Bread Machine Babka

This is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe from December 2009. Theirs had many more steps and they most definitely did not make the dough in a breadmaker!

Ingredients:

For babka dough:

3/4 cup warm, 1% milk

6 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups bread flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

5 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces

Put all ingredients (in order listed) into breadmaker and set on "Dough" setting.

For babka filling:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate bar)

1. When dough is complete, remove from breadmaker and stretch/roll/knead it out into a 16" square.

2. Sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges.

3. Roll up dough tightly, then twist, pinching seam and ends to seal. Fit dough into bread load pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Allow to rise for 45 minutes.

4. Bake in 350* oven for approximately 40 minutes (until brown on top and sounding hollow when rapped on bottom.)

5. Cook completely (or at least mostly) before slicing, otherwise it will fall apart!

Morroccan Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 3 - 4 lb. chicken, cut into pieces
1 bag baby carrots
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (no pits!)
4 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika

Method:

1. Heat oven to 425*. Toss all ingredients (except paprika) together on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and then sprinkle paprika on the chicken pieces.
2. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Toss the vegetables at least once.

Serve with pita points toasted with garlic butter.