Aunt Sallys Babka Blueberry Pockets Aka Shtonikels Recipes

BLUEBERRY BABKA BRAID

Steps:

• Combine milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add remaining sugar, butter, and eggs to the milk mixture. Stir until mostly combined, but it won't be smooth.
• Measure flour, cardamom, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in wet ingredients and attach dough hook. Mix until dough comes together in a shaggy mass. Cover the stand mixer with a clean dish towel and let dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Uncover the dough and knead on medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Continue to knead on low speed until dough is soft, elastic, and shiny, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the blueberry filling. Combine blueberries, sugar, and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a low boil. Smash the blueberries with a potato masher. Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened enough to spread, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in extracts. Chill until completely cool.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down and divide into 2 pieces. Roll 1 piece into a 9x18-inch rectangle, squaring off with a bench scraper as you roll to make it is as even as possible. Spread 1/2 of the blueberry filling over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border. Roll up the dough into a tight roll, starting from the long edge closest to you. Pinch seams to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Place logs side by side on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
• Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to each log in half, lengthwise, so you have 4 filled strips of dough on the baking sheet.
• Place 2 strips across each other to form a plus sign. Arrange the remaining 2 strips to form an interlocking cross. Fold the end of the strip closest to you over the strip to its right. Repeat 3 more times, moving clockwise. Fold remaining strips over to the left, moving counterclockwise. Repeat folding step until only short ends remain; join ends and tuck them carefully under the braid.
• Cover the braid and place in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) towards the end of the second rise.
• Beat egg with a pinch of salt and brush some over the braid. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

BUMBLEBERRY JAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Sterilize jars and lids and keep hot until ready to use. Wash, hull and crush berries. Combine berries, lemon juice and sugar in a large sauce pan. Over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Stirring constantly, Boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in liquid pectin, mixing well. To prevent floating fruit, stir slowly for 3 minutes. Skim foam. Ladle jam into jars. Place jars in canner and boil for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

AUNT SALLY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup white sugar and shortening until smooth. Stir in the egg yolks and molasses. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger; stir into the molasses mixture alternately with the sour milk. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rectangular shapes (I like to use a Spam can). Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.
• To make the frosting, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, vinegar, water and marshmallows. Mix well and place over a pot of simmering water. when the marshmallows have melted, stir in the egg whites. Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer for 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Frost cooled cookies.

CLASSIC AUNT SALLY (OR SALLY ANN) COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar, add molasses and eggs and buttermilk.
• Mix dry ingredients thoroughly, then add to creamed mixture.
• Refrigerate for an hour or so, until slightly firm.
• Roll out at about 1/4" (thicker for more cakelike cookies, thinner for crispier ones - they're good both ways).
• Cut out (traditionally with a SPAM can, but to each her own).
• Bake at 325 for about 12-15 minutes.
• When cookies are cool, whip up the icing.
• In saucepan, dissolve gelatin in cold water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• While simmering, add 3 C powdered sugar to a large straight-sided bowl and measure in soda. Stir.
• Pour hot liquid into sugar mixture and whisk. Add vanilla. Lumps are not good.
• If 3 C of powdered sugar is enough to produce a almost-set pudding-like icing, it is read. If it seems thin, add another cup and whisk inches.
• Take cooled cookies and dip the tops into the icing, wiping off excess on side of bowl.
• Set on wax paper until icing is hard.

AUNT SALLY'S BABKA BLUEBERRY POCKETS (AKA SHTONIKELS) RECIPE

Steps:

• 1: In a large bowl, gently stir together yeast and milk until yeast begins to dissolve. Beat in sugar, salt, arrowroot, vanilla, lemon extract and margarine. Slowly stir in half of the flour. Beat until mixture is smooth and thick. Add remaining flour and continue beating until a stiff dough is formed. 2: Clean and lightly flour a flat surface. Knead dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, lightly oil outside and place in a bowl. Cover, place in a warm area and allow 90 minutes for dough to rise. 3: Meanwhile, heat small saucepan on medium-low. Stir together 1 1/2 cup blueberries, sugar and water. When sugar has fully dissolved, bring to a boil, then drop heat and simmer. Stir consistently. Filling should become more liquid-y and blueberries slightly deflated. Once this happens, whisk in tapioca starch until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow time to cool. 4: In a medium bowl, combine blueberry mixture and remaining whole blueberries. 5: Roll out dough on a floured surface into a 16 x 20-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 4-inch squares. 6: Lightly oil baking sheet or prepare with parchment. Place squares on baking sheet, then top each one with filling. Fold dough in half to make a triangular shape. With your fingers or a fork press the edges together. Brush with coconut milk and sprinkle with sugar. Allow pockets to sit about 30 minutes, until they double in bulk. 7: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake pockets 20-25 minutes until bronze-brown on the top. Cool slightly or completely before serving.