Rosh Hashanah Apple Recipes

By Leah Koenig

Jewish holidays are filled with rich food symbolism. Many of these symbols--like eating matzah on Passover or fried foods on Hanukkah--can be traced back to a specific textual, historical, or agricultural source. But the origin of dipping apples into honey, the iconic foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah, is less clear.

It is customary on Rosh Hashanah to wish family and friends a "good and sweet New Year," so pairing a sugary apple with even the sweeter honey is a fitting culinary practice. Still, why do we dip an apple instead of a peach, fig, or pear?

Part of the answer lies with the apple's overall significance within Jewish tradition. A line in Solomon's Song of Songs says, "As the apple is rare and unique among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved [the people of Israel] amongst the maidens [nations] of the world" (2:3). The text suggests that God shares a special and intimate relationship with the Jewish people--an idea that resonates deeply on Rosh Hashanah. It is the apple tree, not the peach, fig, or pear, that assumes the symbolic status as a marker and reminder of that bond.

Besides, arriving at this season healthy and in good, sweet company is something to celebrate!

Here are 8 recipes--from appetizer to dessert--that bring a new twist to the ancient tradition of eating sweet apples on the Jewish New Year.

Rosh Hashana Apple Recipe #1...

Leah Koenig is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Jewish Living Magazine, Gastronomica, and others. She edits the blog The Jew & The Carrot--a blog on Jews, food, and sustainability. For more information, visit her website.

Heirloom Apple Salsa

Rosh Hashanah arrives on the cusp of early fall--just before the leaves turn red and begin to blanket the ground. This refreshing heirloom apple salsa pays homage to the last golden days of summer, while ushering in the unmistakable crunch of autumn.

Serves 4

2 heirloom apples (e.g. stayman winesap), peeled, cored, and chopped
1 small-medium onion, roughly chopped
1/2 jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh, finely chopped cilantro
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons of agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with yellow or blue corn chips. Can be made one day ahead.

Apple Cheddar Toasts

This dish plays on a classic New England culinary pairing: apple pie and melted cheddar cheese. A thin layer of apple butter adds an extra spicy sweetness to these toasty holiday hors d'oeuvres.

Serves 4

1 baguette sliced into diagonal rounds, 1/2 inch thick
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 pound sharp white cheddar, thinly sliced
Fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Arrange sliced bread onto a baking sheet or pan. Spread each round with a thin layer of apple butter. Top with 1-2 apple slices, followed by 1-2 cheddar slices (depending on desired thickness).

Broil sandwiches for about five minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and freshly ground pepper.

Leek & Delicata Squash Soup with Caramelized Apple Moons

This velvety soup pairs the gentle flavor of sautéed leeks with sweet, roasted squash. Topped with a dollop of sour cream and a few caramelized apple moons, it embodies everything cozy about autumn.

Serves 4

For the Soup:
2 1/2 pounds delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large leeks, white and tender green parts, chopped
1/2 teaspoons dried thyme.
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, vegetable broth or "no chicken" chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
sour cream for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and gently scrape or cut squash away from skin (delicata skin is edible, but not tasty in this dish). Set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add leeks and thyme and stir occasionally until soft and brown, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the stock and the squash and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until smooth. (Alternately, puree the soup in batches in a standard blender or food processor).

Season with salt and pepper & top with sour cream and caramelized apple moons (see below)

For the Caramelized Apple Moons:
1 tart green apple of your choosing
1/4 cup light brown sugar

Peel and core apple and halve lengthwise. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut apple into very thin slices. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread one layer of apple slices on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake slices for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until crisp. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool completely.

Apple Cider Challah

This challah, which features the flavors of apple cider and honey, is perfect for Rosh Hashanah. It tastes delicious drizzled with more honey, or spread with preserves.

1 package dry yeast
1 cup warm apple cider or juice
5 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 cup diced dry apples
1/4 cup neutral oil, e.g. canola
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
honey + 1 teaspoon canola oil for wash

Mix together yeast and warm cider in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Measure dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, apples) into a larger mixing bowl. Stir with wooden spoon to combine, and make a well in the middle.

Whisk oil, eggs and yolk into the yeast/cider mixture.

Pour wet ingredients into dry (into the well in the center), and stir with wooden spoon. Dough should be soft and sticky. Turn onto a floured surface and knead briefly with a little extra flour to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.

Put the ball of dough back into the large mixing bowl and coat with a little oil to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour (or until about doubled in size)

Uncover and punch down dough. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead until smooth (about one minute). Divide dough in half with a sharp knife, then divide each half into two sections. Roll each of the four lumps into cylinders, 10-12 inches long.

Place each cylinder on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Twist two strands together and curl into a circle (like a cinnamon bun) to achieve the traditional round challah shape. Repeat with remaining two strands.

Cover both loaves with oiled saran wrap (re-use from previous covering). Let rise for at least one hour until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together honey and oil until smooth. Brush loaves with honey wash, using a pastry brush. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

Endive & Apple Salad with Shaved Parmesan

Forget the old standby salad of apples, walnuts, and blue cheese (for now, anyway). Surprise your Rosh Hashanah guests with this update on the classic by draping delicate endives and apples in a sweet maple-mustard vinaigrette, and topping the whole thing with shaved Parmesan.

Serves 4

For the Vinaigrette:
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cracked black pepper

For the Salad:
Two sweet red apples of your choice, cored, cut into 1/4-inch moon-shaped slices
2 Belgian endives, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
3 cups fresh arugula or spinach, washed
Wedge of Parmesan cheese

To Prepare the Vinaigrette:
Mix lemon, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper together. Whisk in olive oil, pouring oil in a stream into blended ingredients, and whisking until smooth and emulsified. Set aside.

Toss apples in 2 tablespoons of dressing and set aside. Toss endives and arugula together in a separate bowl and then arrange mixture onto a long serving plate (You could just throw everything into a bowl too, but the serving plate adds some visual interest). Arrange apple slices on top of endive and arugula. Top with several large, flat shavings of Parmesan. Garnish with more fresh black pepper, if desired.

Warm Barley with Apple & Feta

A burst of fresh parsley and lemon juice pair with sharp feta crumbles in this warm barley dish, offering an exciting alternative side to the traditional potato kugel.

Serves 4

2/3 cup pearl barley
2 celery ribs 1/4 inch dice
Two apples of choice, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt/pepper to taste

Boil barley in large sauce pan, partially covered until tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop celery, apple, and parsley.

Drain barley and transfer, still warm, into a bowl. Add celery, apples, parsley, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad until combined. Serve warm or room temperature.

Apple and Apricot-Glazed Tempeh

Apple butter and apricot jam add the holiday's sweetness to this healthy tempeh dish. Tempeh is a vegetarian protein "cake" made out of whole, fermented soybeans, but if you prefer meat try pairing this same marinade and glaze with chicken.

Serves 6-8

For Tempeh:
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 cup tamari
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
16 ounces tempeh (I use Soy Boy's 5-grain brand)

1 large white onion, quartered, and sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil

For Glaze:
Remainder of marinade
1 cup apple butter
1 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup brown vinegar

Make the marinade: combine ginger, garlic, tamari, and sesame oil in a bowl.

Cut tempeh into 1 inch x 1/2 inch rectangles. Place tempeh rectangles into a large, sturdy plastic bag, and pour marinade into bag. Let sit for one hour, rotating bag occasionally, to evenly coat tempeh.

Meanwhile, slice onions and set aside. Combine apple butter, apricot jam, and vinegar in 2-cup measuring bowl.

After one hour, remove tempeh from plastic bag and place in one layer onto baking sheet. Broil on either side for five minutes. Stir remaining marinade into glaze mixture.

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and red pepper flakes over medium heat. Turn heat up slightly and add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions turn fragrant and brown. Add glaze and stir to coat onions. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until glaze thickens slightly.

To serve: Arrange tempeh on a flat serving dish. Pile glazed onions on top.

Apple Pecan Cake with Maple Syrup Frosting

Toasted pecans stud this traditional Rosh Hashanah apple cake--and who needs honey when you have maple syrup frosting?

For the Cake:
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, strained
3 cups plain flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high speed until they become frothy. Beat in sugar, salt, vanilla, and vegetable oil, and lemon juice. Beat until well-blended and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a separate bowl, measure out 3 cups of flour. Add baking soda, and cinnamon and mix ingredients together. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in the apples and nuts. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan and flour lightly. Pour in cake batter and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until done. Cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans for garnish (if desired)

Combine all ingredients in a mixer and blend until smooth and combined. If the mixture is dry, add more milk (only add a little at a time!) If the mixture is too wet, add more powdered sugar and keep mixing to combine.