663817 Sat Oct 31 22:41:12 -0700 2009 12 31 Home Cooking 0 5146177 Recently had some from Paradise Bakery in Glendale, CA--it reminded me very much of Portuguese Sweet Bread or Hawaiian Sweet Bread (Portuguese heritage). Must be many versions of a slightly sweet, eggy loaf from around the Mediterranean and Central Europe. I'd love to try this at home--it is a fine texture, slightly sweet, with a glazed finish. The version we had was baked with a swirl of custard on the center top. Great toasted, with coffee. Armenian bakers, anyone there? Would also like to try nazooks. Thank you! Sat Oct 31 22:41:12 -0700 2009 11234 toodie jane 1 5146203 Here is my wife's recipe. Chorag (Armenian Sweet Dinner Rolls) Ingredients: 6 cups all purpose flour, not sifted 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp table salt 1/2 cup lukewarm water 2 Tbs (or 2 packets) active dry yeast 1 cube (1/4-lb) melted butter, (salted or unsalted ok) 1 cup lukewarm milk (scalded and cooled to lukewarm) 3 eggs (for use in dough) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg, whipped with 1 tsp water (for coating each roll) 2 Tbs of sesame seeds for topping rolls Directions: 1. In a 5-qt bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside until needed. 2. In a cup, completely mix dry yeast into warm water (not over 100-F) and allow it to proof (form bubbles). This takes about 15-minutes. Set aside until needed. 3. In a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl, melt 1 cube of butter in the microwave, about 45-seconds. 4. In another cup, heat milk in the microwave until boiling (scald) and cool to lukewarm about 90-seconds. 5. Pour warm milk into melted butter and mix well. 6. Beat 3-eggs into milk/butter mixture. Whisk until completely mixed. 7. Whisk sugar into into milk/butter/eggs mixture until it is well blended. 8. Add yeast/water mixture to milk/butter/eggs/sugar mixture and mix well. 9. Add blended liquids to flour/baking powder/salt mixture. Stir with a fork until a soft sticky dough forms. Make sure flour in bottom of bowl is completely mixed in. Don't knead. 10. Cover bowl of dough and allow to rise 2 or 3 hours in a warm place, such as an off oven with oven light on. 11. The dough is sticky, so spray cooking oil onto your hands and into a 1/4 cup plastic measuring cup so you can handle dough. Scoop out 1/4 cup portions of dough and form each into a ball. Place each on cookie sheets that have been lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Place balls of dough about 4 to 6 inches apart to allow room for rising. The size of each may vary slightly, that's okay. 12. Place cookie sheets in an off oven with oven light on for 1 to 1-1/2 hours to allow dough to rise. 13. Whisk together 1-egg and 1-teaspoon of warm water. 14. Carefully brush each risen dough circle with beaten egg and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. 15. Bake at 350-F. for about 20-minutes, or until light golden brown. Makes 2-dozen bread rolls. Sat Oct 31 23:31:57 -0700 2009 5146177 126101 Antilope 2 5146359 Your wifes recipe is exactly how I make it. The only thing I do for some of them is add some black fennel seeds because I like them, but the rest of my family does not. Lots of ways to shape them also. We like to roll the ball out so you can braid it ot loop one end over and under, almost like you were goint to tie a knot and pinch the ends to the rool. Sun Nov 01 04:44:47 -0800 2009 5146203 11222 Infomaniac 3 5146489 I've seen the black fennel seeds used at Nina's Bakery / Deli in Fresno. We will have to try using them. They must add a licorice flavor. We live in Sacramento, but travel to Fresno frequently to visit relatives. Nina's is always a required stop for my wife. She's Armenian, I'm not, but I've learned to cook a lot of her recipes. Speaking of licorice flavor, have you tried Armenian Tarragon soda pop? It is green and has a licorice flavor. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1053/1385621376_8548562415.jpg?v=0 Tried it for the first time last time we visited Nina's Bakery. It was pretty good. Sun Nov 01 06:36:35 -0800 2009 5146359 126101 Antilope 4 5146568 I don't use much of the black fennel seed so the licorice flavor does not come through that strong. I'm on the east coast and have some Armenian markets in the Boston area (Watertown). Will have to look for the Tarragon soda or ask if they carry it. That's something I would like to try. Sun Nov 01 07:22:29 -0800 2009 5146489 11222 Infomaniac 3 5146647 Please tell me more. I've not heard of black fennel seeds. Are they actually fennel seeds, and with a similar taste? Or is that one of those spices that has a misleading name? Sun Nov 01 08:04:00 -0800 2009 5146359 221993 Channa 4 5146771 Could be a misleading name. most Armenian recipes that call for it call it black fennel seed. sev hoondig (Nigella seed, Charnuska) Black Seed http://www.amazingherbs.com/whatisblacse1.html Sun Nov 01 09:06:01 -0800 2009 5146647 11222 Infomaniac 5 5146828 Thanks, Info -- you live up to your name! I'm familiar with those. Sun Nov 01 09:37:41 -0800 2009 5146771 221993 Channa 5 5148837 "black fennel" also "black caraway" is Nigella sativa available at India Sweets & Spices in Glendale, Las Vegas, Bakersfield, or online at www.indiasweetsandspices.org Mon Nov 02 08:13:28 -0800 2009 5146771 11234 toodie jane 6 5149102 Often called "kalonji" at Asian shops. Mon Nov 02 09:27:08 -0800 2009 5148837 221993 Channa 2 5148899 thanks--will try it! Mon Nov 02 08:33:29 -0800 2009 5146203 11234 toodie jane 1 5152269 Gata (Katah) is different from cheoreg. I think it's also called Pagharch. I've tried countless times to make and I've had no luck. Gata is folded countless times like puff pastry (with lots of butter used) and chilled and folded again,and so on, so the layers are visible when cut. I can dig up my recipe if you would like to give it a whirl. I think the elderly Armenian women at the annual bazaars are the only ones who can make it with success!! :) Tue Nov 03 10:17:48 -0800 2009 5146177 269732 andieb 2 5194685 My mom makes both, and the pagharch with khoris filling (sp?) is amazing - a mixture of browned butter, flour and salt. She also adds cardamom to the cheoreg - one of the few places where I really need that cardamom flavor. I can see if I can dig up the recipes, but as you noted, it helps to be an Armenian grandma, with a team of assistants, toiling in the church basement. Now I'm thinking about cream khataif... Thu Nov 19 13:25:33 -0800 2009 5152269 23376 nsenada