things i've been enjoying lately

offering everyone who comes over a buttercup squash from our garden

using the eggdad's typewriter to make cute little food labels, greeting cards, business cards, secret notes...

the fact that the sun has finally been going down before our (almost) nightly 10pm veep date

picking chamomile flowers from our garden (does anyone have any tips on a) getting the itsy bitsy bugs off of them so i can b) dry them and make tea?)

my tuesday night pottery class! i made a plate yesterday.

dark chocolate and sea salt kind bars

picking the caramel off of the caramel apples that have been sitting on my counter since saturday

making an extra over-the-top eye roll whenever someone tries to correct my pronunciation of "caramel"

getting excited for rosh hashanah!!!!

...you know, i don't even remember what i did for rosh hashanah last year. i feel like i might have been salty about the fact that eggboy would have had to have been on a tractor during one of my favorite holidays. but this year i'm embracing it and planning to pack up a badass brisket picnic (complete with pomegranate brisket tacos) to bring out to the tractor. i've already told him to make sure that he's driving a tractor with a buddy seat so that i don't have to perch on his armrest and get my bum all sore. i'll also be packing up: apples from our apple trees, honey from eggsister's man's bees, and challah, obviously challah. even gluten-free eggboy will eat challah.

about this challah: the combination was bound to happen sometime, judging from my love of all things marzipan and all things challah. breads bakery, in new york, makes a marzipan challah, and i went on a wild goose chase trying to figure out how they do it. pictures of it kept popping up on my instagram and i kept wishing i could go-go-gadget x-ray vision it, but finally i just went for it and made a marzipan frosting to swirl about. the results were sweet and moist* and almondy and doughy and delicious. perfect for the new year.

(shortly thereafter, marian came to the rescue (again) with the intel that breads makes theirs by simply wrapping dough around almond paste and then braiding it. so i tried that and it was also delicious.)

*what is a synonym for moist? i hate subjecting you guys to that word.

marzipan challah

makes two loaves (easily half-able if you just want one)

ingredients

bread

1 1/2 c warm water

2 tb dry yeast

1/2 c + 1 tb sugar

6 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (you might need way more, so i like to have 1-2 more cups on hand)

2 tsp kosher salt

a pinch of cardamom

5 large eggs

2/3 c oil

1 tsp almond extract

filling**

14 oz marzipan, grated or finely chopped

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

topping (optional)

slivered almonds

pearl sugar

**for a non-dairy or easier option, you can simply omit the butter and sprinkle the marzipan and sugar onto your dough when shaping. it will still be super delish.

clues

In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let sit for a few minutes until it gets foamy on top.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, salt, and cardamom. In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 of the eggs, the oil, and the almond extract.

When the yeast has proofed, add it to the dry ingredients, immediately followed by the egg mixture. Mix to combine and knead, either on a floured surface, or with the dough hook for 7-10 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until smooth.

Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

to make the filling, beat together all ingredients. the marzipan will stay a little chunky.

on a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into two equal parts. working with one part at a time (keep the other part covered by the damp towel), roll the dough out into a large rectangle, approximately 10 inches by 14 inches. spread half of the filling evenly onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch perimeter, and then roll it up like a jelly roll (the long way). pinch the edges to seal it shut, and then coil into a spiral shape with the seam facing down. place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the other half of the dough. let the loaves rise for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 375.

whip up the remaining egg with a splash of water and brush it onto the loaves after they've risen. sprinkle with slivered almonds and pearl sugar, if using. bake the loaves for 20 minutes, rotate them and tent them with foil, and then bake for another 20 minutes.

let cool briefly and enjoy!

-yeh!

p.s. it's come to my attention that some of you are having trouble commenting. oyoyoy! i'm working on having this fixed right now. feel free to bop over to my Facebook page to comment in the meantime!