Blooming Berry Babka

I am thrilled with this recipe! Aside from the ease of having a ready dough that’s just as good for babka as one made from scratch, the filling is totally out of this world! I can now use a purchased frozen challah dough, or just freeze one portion of my own challah dough, and pull it out whenever I’m in the mood of something heavenly. The combination of raspberry jam with whole-berry cranberry sauce makes this one piece of cake that’s hard to forget; I urge you to try and see for yourselves! Yields 12 servings (unless each person takes 2!)

Directions

Prepare the Blooming Berry Babka

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

2. Combine 1/2 cup jam, cranberry sauce, and oil in a small mixing bowl. Remove dough from loaf pan and roll out into a large rectangle. Spread jam mixture evenly over dough. Sprinkle with berries and roll up lengthwise.

3. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray and return babka to pan. Score top surface of babka lightly with the tip of a knife and smear with remaining tablespoon of raspberry jam.

4. In a small mixing bowl, combine crumb topping ingredients and sprinkle over babka.

5. Allow babka to rise for 45 minutes in a warm area and then bake for one hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

Notes:

According to Rav Yisroel Pinchos Bodner in Halachos of Brachos (p. 485), babka made of challah dough is 100 percent mezonos, since it’s a food that will be eaten as a snack, not as a bread.