Muffganiyot - Jelly Filled Muffins

About a week after Sukkot ends there are bakeries in Israel that start selling sufganiyot even though there's about 2 months until the holiday of Chanukah begins. I have a firm rule that I don't have a sufganiya until the month of Kislev starts even when I walk by stores filled with trays of freshly fried treats I won't let myself have one until we are in the month of Chanukah. 

Growing up sufganiyot were fluffy doughnuts filled with really sweet strawberry jam or rich caramel with a heavy coating of confectioners' sugar. Nowadays every bakery is trying to outdo the other one with a more over the top filling and crazy decorations. 

I personally love the classic simple sufganiya with a dusting of powdered sugar so with Chanukah a little over a week away I thought why not take inspiration from this Chanukah treat for #muffinmonday to create muffganiyot!! 

I made these with strawberry jelly, the classic filling for sufganiyot, but I'm sure it would work with your favorite sufganiya filling like caramel, chocolate spread, lotus, and halva cream. If you try it with any of those fillings let me know how they turn out! 

This muffin is made from a simple vanilla batter and on the inside of each one there is a big dollop of strawberry jam just like a sufganiya. The most important step in this recipe is to dust each muffin with plenty of powdered sugar!

Muffganiyot

2 1/2 cups flour 

1 Tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt 

1 cup milk of your choice

1/4 cup oil 

2 eggs 

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar  

1/4 cup strawberry jam

Confectioners' Sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C 

Coat a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In a liquid measuring cup mix together the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the sugar. Mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix your batter or else your muffins will be dense and chewy. 

The batter is quite thick, but don't worry you'll have a fluffy result. 

Fill each muffin cup about halfway with 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter place a small dollop, about 1/2 tsp, of jelly in the center of each muffin cup then cover with the remaining batter. 

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before popping out and cooling on a rack. 

Right before serving dust the tops of the muffins with a heavy coating of confectioners' sugar. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins 

Shifra's Soup

Like most families, my family doesn't agree on everything, but one thing we do agree on is our love for this soup. My mother makes a big batch a few times during each winter because we can't get enough! 

We call this soup Shifra's Soup because my mother got this great recipe from her cousin Shifra. 

Two of my favorite soups are mushroom barley and split pea and this soup has the best qualities of those two soups. It is creamy from the split peas that break down and give the soup great body and it is rich and hearty from the barley. This soup also has lima beans that get really tender and when you bite into one it has a lovely buttery texture. 

The key to this soup is to make sure that it comes to a full boil before lowering the flame and allowing the soup to cook for a few hours. The soup needs to reach a boiling temperature in order for the barley and beans to breakdown properly. 

Shifra's Soup

2 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, diced 

1 large carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced 

Salt

6 Tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 Tbs) pearl barley*

6 Tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 Tbs) dried baby lima beans* 

6 Tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 Tbs) yellow split peas*

6 Tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 Tbs) green split peas 

3/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

9 cups of water 

In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery along with a big pinch of salt. Stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and salt and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables have begun to soften and onion and celery are translucent. 

While the vegetables cook place the barley, beans, and split peas in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with water and check for stones. 

Add the rinsed barley, beans, and peas to the pot along with the water, another pinch of salt, and the black pepper. 

Allow the soup to come to a boil then cover the pot. Place the pot over the lowest flame and simmer for 3 hours. Make sure to stir the soup with a wooden spoon every 20 minutes or so to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom. You don't have to be so diligent about stirring during the first hour as nothing has really broken down yet. However, during hours two and three the split beans will be soft and have a tendency to get stuck to the bottom of the pot. 

The soup is done when it is slightly thick, and the beans and barley are tender. 

Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. 

This recipe makes about 4-6 portions, but I recommend doubling it and freezing it that way you can have this soup on hand for those cold winter nights. Just make sure that when you reheat the soup to add a little bit of water. 

*if you would like to make this soup gluten-free use 1/2 cup short grain brown rice in place of the pearl barley. 

*if you are unable to find baby lima beans you can use any small white bean like navy, or cannellini. 

*if you are unable to find yellow split peas you can use green split peas instead.

Pumpkin Muffins

If you weren't sure yet, my favorite time of year is autumn.

There's a crisp chill in the air and it's a little bit rainy - everything about it just feels cozy. 

One of my favorite days of the year also happens during autumn, Thanksgiving. 

When I was little I remember my family had a big Thanksgiving meal a couple of times, but what I really remember is that a few years we went to the movies and had pizza for dinner. I loved those moments of just me, my siblings, and my parents just simply having a good time. 

When I got older, we had more traditional Thanksgiving meals with more people with the big turkey and all the works - stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted squash, green beans, and cranberry sauce and of course trying to get the perfect bite of everything at once. 

Even though we were stuffed more than the turkey there was always plenty of dessert with a choice of pecan pie and pumpkin pie. Pecan pie is delicious and I could go for a slice right now, but there's just something about the pumpkin pie that makes me happy. 

The sweet rich flavor of the pumpkin enhanced by the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove all come together in a creamy custardy pie, it's the perfect way to end off Thanksgiving.

Being that this week is Thanksgiving I thought it would be appropriate to make a #muffinmonday reminiscent of those pumpkin pie flavors. 

For this recipe, you can use a can of pumpkin puree or make your own - which is really simple to do! (see below)*

Pumpkin Muffins 

2 cups flour 

1 Tbs baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

3/4 tsp salt 

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

    OR 1 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 tsp nutmeg + 1/8 tsp ground cloves 

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla 

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree or 2 cups of homemade puree (recipe below)

1/4 cup oil 

2 Tbs milk of your choice 

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C 

Spray a standard-size muffin pan with oil or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice. Add the sugars, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin puree, oil, and milk. Mix until just combined and smooth. Scoop into prepared the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Yield: 1 dozen standard-size muffins 

Pumpkin or Squash Puree 

Bring a pot of water to a boil. 

Take a 700-800 grams / about 1 1/2 lbs butternut squash or a piece of pumpkin (those in Israel you know what I'm talking about) 

Peel and cut into about 1-inch cubes/chunks. You should have about 3 cups of cubes.

Add the cubes to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and puree in a food processor, blender, or by hand with a potato masher or even a fork. 

Allow the puree to cool to room temperature before making the muffins. 

Yield: about 2 cups pumpkin/squash puree

Roasted Tomato Soup

One of my most favorite combinations aside from peanut butter and chocolate is tomato soup and grilled cheese. I used to have this for lunch on Sundays when I was growing up so it's perfect for #soupsunday!

The tomato soup is rich and slightly tart and sweet from the roasting of the tomatoes. Then you dunk a crispy buttery ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich into the soup and it's such a delicious bite. 

Roasted Tomato Soup 

2.5 lbs / a little more than 1 kg of tomatoes, cut into large chunks

5 Cloves of Garlic, smashed and peeled 

3 Tbs Olive Oil 

Salt 

1/2  tsp Black Pepper

1 Onion, diced 

Pinch of chili flakes (optional) 

4 Cups of Water 

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream (optional) 

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C 

In a large bowl mix together the tomatoes, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, a big pinch of salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. 

While the tomatoes roast, heat 1 tablespoon in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the onion is soft and slightly golden. Add the chili flakes if using and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes along with all the juices that are on the pan. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend the soup using an immersion blender or blend in batches in a stand blender. Mix in the heavy cream if using. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. 

To serve: ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy as is or add a spoonful of pesto, a scoop of rice, or dunk a  grilled cheese sandwich right in there. A really fun way to get a bit of grilled cheese in every bite is to cut the sandwich into small cubes and then you have grilled cheese croutons! 

Apple Cider Muffins

When I was growing up in New York, every year I looked forward to autumn! There really is nothing like autumn in New York the leaves on the trees are all different shades of red, orange, and browns, the air is crisp and there are crunchy leaves to step on all over the ground. 

What I looked forward to the most were the jugs of apple cider that my mother would buy. The cups of apple cider that I would drink throughout the fall were such a treat. Right now I would love nothing more than to put on some cozy socks and sit by the fireplace in my parents' house with a cup full of cider. 

The big question is what is the difference between apple cider and apple juice? Apple cider is made from apples that are crushed into a mash that is then pressed to release juice. This juice is unfiltered and unpasteurized and has a much more distinct apple flavor like biting into a fresh apple. An important note when buying apple cider is to make sure that it is just apple cider no spices added and of course that it's not hard cider which is delicious in its own way. 

Apple cider donuts are a very trendy fall item, but why not make them in muffin form for #muffinmonday!

The batter of these muffins has cinnamon and nutmeg, two spices that work so beautifully with apples and if you are able to get whole nutmeg I highly recommend grating it fresh it's a world of a difference from the ground stuff in a jar. 

After these muffins come out of the oven they get rolled in cinnamon and sugar giving the outside a beautiful glistening coating. 

These muffins have the aroma of apple cider and remind me of my childhood enjoying autumn in New York. 

Apple Cider Muffins 

2 1/2 cups flour 

2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda 

3/4 tsp salt 

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil  

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup apple cider - if you are unable to find apple cider you can use unsweetened apple juice (In Israel I use the Keshet apple juice)

Cinnamon Sugar Coating 

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Cooking Spray or 1/4 cup oil/melted butter

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C 

Spray a standard-size muffin pan with oil - you don't want to use paper liners because these get coated in cinnamon sugar when they come out of the oven. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the sugar, oil, eggs, and apple cider. Mix until just combined and smooth. Scoop into prepared the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

While the muffins bake mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a medium bowl.

Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then spray or brush with oil and roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. 

Enjoy with a cup of apple cider for the perfect autumn treat! 

Yield: 12 standard-size mufifns 

If you would like to make these in donut form spray 2 donut pans with oil and pour in the batter bake for 10 minutes and then follow the cinnamon sugar coating directions. 

Creamy Red Lentil Soup

When the weather changes all I want is a big bowl of soup a warm and creamy soup, specifically a hearty lentil soup. Every time rain begins to fall in Jerusalem and it starts getting cold I have a craving for this soup. I first posted this recipe just over seven years ago when I first started The Katamon Kitchen, it actually was the first recipe I ever posted on this blog! I'm actually typing this post as it pours in Jerusalem. 

This recipe is perfect for this week's #soupsunday because this week we read Parshat Toldot. We learn that Yaakov was cooking a red lentil stew and Esav traded his birthright for a bowl of the lentil soup. 

Rich in fiber, iron, and protein, lentils should definitely become a pantry staple in your house and if you don’t have a blender don’t worry this soup is delicious either smooth or chunky. 

The original recipe is topped with lemony tachina, but this time I topped my big bowl of soup with a dollop of rich labne or you can use Greek yogurt for that tart creamy finish. 

Creamy Red Lentil Soup 

1 Tbs olive oil 

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 small carrots, peeled and finely diced

Salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1 Tbs tomato paste

6 cups of water

1 1/2 cups dried red lentils 

1 tsp lemon juice 

Optional Toppings 

Labne/Greek yogurt 

Cilantro 

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and a big pinch of salt and sauté for 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or so until the tomato paste takes on some color. Add the water being sure to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon because those little bits are major flavor! Add the lentils and another big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then lower the flame and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes until the lentils are tender and just falling apart. Taste the soup and add more salt if necessary along with the lemon juice. At this point you can either blend the soup until smooth or leave it as is, either way, it's delicious.  

Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of labne or Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro. 

Yield: 4-6 servings 

Percinnamon! Persimmon Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

I never heard of persimmons until I came to Israel and then I would look forward to eating them on every trip! Now that I live here I look forward to persimmon season all year long. When I was growing up in NY  I don't remember seeing them in the supermarket, but I know they are now available in regular supermarkets around the States.

Just make sure you know the difference between the two main types of persimmons - Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu has a squat shape that looks kind of like a tomato you want it to be firm and you can bite right into it like an apple. These are great as a snack, in salads, yogurt bowls, and salsas. 

Hachiya persimmons are larger than Fuyu they have a longer pointed bottom. You want to eat these when they are really ripe and mushy you can pierce the skin and eat the creamy flesh as is. They make for a really great frozen treat!

Persimmons are in season here in Israel in the winter months so they pair really well with the warm winter spice - cinnamon and also I really love how the two words just flow together to make percinnamon! 

Persimmon Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel 

2 1/4 cups flour 

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp cinnamon 

3/4 cups milk of any kind 

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/3 cup sugar 

2 Fuyu persimmons, diced - about 2 cups 

Cinnamon Streusel Topping

3 Tbs sugar 

1/2 cup flour 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

pinch of salt 

2 Tbs oil 

Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C 

Line a standard-size muffin pan with paper liners. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

In a liquid measuring cup mix together the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the sugar. Mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix your batter or else your muffins will be dense and chewy. Fold in the diced persimmon. 

In a small bowl mix together the streusel until it resembles wet sand. 

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin sprinkle each muffin with some cinnamon streusel slightly pressing the streusel into the batter. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins

I Can't Believe it's Not Dairy Broccoli Soup

Winter has finally arrived here in Jerusalem so much so that I wore black tights so you know it's real. 

For the next few months, it will be chilly out and hopefully very rainy here in Israel. During these winter months, I like to make a big pot of soup on Sunday to have in the fridge all week so I can have a cozy bowl of deliciousness whenever I want. 

I hope to share a new soup recipe every Sunday so you too can have heartwarming soups all winter long.

The first recipe of #soupsunday is a broccoli soup that's so rich and creamy you won't believe that there's absolutely no cream in it of any kind. 

What makes this soup extra creamy is the addition of chunks of potato that cook in the soup until tender and then everything gets buzzed up so the potato adds a really creamy texture to the soup. My secret to making the soup to be really decadent is the addition of a little more olive oil at the very end which gives the soup a really rich mouthfeel. 

This soup is very simple to prepare and only has 8 ingredients and I'm assuming you definitely have 4 of those ingredients already in your kitchen and the other 4 you most probably have as well. 

I Can't Believe it's Not Dairy Broccoli Soup 

2 Tbs olive oil - divided 

1 small-medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced 

800 grams/28 oz frozen broccoli - doesn't have to be exact a little more or a little less is fine 

1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks 

4-6 cups of water 

Kosher salt 

Pepper 

In a medium-sized pot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion starts to become translucent about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the broccoli, potato chunks, and water just to cover everything in the pot add another pinch of salt and some pepper. Bring it to a boil which will take some time as the broccoli is frozen then reduce the heat cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes until the potato chunks are tender. 

Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup using an immersion blender. You can use a stand blender just work in batches and be sure to remove the small plastic cap in the cover and place a kitchen towel over the top being very careful with the build-up of steam. 

Whichever method you choose blend until smooth, then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil blend to mix that in and then taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. 

This soup is delicious as is, but I like to garnish the soup with some cracked black pepper because the heat of the pepper balances out the richness of the soup. I also top the soup with a few sprigs of fresh dill because I think broccoli and dill work really well together and the freshness of the dill is a nice compliment to the creamy soup. 

Yield: 4 portions 

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Reading a book on Shabbat afternoon, remembering a dish that my mother used to make, or just a walk through the shuk to get my creative juices flowing. Well, this week's #muffinmonday flavor didn't come from any of those. 

A couple of weeks ago I popped into the supermarket to grab a few things and I saw that frozen fruit was on sale. I bought a container of raspberries and right away the idea for this muffin came to mind. Raspberries and white chocolate work really together. The super tart raspberries with the incredibly sweet white chocolate play off of each other. They make for a great combo as they really balance each other out. 

Just like in life, there are some moments that are a little bit sour, but then there are moments that are really sweet. You need both because without those sour moments you wouldn't be able to appreciate the sweet moments. 

It's funny that you can learn a life lesson from the freezer section at Shufersal because inspiration is all around us. 

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins 

This recipe uses buttermilk which adds to the flavor and more importantly the texture of the muffin. If you want to make them dairy-free, no problem! Just mix some acid in the form of lemon juice or white vinegar to the dairy-free milk of your choice let it stand for 5 minutes and you're good to go. 

2 1/2 cups flour 

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk/dairy-free milk of your choice mixed with 1 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup oil 

2 eggs 

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup sugar  

1 cup raspberries fresh or frozen 

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C 

Coat a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

In a liquid measuring cup mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the sugar. Mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix your batter or else your muffins will be dense and chewy. Fold in the raspberries and white chocolate chips. 

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with the chocolate chips gently pressing them into the top of the muffin batter and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes 

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before popping out and cooling on a rack. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins