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Pecan Rolls & Cheese Pockets

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Pecan Rolls & Cheese Pockets

Pecan Roll

Cheese Pocket 

Both these pastries were made with the Babka Dough from Inside the Jewish Bakery by Stanley Ginsburg and Norman Berg.

My wife and I have fond memories of the Pecan Rolls from the long-closed Fantasia Bakery in San Francisco. Theirs were made with danish pastry and were coated with a sticky bun type glaze. The ones I made today were simpler and less sweet. After mixing and fermenting the dough, I divided it, wrapped it in plasti-crap and refrigerated it overnight. The next day, I rolled out a 16 oz portion, coated it with KAF Cinnamon Smear, sprinkled on toasted pecan pieces, rolled up the dough and divided it into 12 portions. These were placed in a buttered muffin tin, egg washed and proofed. Before baking, I put pecan halves on the tops and egg washed again. The rolls were not glazed after baking.

Pecan Rolls, proofing in a Brod & Taylor Proofing Box

Ready to bake

Baked and Cooling

Pecan Roll Crumb

When I was much younger, my favorite pastry from Karsh's Bakery was their Cheese Pockets. The ones I made today used the same dough as the Pecan Rolls and the Cheese Filling from ITJB. The dough was rolled out and divided into 4 inch squares. About 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling was put in the middle of each square, and the corners were folded in, overlapping to completely cover the filling. The seams were pinched closed. The pieces were egg washed before proofing and, again, after being sprinkled with slivered almonds before baking. A streusel topping would have been more traditional.

Thesse are not the same as Karsh's. The pastry is much more flavorful, and the cheese filling is smoother and richer. In my wife's words, a more "elegant" version. She liked the pastry more and the filling less. For me, it's still "a work in progress." Meanwhile, I will certainly enjoy eating this iteration.

Cheese Pockets

A Sampler

David

Submitted to YeastSpotting

Comments

OldWoodenSpoon's picture
OldWoodenSpoon

I love your photo of the sampler.  If it were me, I'd make sure these stayed in the "Work in progress" classification for a long time, so I could keep practicing. 

It's good to see a post from you again.
OldWoodenSpoon

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

I've been around. It's just that I've found myself experimenting less and baking my same old favorites more, so I've had less that's new and exciting to share. 

David

arlo's picture
arlo

Delicious David!

Now only if I had a slice of San Joaquin Sourdough lightly toasted with almond butter to go with it. I'd have a well rounded breakfast right?

:)

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Right you are!

The SJSD dough is retarding as I write, to be baked this evening for tomorrow's breakfast, just as you specified.

David

chefscook's picture
chefscook

Where is the recipes ingredients for these lovely items?

mrfrost's picture
mrfrost

"Both these pastries were made with the Babka Dough from Inside the Jewish Bakery by Stanley Ginsburg and Norman Berg."

Stanley Ginsburg is Elagins, a member here:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25269/book-release-inside-jewish-bakery

Actually, both authors are members. Norman Berg has been sick.

 

msbreadbaker's picture
msbreadbaker

Beautiful rolls! As regards the question for the recipe posts, the answer referred to the dough portion. Was the recipe for the cheese inserts or whatever it was in the book as well? I have the book, but can't get to the errata parts on my computer that has this email, I have a small problem going on. I can access it from my laptop, but that is not hooked up to a printer. I can look it up and write it down if I don't get a fix soon. Thanks, Jean P. (VA)

mrfrost's picture
mrfrost

Sorry. I don't have the book and can't answer that. Hopefully, dmsnyder, the op, can.

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

The formulas for both the dough and the cheese filling are in ITJB (as stated in the OP).

David

msbreadbaker's picture
msbreadbaker

Thank you for the reply regarding the recipe for the cheese filling itself. I see now where you did say that in your post, but when I read it originally I was only seeing a reference to the dough part being from the cookbook, even though I looked for it pretty well. Not well enough, right?! I am going to look it up and will try to get the errata printed somehow.

Cheers, Jean P. (VA)

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Not fair posting these, David, not fair at all.  They look so good!  I think I can actually hear my coffee mug crying out for one of those pecan rolls.  Nice!

Marcus

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

I understand how your coffee mug feels. You should keep it happy. The pecan rolls did wonders for my cappuccino cup's disposition this morning.

David

varda's picture
varda

How am I supposed to shed a few pounds with this kind of (absolutely scrumptious looking) nonsense going on.    -Varda

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

I just bake it and keep a little to sample,  gifting the rest away : )

Sylvia

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

No problem. There are many possibilities.

1. Visual regard is calorie-free. Calories are only a problem if you bake and eat what you see.

2. See Sylvia's suggestion.

3. Eat two fewer latkas this year. (That wouldn't be my first choice, but it's up to you.)

4. Got any snow to shovel yet?

David

varda's picture
varda

5.  Wait until next year to worry about it.

-Varda

breadsong's picture
breadsong

...the nut garnishes are so pretty, and I really like the shaping idea for those 'cheese pockets'.
It didn't appear from your photo, but I wanted to please ask for the cheese pockets, was there any problem with filling leaking out during the bake?
:^) from breadsong

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

The cheese pocket make-up is a traditional shape for this pastry. It has been a few years since I made these. I didn't get the shaping right until I'd semi-messed up 4 of the 8.  The first 4 leaked. The others didn't. 

Here are some key points:

1. Don't over-fill the pastries. This is most important. For a 4 inch square, just a little more than a T of filling seems about right.

2. Brush the corners of the pieces with water or egg wash before folding. It helps them seal.

3. You can stretch the corners out a bit while folding them over the filling. It helps get full "coverage."

4. Pinch the seams (where the edges of the folds meet) to help seal the "package."

I think there is an illustration and instructions for this make-up in ITJB. Of course, I didn't consult it. I learn best by making mistakes. I know a lot, thus one can correctly conclude I've made lots of mistakes.

David

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi David,
Thanks so much for these pointers on filling and shaping your pretty pastries.
I didn't see any mistakes!
:^) from breadsong

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Especially love the cheese pockets, not that I couldn't down a pecan roll, too : ) 

How did you like the KA cinnamon smear?  I've tried it based on the good reviews but didn't care for the texture or flavor.

Sylvia

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

I like the KA cinnamon smear okay. I think I could find one I like better, though. I was planning on trying one of Ciril Hitz's, but I got lazy. The texture was okay. We liked that it seemed less sweet than the cinnamon-sugar mix I've used before.

One thing I learned (see above reply to breadsong re. mistakes): The KA cinnamon smear should be used immediately after mixing. If it sits, it gets stiff and hard to spread.

David

ehanner's picture
ehanner

David,

I don't usually look twice at sweet rolls and other sweet pastries because I know I shouldn't eat them. Your Pecan rolls are jumping out of my monitor. I'm doomed I think. Did you pretty much follow the ITJB recipe on this? Is the KA cinnamon spread a shared recipe on the site?  Good to see you are using your proofer.

Thanks for sharing this work David. I look forward to your Posts.

Eric

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

I followed the corrected ITJB instructions for the dough.

The KA Cinnamon Smear is a KA product with cinnamon, sugar, some sort of dry shortening and maybe some other flavoring. You just add water and stir.

As far as make up goes, I followed the procedure for any cinnamon/sticky bun. I did not glaze the rolls, because we find that makes them too sweet for our taste. I baked in a buttered muffin tin at 375 F for about 20 min. I think a slightly shorter bake would have been better.

The proofer made a big difference. I've made this dough twice before, and this batch was by far the best. It was quite gassy. BTW, I also used osmotolerant yeast.

See my OP for other details.

David

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

That would definately improve the pumpkin roll recipe I've been working on.    I got this stuck gear in my brain about filled rolls touching each other, and I'm a crust lover!   They would be the right size too!   Probably even speed up the bake.  Yummy crusties here I come!   Thanks

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Both my wife and I are with you, loving the crusty outsides. That's why I use the muffin pan. It does the job.

David