Chocolate Pull Apart Babka

For years I avoided every Babka recipe for fear of the time and effort. That is, until I made this one, which all of my guests polished off in one sitting!

Ingredients:

1 14 oz box frozen Kineret brand Chall-ettes or Challah.
3 tablespoons good quality Dutch process cocoa powder.
1/2 cup shugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, melted.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325℉. Cut a sheet of unbleached parchment paper to fit the bottom and up the sides of a 5 1/2 by 10 1/2 loaf pan, or spray heavily with nonstick cooking spray. The parchment paper will enable you to move the babka form the pan and transfer it to a serving tray; without it, you may need to serve it from the loaf pan.
  Open the package of Challah dough. Allow the Challah rolls ti stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, until the rolls are soft enough to unknot.
  In a medium bowl, mix the coca powder, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir to combine. 
  Break each strand of Challah dough into 5-6 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball between your palms. Drop the balls, a few at a time, into the coca mixture. Dip each ball into the melted butter or margarine, shake off excess, and then drop back into the coca mixture. Drop itno prepared pan. 
  Pour the remaining cocoa mixture into the remaining butter or margarine and use your fingers to pinch it into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the babka.
  Cover the pan with a kitchen towel. Open the door of the preheated over and set the pan on the open door. The indirect heat from the oven will help it rise quickly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Close the oven door, and allow the over=n to return to 325℉. Bake the Babka for about 30 minutes more. 
  Serve warm. To remove the babka from the loaf pan, slip a spatula under the parchment. Hold a platter a flip the cake out. Carefully flip it back over  so that the crumbs face up, and let your guests pull it apart!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Diamonds

I was looking for a decadent party dessert that could be picked up and devoured in one take. I believe I found it. There’s nothing like the combination of chocolate and peanut butter to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup (4 sticks) butter or margarine, divided
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 (18-ounce) jar reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 12 ounces chocolate chips (about 2 ½ cups)

Directions:

1.     Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper, set aside.

2.     In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 1 cup of butter or margarine. Remove from heat and add the sugar, peanut butter, and graham cracker crumbs. Stir to combine.

3.     Spread into prepared pan. Place a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper over the peanut butter and use a kid-sized rolling pin or your palm to pat evenly into the pan.

4.     In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt remaining 1 cup butter or margarine and chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Pour over the peanut butter layer. Spead the chocolate into a thin later that evenly coats the peanut butter. Refrigerate ½ hour.

5.     Cut into diamond shapes. If your jelly-roll pan sides are in the way, slide the whole cake out of the pan and onto a flat surface before cutting.

6.     Hold the long side of the cake in front of you and use a warm knife to make horizontal cut lines every 1-inch. Starting at the bottom left corner, make diagonal cutes every 1-1/2 inches to form diamond shapes.

Yield 36-40 diamonds.