Challah bread pudding, like Challah French Toast, should not be limited to Chanukah. In terms of egginess, it’s the closest thing to brioche—and much less expensive.

With Chanukah starting in two weeks (this year, it coincides with Christmas Eve), you try a batch this weekend; then adjust it as you like over the eight days of Chanukah. Serve it for breakfast or dessert.

What other holiday gives you eight days of French toast and bread pudding?
 
 
DIFFERENT CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING RECIPES

 
 
RECIPE: CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING

This recipe is ready in 40 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 6 To 8 Servings

 
Favorite Variations

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Spread the challah cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally until the cubes are dry but not brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.

2. ADD the raisins and bourbon to a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds; set aside.

3. COMBINE the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar in another small bowl. Set aside.

4. BEAT the egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla and salt with electric beaters or a whisk. Beat/whisk in the cream and milk until combined. Add the raisins and bourbon.

5. RESERVER 2 cups of the prettier challah cubes for the top layer. Stir the remaining cubes into the egg yolk mixture and pour into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Set aside for 30 minutes so the bread is fully saturated by the custard.

6. DIP the remaining challah cubes into the melted butter and place evenly, butter side up, on the top of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top.

7. BAKE for 50-55 minutes until custard is set (pressing the center of the dish does not release any liquid). Cool for 45 minutes and serve warm.
 

CHALLAH HISTORY

There are two words for bread in Hebrew: lechem, the everyday bread, and challah, the sabbath bread. Jewish custom requires that Sabbath and holiday meals begin with challah.

Challah is a braided, honey-sweetened egg bread made from wheat flour and topped with an egg white wash.

The word refers to a tithe of bread that was given to the priests, who had no income. A portion of the dough was sanctified and tithed, the remainder was given over for ordinary consumption.

In biblical times, the Sabbath challah was probably more like present-day pita. Through the ages and as Jews moved to different lands, recipes evolved and the loaves varied. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, the loaf was formed in a circle, to signify the desire for a long life [source: Food Timeline].
 
 
TYPES OF CHALLAH: MODERN CHALLAH

Traditional challah is made from wheat flour, although some modern bakers make it from spelt, whole wheat, gluten-free flour, even sprouted wheat.

They can be plain or mixed with raisins and other dried fruit. On the savory side, onions and herbs can be added to the dough; sesame or poppy seeds garnish the top of the loaf.

The shape can be oblong or round, depending on local traditions. Another variation is the number of braids: traditionally three or four braids; more recently two-braid loaves have appeared.

[2] Braided challah (photo © Hewn Bakery | Chicago).

[3] Braided challah with poppy seeds.

[4] A Sephardic turban challah with honey (here’s the recipe; photo © National Honey Board).

[5] A round with raisins (photo © Good Eggs).

[6] Irresistible: chocolate-orange challah from Yin and Yolk.

In more recent times, pull-apart loaves and challah rolls have become popular. During the holiday season, some bakers and home cooks make Chanukah loaves are shaped like menorahs.

Today, people of all faiths enjoy challah, at any time of the day.

One of our team brought in a challah made with pumpkin seeds and chia for our afternoon tea. And for breakfast and snacking, check out this gorgeous chocolate-orange challah.

Go seasonal with this recipe for challah made with butternut squash and sage.

Check out this rainbow challah, made from six braids, each a different color. It’s a dazzler.

And here’s how to turn a challah into a special centerpiece for the breakfast table or a buffet.

So much challah, so little time. We’re off to buy ingredients for Yin and Yolk’s stunning chocolate orange challah. Note to NIBBLE team: Don’t expect there to be any left over on Monday.

Deck the halls with…green beans!

You can serve this green bean wreath in several ways:

 
RECIPE: GREEN BEAN SALAD

Choose the smaller beans: They’ll be sweeter and more tender. Long, thicker beans have been left on the vine too long, and can be tough and tasteless.

Fresh green beans should be tender enough to eat raw, and should have a crisp snap when you break them apart. If they’re rubbery and bend, pass them by.

Depending on the other sides, plan for 4-8 servings per pound of beans.

Ingredients

 
For The Vinaigrette

[1] Green bean and bell peppers crudités wreath from Between The Bread | NYC. [2] Re-arrange this green bean salad into a salad wreath (photo courtesy Keys To The Cucina).

1. MAKE the vinaigrette. Toss the green beans and onion with the vinaigrette and refrigerate in a covered bowl to let the flavors meld.

2. CUT the bell peppers into even strips. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then…

3. DRAIN and mound the beans onto a serving plate in the shape of a wreath. Decorate the wreath with the tomatoes and anchovies and sprinkle with the herbs. Arrange the “bow” at the top or bottom.
  

[1] Topped with whipped cream that anchors a gingerbread man; photo courtesy The Hopeless Housewife. [2] A pile of mini marshmallow “snowballs” with a caramel drizzle; photo courtesy Damn Delicious. [3] Snowman marshmallows; photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.

There are special ways to serve hot chocolate during the holiday season. Some of the ones we’ve enjoyed:

 
SOME EVEN MORE SPECIAL CHRISTMAS COCOA

 
Plus: Holiday Marshmallows

Take a look and you’ll find holiday marshmallows shaped as evergreen trees, snowflakes, gingerbread men and so forth; or decorated in red and green. At Williams-Sonoma alone, we found:

 
 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCOA & HOT CHOCOLATE

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCHNAPPS, EAU DE VIE, LIQUEUR & CORDIAL

NATURAL OR DUTCHED COCOA: DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

CHOCOLATE TRIVIA

The words cacao and chocolate come from our ancient neighbors in Central America, who first sampled its joys. Cacao trees, which originated in the Amazon region, grew wild in the rainforests of ancient Mexico. They were cultivated by the native Olmecs and the Mayas who followed them.

While the sweet white fruit of the cacao pod was initially eaten, Amazonian natives ultimately found that grinding and mixing the seeds with water produced an even greater treat: the original cocoa beverage.

Chocolate has been a beverage for most of its history as a food. We know that more than 2500 years the Maya were making the cacao beverage; and perhaps as early as 1200 B.C.E. the Olmec were doing so.

Still, it was fatty and bitter; the foam was considered to be the best part. Christopher Columbus and his officers, offered the elixir as a great honor, found the bitter concoction unpalatable and couldn’t even choke it down. He had no idea the locals were offering him their most valuable goods for trade. Thinking the product abominable, he brought only a few beans back to Spain.

Seventeen years later, Hernan Cortés understood its value, and promoted plantations run by Europeans. Today’s descendants of the Maya and Aztec still prepare cacao and corn-based drinks that are similar to those enjoyed by their ancestors.

Here’s more on the history of chocolate.
 
  

[1] While chefs use the caviar to add glamour to a wide variety of dishes, for us the most glamorous is to eat the caviar from the tin, with a glass of Champagne. [2] Caviar must be refrigerated, but we love the idea of a gift bag full of tins. [3] Three expressions of Sturia caviar. [4] The special holiday edition (photos courtesy Sturia).

France is known for its haute cuisine and haute couture.

But in some circles, it’s also known for its caviar. Sturia combines the two: fine caviar in stylish packaging.

Sturia is the flagship brand of Sturgeon SCEA*, the leading French caviar producer. Established near Bordeaux 20 years ago, the company pioneered sturgeon farming in France. It sells its caviar all over the world.

Farmed caviar, you say?

THE RECENT HISTORY OF THE GREAT WILD STURGEON
For those who haven’t followed the tipping point of beluga caviar, here it is:

Overfishing, poaching, pollution, and damming of the rivers where the famed Baltic Sea and Caspian Sea sturgeon have bred for millions of years, drastically decreased the amount of caviar available, as world demand increased. Ninety percent of beluga sturgeons live in the Caspian Sea. In just 40 years, the beluga was at the brink of extinction.

The other two Caspian sturgeons, the osetra and the sevruga, were also on the Endangered Species List. The species dates back to the Triassic period, some 245 to 208 million years ago.

In January 2006, the countries that bordered these seas banded together to exclude exports (more).

CAVIAR TODAY

As a result, more than 20 years ago, caviar farms were set up to raise sturgeon in river environments all over the world, from Europe to South America to Asia.

The result: osestra and white sturgeon caviar, sustainably produced. At 3,300 pounds, the beluga is too huge to farm. The white sturgeon, which can reach 1,799 pounds, and the 440-pound osetra sturgeon, are best for farming (see the different types of caviar).

Sturgeon farming is a long, painstaking process.

 
The result: One of the most luxurious foods in the world.

BUYING STURIA CAVIAR

Depending on the level of sophistication of the recipient, Sturia guides you to which of their caviars you should consider.

What particularly tickles us about Sturia is the packaging, in tins screened with art that we would happily display after the caviar is gone. (Or, repurpose them to as packaging for jewelry and other small gifts.)
 
 
CAVIAR TRIVIA

 
BRUSH UP ON CAVIAR

Glossary of Caviar Terms

Caviar Q & A

†In fact, 85% of the 27 sturgeon species are at approaching extinction.
  

For your holiday celebrations, we propose a perfect Christmas cocktail:

 
A conventional Mimosa combines sparkling wine and orange juice (see the Mimosa history, below). Substitute cranberry juice and you’ve got the holiday version.

(For a Chanukah version, use sparkling wine and blue Curaçao, with blue sparkling sugar. Here’s the recipe; photo below.).

You need only two ingredients—wine and cranberry juice. But you can create a more complex flavor and glamorous look recipe by adding:

 
RECIPE #1: CRANBERRY MIMOSA

You can make the drink sweeter with a sweeter sparkling wine, by adding liqueur, and/or by increasing the percentage of cranberry juice (which also makes a less potent drink).

 
Preparation

1. CHILL the wine and juice in advance.

2. RIM the glasses in advance. Moisten the glass rims and twist them in a plate of sugar at the beginning of the event.

3. ADD the juice and optional liqueur to the glass. Stir briefly.

4. TOP off with the sparkling wine. Garnish as desired and serve.
 
Garnishes

 
RECIPE #2: MOCKTAIL VERSION

Ingredients

 
RECIPE #3: FROZEN GRAPE PICKS

Increase the ingredients as needed for the size of your gathering. You can mix the colors or use just one color of grapes.

 
Preparation

1. REMOVE from the stems and wash the grapes.

2. PLACE 3-4 grapes on each pick and roll in a plate of sugar. The coating does not need to be even or heavy; a smaller amount makes for better eating. If the grapes have dried, you can lightly spray them with water. Let them sit for 15 minutes for the sugar to adhere.

3. FREEZE the skewers until ready to use.
 
THE HISTORY OF THE MIMOSA COCKTAIL

[1] Cranberry Mimosa with a conventional garnish (photo courtesy Ocean Spray). [2] With an “evergreen” garnish: a rosemary sprig and red grapes (photo courtesy Delish). [3] Like a Santa hat with a rim of sparkling sugar (photo courtesy Stress Baking). [4] With frozen sugared grapes (photo courtesy The Cookie Rookie). [5] For a deeper red cocktail: Brachetto d’Aqui sparkling Italian wine (photo courtesy Banfi). [6] The Chanukah version. Here’s the recipe from Announcing It, plus more Chanukah cocktails.

Served in a Champagne flute, it is believed to be named after the the mimosa evergreen shrub (Acacia dealbata), which bears flowers of a similar light orange color as the drink.

Because of the juice component, the Mimosa is often served at brunch. A Grapefruit Mimosa is a popular variation.

A related drink, the Buck’s Fizz, has two parts Champagne to one part juice—and sometimes a splash of grenadine. Created at London’s Buck’s Club by bartender Pat McGarryhe, the Buck’s Fizz predates the Mimosa by about four years.