This year, I wanted to make something special for Valentine’s Day that would incorporate two popular flavors of the season – chocolate & raspberry. They are going into a bready pastry called a babka. Babka (meaning “grandmother” in Polish & Ukrainian) is a dense bread that is swirled with delicious flavors. It started as an Eastern European Jewish delicacy. It is both dense and light at the same time, with slightly dry layers of bread surrounding sweet layers of chocolate. The swirled effect comes from twisting the dough before it is set in the pan. While the end result is impressive and extravagant, it is easy to assemble and well worth the time required. The addition of raspberries to the chocolate filling & to the syrup makes it perfect right now. After all, who can resist chocolate & raspberries leading up to Valentine’s Day?

Chocolate-Raspberry Babka (adapted from Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today’s Kitchen by Leah Koenig via saveur.com) Makes 1 loaf

For the Dough:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg white
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened

For the Filling and Syrup:

• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Instructions:

To make the dough using a bread machine: Combine the ingredients for the dough in the pan of the bread machine in the order required by the manufacturer, choose the dough setting and start the machine.

To make the dough by hand: Combine the water, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl until it begins to foam, about 10 minutes. Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl, then set it aside. Add the 1/4 cup of sugar and the eggs to the yeast mixture and whisk it to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture. Mix to combine it until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and add butter, 2 pieces at a time, until a smooth dough forms. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Make the filling: Combine the jam and the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the mixture until it is moist and crumbly. Set the jam mixture aside.

Combine the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process it until the chocolate is finely chopped. Set the chocolate mixture aside.

Assembling the babka: Grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, then set it aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12″ x 10″ rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.

Spread the jam mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edge.

Sprinkle the chocolate mixture over the jam layer.

Starting at one of the short ends, roll the dough up tightly.

Slice the loaf in half lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch of dough connected at the top.

Twist the two halves together and pinch the ends together to seal the bread. Carefully place the loaf in the prepared pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm area until it is doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the babka, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until it is golden and cooked through, about 40-50 minutes. Make the syrup while the babka is baking.

Make the syrup: Thaw the raspberries, if using frozen, then mash them. Combine the raspberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the syrup for another 1 – 2 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Set the syrup aside until the loaf is done.

Finishing the babka: When the loaf is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately brush it with the syrup.

Allow the babka to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve the babka at room temperature.

This bread celebrates love!  ~Linda

Chocolate-Raspberry Babka (adapted from Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today’s Kitchen by Leah Koenig via saveur.com) Makes 1 loaf

For the Dough:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg white
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened

For the Filling and Syrup:

• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Instructions:

To make the dough using a bread machine: Combine the ingredients for the dough in the pan of the bread machine in the order required by the manufacturer, choose the dough setting and start the machine.

To make the dough by hand: Combine the water, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl until it begins to foam, about 10 minutes. Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl, then set it aside. Add the 1/4 cup of sugar and the eggs to the yeast mixture and whisk it to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture. Mix to combine it until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and add butter, 2 pieces at a time, until a smooth dough forms. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Make the filling: Combine the jam and the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the mixture until it is moist and crumbly. Set the jam mixture aside.

Combine the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process it until the chocolate is finely chopped. Set the chocolate mixture aside.

Assembling the babka: Grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, then set it aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12″ x 10″ rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Spread the jam mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the chocolate mixture over the jam. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the dough up tightly. Slice the loaf in half lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch of dough connected at the top. Twist the two halves together and pinch the ends together to seal the bread. Carefully place the loaf in the prepared pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm area until it is doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the babka, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until it is golden and cooked through, about 40-50 minutes. Make the syrup while the babka is baking.

Make the syrup: Thaw the raspberries, if using frozen, then mash them. Combine the raspberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the syrup for another 1 – 2 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Set the syrup aside until the loaf is done.

Finishing the babka: When the loaf is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately brush it with the syrup. Allow the babka to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve the babka at room temperature.