Memorable sweets-infused dishes set the tone for a sweeter new year

After making reservations for shul, sending your shana tova greetings, and making plans to hear the shofar next Tuesday and Wednesday … there is the cooking, with so many symbolic foods full of traditions and meaning.

•Apples and honey for a sweet new year.

•The head of a fish to express the wish that “we be a head and not a tail.”

•Pomegranates, giving voice to a wish that “our merits be many like the [seeds of the] pomegranate.”

•Carrot, because of its Yiddish name, merren, which means both “carrot” and “increase,” symbolizing a wish for a year of abundance.

Here’s what’s on my menu—

Round Raisin Challah With Sweet Crumb Topping

When my house starts to smell like these fragrant sweet loaves, I know Rosh Hashana’s around the corner! It’s traditional to use round challahs to represent the cycle of life, and it’s also customary to eat sweet foods at this time, to symbolize our desire for a sweet year ahead, hence the raisins and sweet crumb topping.

Yields: 6 round challahs

Dough Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. dry yeast

5 cups very warm water

5 large eggs

1-1/4 cup honey

1 cup oil (canola or light olive oil)

2 Tbsp. salt (half if using table salt)

Approximately 18 cups flour

1 cup raisins

For the egg wash:

1 egg

For the crumb topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

5 Tbsp. oil

Directions:

1. In a very large bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water and let sit about 15 to 20 minutes until slightly frothy.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and half the flour. Mix until a loose batter forms. Add the rest of the flour a couple of cups at a time, until the dough is soft but not sticky. Knead.

3. Cover the dough with a wet towel or plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise for about 1-1/2 hours. Dough should double in size.

4. Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 6 equal pieces.

5. Roll according to pictures and directions above. Place loaves on lightly greased cookie sheets and let rise for another 40 minutes.

6. Make the sweet crumb topping by putting the flour and sugar into a bowl. Slowly add the vanilla and oil, mixing with a spoon, or your fingertips until it reaches crumb consistency.

7. Egg wash the loaves and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake at 375°F for approximately 45 minutes. Loaves should be golden brown and firm on the bottom.

Fruity-Sweet New Year Roast

A friend of mine texts me every year before Rosh Hashana — it’s been 13 years now! — to let me know she’s making this family favorite again. It’s soft and sweet, with fruity undertones from the wine and dried fruit, a perfect dish to symbolize the sweet year ahead we hope to be blessed.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 onion

2 tsp. kosher salt (half if using table salt)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2.5 lb. roast or brisket

1.5 cups sweet red wine

1/2 cup apricot preserves

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1.5 cups assorted dried fruit, chopped (I used prunes, dates, cranberries)

8 garlic cloves

Directions:

1. Cut the onion in half-rounds, and cook on a low flame with the olive oil and salt for 10 to 20 minutes.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 350.

3. Place the onions into the baking dish you’ll be using to cook the roast.

4. In the same frying pan you used for the onions, sear the roast on all sides.

5. Place roast on top of the onions. Pour all the pan drippings in as well.

6. Pour the wine, soy sauce, apricot preserves, garlic and dried fruit over the meat.

7. Cover with foil and bake for 2 to 3 hours (depending on the thickness of your meat). Every 30 to 40 minutes, pull the pan out and baste the roast with the sauce.

8. Halfway through the cooking, take the pan out, remove the roast from the twine, turn the roast so that both sides can soak up the sauce, and return it to the oven.

9. When the roast is fully cooked, let it rest for an hour or so.

10. Cut thin slices against the grain.

11. Return meat to the sauce until ready to serve.

Simple Beef & Carrot Tzimmes

Carrots are traditional for Rosh Hashana, when it is customary to eat foods whose names in the vernacular allude to blessing and prosperity. The Yiddish word for carrot, meren, also means “to multiply.”

I am not a huge fan of tzimmes, because I find so many are cloyingly sweet. But by letting the carrots provide the sweetness on their own, and with the addition of beef (which is a must for some; sacrilegious to others) this one has a place at my table.

The “low and slow” cooking here is a must to break down the meat and get it soft and flavorful. But it requires no attention from you while it’s actually cooking, and your house will smell amazing!

Serves: 4 to 6 (depending what else you’re serving).

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lb. (700 grams) stew meat or boneless flanken

2 onions, sliced in thin half-rounds

2 lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced

Kosher salt

2 cups water

Directions

1. Heat a deep frying pan over high heat (this recipe would also do very well in a dutch oven if you have one). Brown the beef well on at least two sides.

2. Once the beef is browned, add the onions, a generous sprinkle of salt, and give it a good stir. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the onions start to have some color.

3. Add the carrots and two cups of water and cover the pan. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat so that it’s cooking at a low simmer. Cook until the beef is soft and falling apart (this could be 3 hours or more, depending on the cut and quality of your meat, which kind of pan you are using, and the size of flame). It’s important not to measure by time but by the meat. If it doesn’t feel ready, keep it on the fire, just make sure there is enough liquid to mostly cover the meat (the carrots will let out lots of their own liquid).

4. Taste and add salt as desired. Serve hot.

Honey Balsamic Brisket

Brisket has become synonymous with Rosh Hashana in many kitchens, and this recipe is one you’ll keep coming back to.

Yields: Approximately 40 thin slices

Ingredients:

3 lb. first-cut brisket

2 Tbsp. paprika

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. dried chives (optional)

1 Tbsp. kosher salt (half if using table salt)

2 large Spanish onions

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup honey

Directions:

1. Slice the onions in rounds. Place them in the bottom of a baking dish.

2. Combine the paprika, garlic powder, chives and salt in a small bowl. Cover the brisket with the spice mixture. Pat it in gently until the meat can hold no more.

3. Place the meat on top of the onions and put it into the oven at 400°F for 1 hour, uncovered.

4. Take the pan out of the oven, add the balsamic vinegar and honey, and cover the baking dish tightly. Return the pan to the oven, lower the temperature to 250°F, and cook for another 4 hours, until the meat is fork tender — meaning a fork goes in with almost no resistance. Cooking time will vary, depending on the size and thickness of your brisket, the type of pan you use, and your oven, so make sure to use the fork test.

5. Approximately once an hour take it out and turn the meat, so both sides get equally moist. (If you’re busy, you can skip the turning; just make sure to turn it once, about halfway through.)

6. Refrigerate the meat until completely cold (preferably overnight), then cut in thin slices against the grain. Return the sliced meat to the sauce. Reheat in the oven, or over a low flame. Serve with the onions and sauce.

Simanim Rice for Rosh Hashana

This recipe combines a number of the symbolic Rosh Hashana foods — called simanim — into a cohesive and exciting side dish. Carrots, leeks, black-eyed peas, dates and pomegranate seeds all find their place here. Add some fresh herbs and spices, and you have a definite crowd-pleaser on your hands.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 large carrots

1 cup long grain white rice

2 cups water (or however much your rice calls for)

1 cup thinly sliced leeks, whites only

1 cup cooked black eyed peas

4 dates

1/8 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. sumac

Oil

Salt

Parsley

Mint

Pomegranate seeds

Directions:

1. Shred the carrots (you do not need to peel them first, as long as you wash them well). Heat a wide pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shredded carrot and dry saute for a couple of minutes. Then add about a tablespoon of oil and some salt, and saute until just soft. Add the rice and mix around with the carrots. Pour in the water and cover the pot or pan. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.

2. When the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked, remove from the heat, uncover, and let stand for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Taste, and add salt as needed.

3. In a separate frying pan, saute the leeks in a tablespoon or so of oil, and some salt. When just soft (but not brown), add the black eyed peas and the dates. Cook for another few minutes, then add the cumin, coriander, sumac and some salt. Stir and let it sit over low heat while the spices become fragrant.

4. Combine the saute mixture with the rice. Serve warm, and immediately before serving, garnish or mix through approximately 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs (parsley and mint) and a handful of pomegranate seeds.

Sweet Brown Rice Kugel

This is a great alternative to noodle kugel if you, someone in your family, or your guests are gluten-free.

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 cup short grain brown rice

2-1/2 cups water

1/3 cup raisins, soaked

4 eggs

1 cup orange juice, with pulp

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place brown rice and water in a strong pot. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it begins to boil, turn the flame down to the lowest setting and let it cook for about 40–50 minutes until all the water is absorbed in the rice. Do not open the pot or mix while the rice is cooking.

2. Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover with water. Let them soak for about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and orange juice. When the rice and raisins are ready, add them in and mix well.

4. Pour the batter into a greased 9”x13″ baking pan.

5. Bake at 350°F for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until firm.

6. Serve warm.

Apple Noodle Kugel

This hybrid kugel is a gem: it saves us from having to choose between making a sweet noodle kugel or an apple kugel (or both!), and disappears so quickly you can never have enough.

Serves: 12

Kugel Ingredients:

12 oz. fine egg noodles

1/4 cup oil

6 red apples, peeled

6 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt (half if using table salt)

Topping Ingredients:

1/2 cup cornflake crumbs

1/2 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cook and drain the noodles, and mix in the oil.

2. Grate the apples and squeeze gently to drain the liquid.

3. Add the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt to the apple mixture. Then add the mixture to the noodles. Stir to combine.

4. Pour mixture into a greased 9″x13″ baking pan or a round springform pan.

5. Mix the crumb topping in a small bowl and sprinkle over the kugel. Bake covered at 350°F for 50 minutes, then uncovered for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let kugel cool completely before covering, to prevent the topping from getting soggy.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crunchy Carrot & Apple Slaw

I like to make a big batch of this fresh and tart salad to serve alongside all my Rosh Hashana meals. It provides the perfect complement to the richer dishes we often eat over the holiday. It incorporates apples and carrots — traditional Rosh Hashana fare — along with honey or maple syrup in the dressing for that sweetness we want in the year ahead.

I’ve also included raisins and celery as a nod to the good old “raise in salary.” And mostly just because they taste good!

Serves: 6

Salad Ingredients:

3 cups shredded carrot

1-1/2 cups green apple batons

2 celery stalks, finely sliced on the diagonal

1/2 cup raisins

Optional: 1/4 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (or honey)

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. kosher salt (half if using table salt)

Directions:

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together.

2. Pour the dressing over the salad and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Honey Cake Rum Balls

Honey cake is the quintessential Rosh Hashana dessert, but if, like me, you’re not crazy about plain honey cake, or if your honey cake broke coming out of the pan (it happens to all of us!), this recipe is for you. It’s not for children though, as it does contain alcohol.

Yields: 16 rum balls

Ingredients:

1 lb. honey cake (1 loaf pan)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp. dark rum

Optional, for coating: coconut flakes, chocolate sprinkles, or cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Use your hands to break the cake down into crumbs.

2. Add the cocoa powder, confectioners sugar, and dark rum, and mix with your hands, until it comes together.

3. Roll into evenly sized balls and coat with coconut flakes, chocolate sprinkles, or more cocoa powder.

4. Refrigerate or freeze until serving.