Here I am, a day late, but with lots of babkas to share! I hope this brightens up your week, and that maybe you’ll make a babka!!!
Reading
I DNF’d When Trying to Return Home by Jennifer Maritza McCauley. The writing was just not there for me. I kept getting thrown out of the story being annoyed with some word choices and (what I felt was) unnecessary repetition. Honestly, I might *try* to go back to it later because if I get enough of the Aspen Words longlist done, I might become a completist and just see it through. We’ll see.
Also started Jewel Box by E. Lily Yu, which is wonderful. It’s a little sci-fi meets folk tales? Each story is so unique and strange, but also pretty delightful and hopeful? Some stories have fallen a little flat, but I’m still really enjoying the ride.
(BABKA) Baking
UPDATE: As I was writing this, the Babka Bake-Off was cancelled. From their announcement, they didn’t feel safe throwing this event. I’m totally disappointed, but also incredibly frustrated about every aspect of this - from the staff members who had to make this decision, the participants and attendees who were looking forward to it, and also the enormous weight of the conflicts outside of this event. I can’t add much to the larger conversation, but this is all terrible and just… call your representatives, keep learning and advocating for everyone in danger…
I have made a Nutella Babka, a Chocolate Babka, a Nutella + a little Chocolate Babka, and a Birthday Cake Babka. I was going to try a Butterscotch-Chocolate Babka because my husband loves butterscotch, and he also thought of a Mint-Chocolate Babka because I love mint chocolate, but I just haven’t had the time. I think Sally knows what she’s doing with the dough (though it really is the easiest dough I found and therefore is likely very not authentic? But it’s just for fun, OKAY!) So, I prefer her dough and the Nutella-chocolate filling and her Cinnamon Crumble because it feels really needed to give that nice crunchy texture to the babka.
(Side note: I had a dream about the bake off last night… it took place at an auditorium [thereby, being much fancier and more official than this brewery-hosted event would have been], and JIMMY CARTER won first place [???], a girl I went to elementary school with won second, and someone else [not me] won third. So, apparently, I was a little bit worries.)
unrelated:
Here are the babkas!
These below didn’t turn out great because I tried a new dough recipe and just couldn’t get the timing right, so I ended up putting it in the fridge overnight - I think I just overproved it? I also wrapped it up in plastic wrap like cookie dough instead of putting it in a bowl and covering it like bread dough? I don’t know what I was thinking but was obviously a bit frazzled by this point, haha. Either way, they came out just fine and I decided they were just good for tasting the fillings. The left is Nutella-chocolate and the right is the Birthday Cake Babka with a cream cheese filling. That one really surprised me and was so fun and unique. I definitely recommend trying that out (the recipe makes THREE BABKAS so you can do a few different fillings, or give them as gifts!).
This one below was a just-chocolate filling. I used Sally’s recipe for the dough and the crumble on top, but then this recipe for the filling. It was a bit too bitter, but came out really well.
Final thoughts: just use Sally’s Nutella babka recipe, the easiest one of the batch and the perfect tasty treat for Hanukkah or for your morning coffee! Make it and let me know what you think.
Living
Here’s another list: Lit Hub’s Best Books [They] Read in 2023
Oooh, I’ve really been wanting to read The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland!
If you remember my conundrum from the last couple of weeks re: my overwhelming TBR, here’s an update: I set up my challenge on Storygraph!! I spent pretty much all of Saturday inputting them - truly a labor of love and a manic attempt at curbing my overbuying habits. All of my unread physical books are on there and I’m committing to reading only from that and the library in 2024. Don’t go look at my number!! I’m going on a book buying ban for the year. Please (don’t) hold me to that. Ahhh.
On that note though, ORBITAL by Samantha Harvey is out now and I want!!!
I got myself a pretty planner for 2024 yaay - It’s an Appointed planner, and I’ve used one for the last two years. I just love that it lays flat, has a ton of room for my to-dos, and is very simple but sophisticated. My full-sized one if out of stock, but the compact task planner is just as good and more compact!
I made Caroline Chambers’ 30-minute pork and cabbage stir-fry and 30 minutes is just never going to be the time in which I make a dinner, but it was easy, delicious, and serves so many. Leftovers for days. (I think there’s a paywall there, but I’m happy to email you if you’d really like this one, though her Substack is worth it…)
Speaking of, she has started a podcast! It’s called So Into That. Her first guest was Emily Oster (of Cribsheet) and this week, it was Deb Perelman (of Smitten Kitchen). I’m so excited for this.
And I was reminded that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has a podcast (because it was just awarded Apple Podcasts’ Show of the Year!), Wiser Than Me, wherein she talks to older ladies like Carol Burnett, Jane Fonda, and Amy Tan. I need to listen to the first season, and the second season is starting now!
A couple of shows I really need to catch up on: Julia (second season) and Lessons in Chemistry (first season).
Speaking of TV shows, I just finished this season of The Great British Bake Off and it was utterly delightful. They really did seem to take notes from the last few years (folks were complaining they’d gotten a little too show-y, difficult, and less wholesome than before with some extravagant bakes that seemed like a lot for home bakers). This year, it was much quieter and simple and truly reminiscent of what makes the show great.
Family-wise - the kids are good! Our oldest is LOVING her advent calendars (we have a Paw Patrol one just for her, both girls were given Bluey chocolate calendars, and I have the Bonne Maman jam one that she loves opening for me). It’s never been easier getting her out of bed. Bedtime, on the other hand, is still a true nightmare. The little one has been doing well, but is in her terrible twos already? She’s just very demanding and needs to constantly snack or ANGER. Her teachers also said she’s been struggling to find her “listening ears.” Awesome. :) She cute though!!
I hope you have a lovely rest of the week! Let me know if you book or bake anything fun this week, and be kind.
That’s all for this week. I hope you have a lovely week of good reads and baked goods.
Gabrielle