Efrat's Notebook

Homemade Krembo Draft

Homemade krembo: a crisp butter cookie topped with a firm meringue cream and a dark chocolate shell, kept in the fridge.

  • Prep1 hr 15 min
  • Cook15 min
  • Rest1 hr
  • Total2 hr 30 min
  • Makes40 krembos
  • KashrutDairy

What you need

Amount:40

Cookies

Filling

Coating

How I make it

Cookies

  1. Fit the stand mixer with the paddle. Put the butter, egg, vanilla and sugar in the bowl and mix for a few seconds on low speed, until lumpy.

  2. Add the flour and salt and mix just until the dough comes together.

  3. Gather the dough with your hands, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick.

  6. Cut out 1½-2-inch (4-5 cm) rounds and place them on the baking sheet.

  7. Bake for about 12 minutes, until lightly golden. Take out and let cool.

Filling

  1. In a stainless steel bowl, mix the egg whites and sugar.

  2. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until the mixture is warm, about 140°F (60°C), and the sugar has almost completely dissolved. Remove from the heat.

  3. Transfer to the stand mixer and start whipping.

  4. Soak the gelatin sheet in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze it out and melt it in a bowl over simmering water.

  5. Once the gelatin has melted and the whites are stiff, drizzle in the gelatin in a thin stream while still whipping.

  6. When the gelatin is fully absorbed, add the cocoa nibs, if using. Keep whipping until the mixture cools and is stiff and stable.

  7. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe a mound onto each cookie.

  8. Freeze the uncoated krembos for about 30 minutes while you make the coating.

Coating

  1. Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water or in the microwave. In the microwave, heat in 30-second bursts and stir in between so the chocolate doesn't burn.

  2. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes, until thick enough to coat the krembos.

  3. Dip each krembo in the coating and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet to harden.

  4. Store in the fridge and take out a few minutes before serving.

What I've learned

  • I work the cookie dough as little as possible; overmixing ruins the crisp texture.
  • The cocoa nibs are optional, but they give the filling a nice crunch.

Source: ChefEf (chefef.com)