It’s almost that time of year again! You know, the time when the whole family gets together to bring in the new year, reflect on the old and indulge in sweet treats like apples and honey! Yes, Rosh Hashanah holds a special place in the hearts and lives of so many Jewish people for so many different reasons. For one, it marks the beginning of the “Ten Days of Repentance” or “Aseret Yemei Teshuvah,” one of the holiest periods of the Jewish calendar and for others it’s simply a moment to be together. It’s a time where we think about our lives, our culture, our community and more. We plan for the future and begin to atone for our past and in between all of this send out fabulous greeting cards to our Jewish family and friends wishing them a Sweet and Happy New Year (wink, wink).
And of course … We eat! We scoured the internet, funneled through cookbooks and asked our own friends and family members for the sweetest most delectable holiday recipes to bring in the New Year!
CHALLAH WITH RAISINS
An Ashkenazi tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and continent to continent! This cherished dish is important because it not only invites the sweetness of the upcoming year with the raisins, but honors the never-ending cycle of life through the roundness of the bread. Feel free to throw in some cinnamon or brown sugar for extra flavor and crushed almonds or walnuts for a little crunch! Here’s one of our favorite recipes: https://www.compelledtocook.com/cinnamon-raisin-challah/
ROASTED GLAZED CARROT TZIMMES (Great for all the vegans out there!)
Carrots symbolize a desire for increased blessings and the amount of ways to prepare carrots is endless! However, we narrowed in on one particular recipe we found that calls for maple syrup, cinnamon, raisins and fresh oranges – essentially anything short of ice cream that your sweet tooth could crave! The word Tzimmes is Yiddish for “making a fuss” so ironically this is a dish that we’d all make a fuss over! To create this decadent dish, gather carrots of all different colors and roast them until browned and tender. Then, create a sauce or glaze using maple syrup, cinnamon, raisins, squeezed oranges and a few drops of balsamic glaze to toss the carrots in and continue browning them for another 2-3 minutes. It’s an original dish your guests will love! Here are more details on this fan favorite!
HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN AND APPLES
No Jewish feast is complete without a properly prepared chicken dish, right? Of course, right! Luckily, there’s so much you can do with chicken. Think of it as an empty palate that you can dress up and enhance with all types of additions like honey mustard and apples, in the spirit of sweetness. To create this delicious recipe, preheat the oven to 450 degrees while seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over a medium-high heat before cooking the chicken until golden (roughly 6-7 minutes) before flipping each chicken cutlet and heating for an additional three minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate before adding the chopped onions and apples to the skillet and seasoning with salt, pepper and maybe a dash of cinnamon or garlic powder for a kick. Using the oil from the skillet, mix the additional ingredients for 4 minutes to create a broth then bring the skillet to a boil. Combine the ingredients and transfer to the oven, where you’ll roast the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.
HETTI’S HOLIDAY KUGEL (Rebecca's mothers recipe!)
A family recipe that gets sweeter with time, Hetti’s Holiday Kugel is the best way to bring in the new year with loved ones. To begin, boil and drain roughly a pound of medium sized noodles and combine it with the following: 3 eggs separated (use yellow but keep the whites to fold in at the end) ½ cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 8 ounces of sour cream, one stick of melted butter and a pinch of salt, all of which can be blended together with a food processor or mixer. Separately, take one cup of raisins, one can of apple pie filling and one small can of crushed pineapple (drained) and combine with the mixture from earlier. With the noodles placed drained, pour in the combined mixture and toss with noodles until all ingredients cover the noodles evenly. From there, you’d fold in the egg whites and pour the noodles and other ingredients into a greased oven-safe 9x13 pan. Sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar on top and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. It’s a fam favorite that we just know your guests will love and enjoy!
SWEET & SOUR BRISKET
While we’re not exactly looking to invite or even bemoan on the sour, we couldn’t help but kvell when we stumbled upon this recipe, which combines the two food groups Jews love most: brisket and Chinese food.
For many Jewish people, the brisket is the focal point of the dinner and the centerpiece of the table. Think of it as a Jewish painter’s palate, allowing for creativity and interpretation. If you’ve ever seen the BuzzFeed video, you know every Jewish mother has their own take (and very strong opinion) on the timeless Jewish recipe.
This recipe by chef Sabrina Snyder calls for one cup of water, one cups of ketchup, half a cup of vinegar, 2 large onions (diced), 3 cloves of garlic (minced), 3⁄4 cups of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and four pounds of beef brisket (trimmed, that we recommend you buy from a kosher butcher). To begin, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the water, ketchup, vinegar, onions, garlic, brown sugar and Kosher salt in a large mixing bowl. Place the brisket in a large baking dish, then pour the ketchup mixture over the brisket. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the over for 4 hours. Remove the brisket from the oven, remove foil carefully to release steam, then let the dish sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving! Most importantly, enjoy it!
LYNNE'S CINNAMON APPLE CAKE
If you're looking for an apple cake to make from scratch, this is it! It might just be the most delicious dessert for Rosh Hashanah because it has the perfect amount of sweetness and isn't overloaded with toooooo many apples.
12 servings.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6oz block-style cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups chopped peels rome apples
To begin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at a low speed until blended.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons of cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan which has been greased and floured. Sprinkle batter with remaining cinnamon mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let cool... and then enjoy!!
AND FOR A BONUS TREAT…
Bring Menschions’ adorable "Shana Tova" puzzle for the kids to play with while the adults enjoy their wine and dessert ;)!