Bake the Babka
Babka has been on my list to make for months and months but every time I would think about it, I was a bit intimidated. I needed just the right time and mood for this undertaking. So, on a recent dreary day – April showers (with hail) no doubt – I decided why not? Today was a good day to bake babka! A brownie babka no less. I used the recipe from Buttermilk by Sam that consists of a vanilla challah dough and a brownie batter layer. Babka is a sweet yeast bread that’s braided and buttery and swirled with a gooey filling such as chocolate, Nutella or cinnamon. Typically baked in a loaf pan, whether babka is bread or cake is somewhat debatable. Some babkas are topped with a streusel or covered with a simple syrup, furthering said debate. But mostly you’ll recognize babka by its unique shape and pretty swirls. Or maybe because you remember this Seinfeld episode where Elaine “got the babka.” The good news is that although time consuming, it’s really not very difficult to make, and even better to eat.
Peanut-Butter Brownie Cookies from 100 Cookies
Move over pumpkin, the neighborhood kids want peanut butter and chocolate for Halloween. A recent article in USA Today shares data from CandyStore.com that says America’s favorite overall Halloween candy is Reese’s Peanut Buter Cups. What’s not clear is if all the Reese’s variations are included in this count. In case you haven’t noticed, Hershey’s couldn’t stop at peanut butter cups (available in mini, regular and king size). Anyone who’s ever seen the E.T. movie has a soft spot for Reese’s Pieces. Today, you can lure E.T. with peanut butter cups stuffed with Reese’s Pieces, pretzels, potato chips, and even crunchy cookie bits. I was always partial to the Nutrageous bar, which is hard to find in stores. All this to say that I’ve been craving some peanut butter and chocolate and so turned to my 100 Cookies book. There it was on page 45, Sarah Kieffer’s #9 cookie called Brownie-Cookie with the option of dolloping a spoonful of peanut butter on top before baking. I was hooked. All I needed now was some more peanut butter in my chocolate. I added Reese’s Pieces, M&M’s Peanut Butter candies and some googly eyes. And a fine Halloween cookie was born.