Apple and Honey Pie Pops

By Sheri Silver

(The Nosher via JTA) – Like most Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah brings to mind certain traditional food customs, the most well-known being the dipping of apples in honey. While a classic apple pie or cake is a lovely way to mark our hopes for a sweet new year, I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit. These apple and honey pie “pops” are a cinch to make – and even more fun to eat. They can be assembled (and frozen) in advance, and are especially nice to serve for a crowd. No cutting or forks needed!

Yield: 12 to 16 pops

Ingredients:
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated pie crusts, set out at room temperature for 15 minutes
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water
raw or “sanding” sugar, for sprinkling
Special equipment:
2-3” cookie cutter (or drinking glass)
lollipop sticks

Directions:

In a medium pan combine the apples, sugar, honey, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or till the apples have softened and the juices have thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400; line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unroll one pie crust on a work surface. Use your cutter to make as many circles as you can; place on your prepared baking sheets. Put a lollipop stick in the center of each circle, pressing down lightly to secure. Place a teaspoon of cooled filling on each circle. Use a pastry brush to brush a bit of the beaten egg around the edge of each circle.

Unroll the second pie crust and cut out an equal number of circles to the first crust – place atop the filled crusts and press lightly to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork, and make a few small incisions in the center to allow steam to escape. Brush tops with the egg and sprinkle with the raw sugar. (Pops may be frozen at this point. Reheat directly from the freezer, adjusting baking time by a few extra minutes.)

Bake pops for 20 minutes; transfer trays to wire racks to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature (pops may be kept tightly sealed, at room temperature, for 3-5 days).

Sheri Silver is writer of the blog “Donuts, Dresses and Dirt,” where she shares all of her passions, including baking and cooking, gardening and shopping.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

A festival of salads

By Eileen Goltz

The 4 weeks of the high holidays are daven/eat/daven/fast and repeat as necessary are often preceded by the angst of trying to create menus that are in turns delicious, creative, traditional, untraditional, easy to make as well as make it look like you’re a cordon bleu trained chef with an unlimited supply of time, money and ingredients. My goal, with the following recipes, is to help you create the appearance of a gourmet start to your meal on a pennies budget. Simple, elegant salads that you can prep before you head out to shul and plate just before everyone sits down to eat.

Smoked Almond and Honey Orange Salad 

Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (with pulp)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (with pulp)
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
3 oranges peeled and sliced into rounds (blood oranges look wonderful if you can get them)
2 heads romaine lettuce, shredded
3 carrots, julienned
1/3 cup dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate seeds
1 cup smoked almonds, chopped coarsely

Set out 8 salad plates. In a glass bowl combine the orange juice, lemon juice, honey, green onions, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk to combine and set aside. In a bowl combine the lettuce and carrots. Drizzle about 1/3 of the dressing over the salad and mix to coat. Divide the orange slices between the plates, placing them towards the edge of the plate. Divide the salad greens between the 8 plates and then top with the cranberries and smoked almonds. Drizzle a little more dressing over the top of the salad and serve with the remaining dressing. Serves 8.

Avocado Berry and Mango Salad

Dressing:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
4 ripe mangos, peeled and sliced
4 ripe avocados, peeled, sliced and drizzled with lemon juice
2 packages fresh raspberries, washed and dried
2 heads bib or read leaf lettuce, torn
1 cup honey roasted cashews or almonds, chopped

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, oil, honey and salt and pepper; whisk to combine. Set aside. Place the lettuce in a bowl and drizzle 1/2 the dressing over the top. Toss to coat. Divide the lettuce between 8 plates. Arrange the mangos, avocados and raspberries between the plates and drizzle a little dressing over the top. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top of the plates and serve with the remaining dressing. Serves 8.

Honey Roasted Vegetable Salad
2 red onions, cut into 8 wedges
1 lb. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-in. chunks
1 lb. small red potatoes, cut in half
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-in. chunks
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
8 oz. mixed salad greens

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl combine the onion, sweet and red potatoes and red bell pepper. Add 3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon honey and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Mix to coat. Transfer vegetables to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the vegetables for about 30 minutes and then stir them with a spoon. Add the walnuts, mix to combine and cook an additional 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes

In a glass bowl combine the remaining olive oil, the vinegar, honey, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside. Place the greens in a salad bowl. Add 1/3 of the dressing and toss to combine. Divide the salad between 8 plates among plates. Place the vegetables in the bowl used to dress the greens and add 1/2 the remaining dressing. Toss to coat and divide between the plates. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side. Serves 8

© Eileen Goltz yontif 15 salads

Asian Chicken Berry Salad
1/2 cups oil
1/4 cups soy sauce
1/4 cups rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 medium shallot, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste3/4 cups thinly sliced fennel

Chicken Salad:
1 package Driscoll’s Strawberries (about 3 cups) Hulled and sliced or quartered
1 lb. left-over chicken shredded or cubed deli smoked chicken breast
8 ounces mixed baby greens, washed and dried (about 8 cups)
1 cup julienned jicama
4 green onions, sliced

Sesame Dressing:
Place vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, hoisin sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, Dijon mustard, ginger, shallot, garlic and pepper in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate in a covered container. (Makes about 1 1/3 cups)

Chicken Salad:
Combine strawberries, chicken, greens, jicama, fennel and green onion in a large bowl. Drizzle with about 1/2 cup dressing and toss to coat and serve with the remaining dressing. Serves 6.

Modified from driscoll.com