(The Nosher via JTA) – Babka is an Eastern European yeasted cake with deep Jewish roots and also great American popularity. One of babka’s most notorious moments was in an episode of “Seinfeld”: Jerry and Elaine head to Royal Bakery to pick up babka for a dinner party, and when there is no more chocolate babka, they are somewhat devastated to be forced to bring cinnamon, “the lesser babka.”
Meanwhile, babka has been experiencing quite a resurgence in the past few years since the launch of Breads Bakery in the U.S., which boasts one of the most decadent babkas, made with a European-style laminated dough (i.e. with lots of butter).
These days you can find sweet and savory babkas across the country and all over the internet, a trend I am proud to embrace. I’ve experimented with lots of babka flavors: sweet, savory, Latin-inspired and just about everything in between.
This s’mores babka, which is ideal for summertime or brunch or dessert or just because, is featured in my cookbook “Modern Jewish Baker” along with several other flavors. But the s’mores is still my favorite.
It’s not the chocolate babka; it might be a little better. I think even Jerry and Elaine would agree.