Traditions and trend… babka?

Last year babka was all the rage, and it seems, still is. From the classic chocolate version to some more traditional like cinnamon, to creative variations such as matcha, social media was full of babka images and recipes. I tried cinnamon babka in New York last year from Russ & Daughters, which was very good, then I tried rugelach (a similar bake) at a famous bakery and hated it (was about 80% butter). A week or so ago, I came across something that looked like babka on Instagram but was called kokosh: I was intrigued by it, and decided to try to make one. It is another traditional Jewish cake, of Hungarian origins, but I confess I do not know enough about Jewish food traditions. Looks similar to its more famous sibling but it is allegedly easier to make. Indeed it is a fairly easy and fun bake to make, and it tastes absolutely delicious, full of chocolate and sugar goodness (we all need a little sugar!).

As usual I used a couple of different sources, and added my own take on the recipe. The one I followed most closely is here. I used tonka beans instead of vanilla as I really like the unique aroma, and coconut palm sugar as I love its caramel hues. The results are great and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, but I confess, I ate a piece whenever I went close to it any time of day. It was gone in no time and even my fussy husband loved it!

Let’s make kokosh!

For the filling

For the dough

• 200gr plain flour plus 2 tablespoons
• 40gr rye flour
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (for the yeast)
• 20ml orange juice
• 20gr golden sugar
• 2 eggs (for the dough)
• pinch of salt
• 180gr butter, softened and cut into cubes
• 30ml coconut oil
• 1 egg, beaten (for the egg wash)
• 2 teaspoons milk (for the egg wash)

To a large bowl, add the ingredients for the filling — cocoa powder, tonka bean. Mix and set aside. Start the dough by adding the yeast to a bowl with warm water and let the yeast sit in the water until bubbly (about 12 minutes). At this point add it to the bowl with the dough dry ingredients and mix until combined, then keep kneading until smooth (we used a stand mixer).

Flour a clean, smooth surface and cut the dough in half.  Roll out one half until about half a cm thick, and brush the coconut oil gently. Sprinkle the cocoa mixture on top  and then, beginning with the longest side, roll it and ensure the ends are closed to avoid leakages in cooking. Lay the roll on a baking try lined with greaseproof paper or silmat. In a small bowl whisk the egg and the milk, brushing the surface of the kokosh. Repeat the same process with the other half of the dough, baking them for around 35m until golden-brown. Enjoy!