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Delilicious: Ring in Rosh Hashanah With a Round Apple Challah

LilSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:30:16 -0700

Let the celebrations begin! Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown tonight, and the holiday is filled with Fall flavors to kick off the Autumn season. As a religious celebration, Rosh Hashanah is ripe with foods that symbolize the cyclical nature of the calendar and the sweetness that comes with the new year.

To usher in the holiday, we brought the kids to the kitchen so they could enjoy the fun of whipping up a modern twist on the classic challah, or egg bread. Unlike traditional challahs, this one is round (to celebrate the cycle of a new year) and includes plenty of apples and sugar to guarantee a sweet year ahead. Best of all, the bread can be enjoyed by everyone throughout the year.

See the recipe and step-by-step directions when you read more.

New Year's Apple Challah
From Tammy's Recipes

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons dry yeast
5 to 6 cups flour

Apple Filling
3 cups coarsely chopped apples
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice (skip if apples are tart)

Egg Wash
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon sugar
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven dough ingredients, in order listed. Stir in a cup or two of the flour, then add yeast.

2. Add enough additional flour to equal about 5 cups, and stir/knead into a smooth dough, adding additional flour if needed. Knead dough for 8-10 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

3. Place apple filling ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.

4. Punch down the risen dough, kneading to remove excess air bubbles. On a lightly-floured surface, roll the dough into a large round, about 1/2-inch thick. Spread apple mixture over the dough.

5. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples and continue to fold/roll the dough to make one big lump with the filling enclosed. Let rest 5 minutes.

6. Grease a 10-inch springform pan. Place springform pan on a large cookie sheet (to catch any leaks during rising/baking).

7. Using a sharp knife, cut off chunks of the dough and place them in the prepared pan. You should end up with 15-20 chunks of dough (though a particular number doesn't matter). The apple pieces should be randomly dispersed throughout the dough chunks. Sprinkle with any escaped apple pieces.

8. Combine the egg and sugar, and then dab the egg wash over the top of the dough. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Cover gently with a piece of plastic wrap and place pan in a warm location to rise.

9. When dough has almost doubled in size, preheat oven to 350 degrees and then place baking sheet/springform in the middle of the oven (remove the piece of plastic wrap first, of course!) to bake for 45-55 minutes or until done. When I make this, usually the edges of the top get well-browned before the middle is cooked. So, after about 25-30 minutes, I cover the darker areas loosely with foil - sometimes forming a large loose "ring" of foil (with no foil in the middle) to lay on top.

10. When challah is done, remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto a cooling rack and cover with a clean towel until completely cool.

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Ring In the Jewish New Year With Honey Cake

YumSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:05 -0700

I'm always reminded of the change in the seasons with the arrival of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown this Friday. It seems to straddle the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. For Jews around the world, it's a time to come together with family, contemplate the past year, and hope for good deeds in the months ahead.Rosh Hashanah's food customs echo these sentiments. One ingredient that plays a recurring role is honey, which symbolizes sweetness for the new year. As a child, I remember counting on apples and honey, but honeyed cake is an equally traditional and more gratifying end to a meal. It's not too sweet, has a gingerbread quality, and would be the perfect finish (or start) to the day, whether or not you're observing the holiday. See the recipe when you read more

Celebrate Rosh Hashanah With Honey-Glazed Cornish Hens

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:00:33 -0700

L'Shanah Tovah (Happy New Year)! Last night was the beginning of the Rosh Hashanah. During this time of reflection and rejoicing, much of the celebration happens at the dinner table. The evening meal often includes the bounty of the autumn harvest, such as pomegranates, persimmons, and avocados. Honey is also significant during Rosh Hashanah, as it symbolizes the hope for sweet and joyful days in the year ahead. To ring in the Jewish new year, which is observed through Wednesday night, I made honey-glazed Cornish hens. Since Cornish hens are smaller, they can be roasted whole in less time than it takes to make a roasted chicken. To get this holiday recipe, read more.

Honey and Cumin-Glazed Cornish Hens
From Jewish Holiday Feasts by Louise Fiszer and Jeannette Ferrary

Ingredients

Glaze
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons cumin seed, toasted and crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 Cornish hens, split in half
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine glaze ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Rinse hens and blot dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Using about a third of the glaze, brush both sides of hen halves.
Place, skin side down, on a baking sheet with low sides. Place in oven and roast 10 minutes.
Turn heat down to 375°F, brush hens again with half the remaining glaze and roast 5 minutes.
Turn hens over and roast 10 minutes.
Brush with remaining glaze and roast until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

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Rosh Hashanah Makes A Friend

GiggleSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:00:00 -0700

This video was made to revitalize young Jewish peoples' interest in the holy new year's rituals of Rosh Hashanah, starting tonight at sundown. Who wants to race me to temple?! Oh, wait, I'm not Jewish. Damn, this video's good! (Thanks, Dear!)

The Symbolism Behind Rosh Hashanah Food

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:01:18 -0700

The Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah begins tonight at sundown. Although it is a time for introspection and soul-searching, it is also a happy day. Once the holiday prayer service is completed, a kiddush is said and a festive meal is eaten. Many foods are symbolic, such as apples dipped into honey which represent a sweet new year. The folks at About.com rounded up the symbolic meaning for other Rosh Hashanah food:

Round Challah
The round shape symbolizes a perfect year to come. Sometimes raisins or honey are added to make it extra sweet.

Apples and Honey
Dip the apples in honey to symbolize a sweet year to come.

Head of Fish or Gefilte ("filled") Fish
Fish is an ancient symbol of fertility and abundance. The head of fish symbolizes the head of the New Year. The head also symbolizes hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteous acts.

Head of Lamb, Sweet Chicken or Meat Dish
Head of lamb symbolizes our hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteousness. The sweet entree symbolizes our wish for a sweet year.

Tzimmes
Tzimmes is an eastern European recipe for honey baked carrots. The Yiddish word "meren" means carrots and to increase. Carrots symbolize our hope that we increase our good deeds in the coming year. Some tzimmes recipes add prunes, sweet potatoes or even meat to the sweet carrots.

Spinach
Spinach symbolizes a green year with plenty of produce.

To learn about more symbolic Rosh Hashanah food, read more

Rice
Rice symbolizes abundance.

Honey Cake or Teiglach (crunchy dough boiled in honey)
"This day is holy to God, your God; do not mourn and do not weep...for the joy of God is your strength." (Nechemiah 8:9-10). It is said that the Prophet Nechemiah introduced to the ancient Israelites the Persian custom of eating sweet foods to celebrate the New Year.

Source: About Judaism
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Photo Gallery: Honey Cake

YumSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:47:13 -0700

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Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:00:18 -0700

As we savor each remaining day of warm, sunny weather, we're reminded of how we've entered that short yet sweet season that comes between Summer and Fall. From Rosh Hashanah honey cake to bacon-wrapped dates and portobello sloppy joes, our recipes reflected that sentiment. Did you stick around to see what was going on this week? Take our telltale quiz.

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Lil Links: Bronx Wentz Enjoying Playtime in the Hills

babysugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:00:37 -0700

Bronx is having fun in the Hills - Celebrity Baby Blog
How to choose twin names - CafeMom
First roller-coaster ride will make you LOL - ParentDish
Max Armstrong soaks up the sink - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Get ready for Rosh Hashanah - Alpha Mom
Allergies dampening your sex life? - Health
Grandma wasn't always right - Parenting
Sassy pirate undies - Cool Mom Picks

Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:30:58 -0700

Now that it's October, we're all over the Fall produce. We celebrated the harvest in multiple ways, from holiday celebrations like Rosh Hashanah and Oktoberfest to whipping up comforting meals like pasta with butternut squash.

Did you take notice? Take our quiz to see if how well you were paying attention!

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Etsy Find: Crocheted Metal Pomegranate

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:00:41 -0700

Long thought to be a symbol of fertility, luck, and abundance, the pomegranate is also connected to the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which just ended. If you're not a fan of eating pomegranates, though, I've found one for you that, while inedible, is certainly delicious to look at. This metal pomegranate ($65) has been crocheted from orange metallic wire. I love the sculptural element of this object. It would be a great mantel piece, or, grouped in clusters, would make an impact on a warm, wood table, such as the Brasilla. It'd also love to see a few tufts of pine or some colorful Fall leaves tucked into it. This art piece, from Etsy seller Yoola, is also available in a number of other colors.
Source