In Jewish tradition, there is no better way to embrace holidays than through meals with loved ones. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes to make this time of year. 

Rosh Hashanah Apple Challah

While circular challah is a classic annual Rosh Hashanah food, to differentiate the taste from the challah you have on Shabbat, mix things up with my family’s apple challah recipe.

Ingredients:

½ cup oil

4 tsp salt

⅓ cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

½ cup cold water

2 packages dry yeast 

⅓ cup warm water

3 eggs

7 cups bread flour

3 diced apples

Sprinkle of cinnamon sugar

Honey 

Directions:

1. Pour oil, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl, add one cup boiling water and stir. Add the ½ cup cold water.
2. In a separate cup, dissolve the yeast in the ⅓ cup warm water (with a pinch of sugar added).
3. Beat eggs and add to oil and water mixture, reserving 2 tbsp to brush on loaves.
4. Add dissolved yeast and stir.
5. Add the flour gradually.
6. Knead until dough doesn’t stick then return to bowl and cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour.
7. Knead one minute then cut into six pieces and roll into strands
8. Flatten two strands and put apples and cinnamon sugar on strands, then wrap the strands so the apple and sugar aren’t visible.
9. Braid each strand into one challah, so you have two three braid challot, then attach ends of challot so you have two round challot. 
10.  Place challot on baking sheet and let rise forty five minutes.
11. Brush tops of challot with egg mixed with honey, then sprinkle on leftover cinnamon sugar. 
12. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes. 

Yom Kippur Break Fast Mandelbrot

Unlike most Jewish holidays, the majority of people don’t associate Yom Kippur with food. However, it is always nice to have something waiting for you in your kitchen after the 25 hour fast. An easily preserved recipe that I always look forward to after the long fast, is my grandmother’s mandelbrot recipe.  

Ingredients:

3 ½ cup flour

1 ½ cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup bittersweet chocolate morsels

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl
2. Beat eggs and then add with oil to the flour mixture
3. Use hands to mix dough – it will be very thick and sticky
4. After all ingredients are blended, add chocolate and walnuts
5. Form four flat loaves
6. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees
7. Slice while piping hot from oven

Simchat (Candy) Torahs

Sitting through the long Torah reading on Simchat Torah, I can always use a snack. One fun, clean and quick snack that embodies the holiday is candy Torahs. 

Ingredients:

2 thin pretzel sticks

4 mini marshmallows

1 fruit roll up

Directions:

1. Stick a marshmallow on every end of the pretzel sticks
2. Wrap one end of the fruit roll up one time around one pretzel stick so the fruit roll up sticks to itself
3. Wrap the other side of the fruit roll up to the other pretzel in the same way