I have honestly only ever had one cosmo. To me they scream the 90’s and remind me of Sex and the City. They always seemed to be this sophisticated drink that sophisticated women drank while talking about sophisticated things.
After having my first cosmo, I was very underwhelmed! They just taste like cranberry juice and lime. While these flavors, may not lend themselves well to a drink (at least in my opinion), they make a great challah!
¼ Cup butter
1 Egg
¾ Cup cranberry juice
¼ Cup vodka
½ Cup sugar
3 Teaspoons instant yeast
3-4 Cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon lime zest
1 Teaspoon orange Zest
Whisk eggs, salt, melted butter, sugar, juice, vodka, and yeast in a large bowl. (To make this challah alcohol free, simply use 1 Cup of juice and leave out the vodka.)
Add the flour one cup at a time to yeast mixture. Using a strong spatula to mix at the beginning and using your hands to mix once it gets too difficult with the spatula.
Once the dough is fully mixed, turn onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes. (If you don’t knead the dough well enough, the challah will not hold its shape when it is braided.)
Grease a large bowl with spray oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and put in the oven to prove. (Make sure the oven is off!) Proof until the dough is doubled in size about 45 minutes-1 hour.
Once proved, turn the dough onto a floured surface and cut into 3 equal portions. Shape each of the three portions into a long rope. Using your palm, press the three ropes together at the top and begin to braid the dough. Once finished braiding, tuck each of the ends under to create a more finished/clean look. Do the same with the remaining three pieces of dough. Let proof for another 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating beat one egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the top of the loaves. Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes.
NOTES: Do not try to slice the bread right when it comes out of the oven. If you are storing the bread to eat later, make sure it is fully cooled before you put it into any kind of container or it will create condensation that will lead to mold.
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