Recipe
Easy Challah Bread
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 200 ml ( .84 cup) Water, lukewarm
- 2 tsp Dried active yeast
- 50 gms ( 1/4 cup) Honey
- 1 1/4 tsp Salt
- 30 gms ( 2 tbsp) Oil I used olive oil. Feel free to use any vegetable oil
- 500 gms ( 3 cups + 2 tbsp) All-purpose flour
Topping
- 1 Egg, beaten with 1 tsp water for eggwash
- Black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine the eggs, water, yeast, salt, honey, and oil in a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk them well.
- Add in the flour and combine well until a rough mass is formed. Take the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 -12 minutes.You could also use your stand mixer for kneading. Knead at low speed for about 8 -9 minutes.
- The dough is ready when its smooth and soft.
- Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let proof in a warm place for 1- 11/2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Punch the proofed dough and divide into 6 equal-sized pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Roll out each ball into a rope, about 7" in length. Repeat for all the dough balls.
- Now starting with the first one we rolled out, roll each strand to a length of 12".
- Now take 3 strands together. Pinch them at the top and braid them, tucking in the ends under the braid.
- Repeat with the other 3 strands.
- Carefully place on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Cover with a damp kitchen towel or cling wrap and place in a warm place for about 1 hour or until puffy and pillowy
- Preheat your oven to 250C.
- Brush the loaves with egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180C or until golden brown.
- Cool the loaves on a cooling rack until just barely warm. Slice and enjoy!