Happy Passover!! I know it’s a bit belated, but I still managed to sneak in this recipe before the end of Passover.
Passover is one of my favorite Jewish holidays; actually one of my favorite holidays, period. I love how it centers around family ritual and retelling the story of Moses and the early Israelites. Plus there are many ways to tie in current events and generate discussions with the girls about freedom, slavery, persecution, and other social justice topics.
The Passover celebration centers around the seder meal with its seder plate. The plate holds symbolic foods – a lamb shank signifying the sacrificial lamb, a hard-boiled egg representing new life, etc. Charoset represents the mortar used by Israelite workers while enslaved in Egypt.
It’s components are pretty simple – apples, walnuts, sweet wine, cinnamon and sugar. There are many variations, but the fruit/nut/wine combo is pretty essential. You can either chop the apple and walnuts for a chunkier version or you can get it to resemble true mortar by blitzing in the food processor.
It’s one of our favorite Passover foods, and a food that I always say I’ll continue to make after Passover. It’s a great snack, spooned onto matzo crackers or any cracker for that matter. It’s also a nice accompaniment to pork or chicken.
1 year ago: Pineapple Pecan Muffins
Apple and Walnut Charoset (makes about 4 cups)
Note: If you prefer a more spreadable, mortar-like charoset, all the ingredients can be combined in the food processor and processed into a rough paste. If you chose this method, be sure to roughly chop the apples before adding them to the food processor.
3 medium red apples, peeled and cored
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
1/2 cup (120 ml) sweet red wine, such as Manischewitz, ruby port or any dessert wine
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
Chop the apples finely. You can use a food processor for this – just make sure not to overprocess. Combine apples with the other ingredients. Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.
Adapted from Epicurious
Two Aprons 