Knishes!

Dear Turkey,

I was scared that this

Recipe would be too hard,

But it was not bad!

Knishes!

(makes 8, adapted from smitten kitchen)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

- 2.5 c flour

- 1 t baking powder

- 1/2 t salt

- 1 egg

- 1/2 c vegetable or canola oil

- 1 t distilled or apple cider vinegar

- 1/2 c warm water

For the filling:

- 1 large sweet potato and 2 small red potatoes, unpeeled, cubed, boiled in salted water until fork-tender (about 10-15 minutes), drained

- 1 large leek (bottom part only), sliced thin

- 2 shallots, sliced

- 1 T olive oil

- 1 c kale leaves, cut into small pieces

- salt and pepper

- 3 oz cream cheese 

Instructions:

- For the dough: knead all of the ingredients together with your hands until a ball forms. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. 

- For the filling: cook leeks, shallots, salt and pepper, and oil for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring often, until the leeks start to get brown and translucent. Add the kale and cook 5 more minutes. Add the cream cheese and potatoes and stir/mash to combine (you don't need the filling to be smooth). 

- Work the dough a couple of times with your hands to knead in any oil that has beaded up. Divide the dough in half. Roll out the first half on a well-floured surface. You're shooting for a 1 foot square; I really had to muscle it and I didn't quite get there -- no worries. Spoon out half of the filling into a log shape along one side of your square and then roll up the square and pinch the ends closed. You don't need to really seal up the long side as long as you have enough dough. Make 3 indentations equally spaced in your roll. Twist the dough at these points and then pinch it together/closed to form 4 knishes. Separate them and flip them so the twisted parts are on the bottom and top. Flatten them a bit with your hand. You can seal up the tops, or you can leave them open. Don't be a perfectionist or pretend you're on a baking show -- whatever they look like, they will be delicious. My dough was cold and I found that using still-warm (but not piping-hot) filling made it easier to work with. 

- Cover a baking sheet with parchment and space the knishes evenly on it -- make sure they're not touching. Brush them with an egg yolk mixed with a couple tablespoons of warm water. 

- Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes or until the tops are golden brown -- this may take longer depending on size. 

- Top with sauerkraut, chipolte tabasco, sour cream, whatever you want. Freeze the extras.

Enjoy,

Tofu