Just in time for Rosh Hashanah, we have some honey-filled recipes to use up all our honey – when we’re not dipping apples into it or spreading it on challa.
Honey Glazed Meatballs
These mouth-watering meatballs are saucy, sweet, and tangy, with a hint of umami. I like to serve this recipe with rice and it can be doubled. If we’re in a party mood, we eat these meatballs with toothpicks or skewers.
2 large eggs
1 c. corn flake crumbs
1/2 to 1 c. finely chopped onion
2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. oil
3/4 c. ketchup
1/2 c. honey
3 T. soy sauce
Pre-heat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, mix eggs and add corn flake crumbs, onions, and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on sprayed racks in shallow baking pans. Bake, uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the ketchup, honey, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain meatballs; add to sauce. Carefully stir to evenly coat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to blend the flavors.
Gulab Jamuns
This is one of my all-time favorite desserts, which I first experienced in an Indian restaurant. Since we don’t have a kosher Indian restaurant in Baltimore, I had to make it myself. Although there is not much opportunity to eat milchigs on Yom Tov, I present this recipe in the spirit of the holiday, to be enjoyed during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva.
It takes a little bit of work to gather the ingredients for gulab jamuns, but it is worth it. If you are gluten-free, you can substitute almond flour for the flour. You can get chalav Yisrael milk powder from Pride of the Farm. Cardamom can be found in Whole Foods. Rose water can be found at A to Z. And, if you do happen to make these, you can always find an eager participant in me when it comes to eating these gems!
1 c. milk powder
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. oil
1 to 2 T. yogurt
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
1/8 tsp. baking soda
Oil for frying (to cover 3/4 of the round balls)
A few blanched pistachio or almond slices for garnishing
Mix the milk powder, flour, and baking soda in a bowl. (This is to make sure the flour and soda are mixed and don’t form a clump.) Add oil to the mixture and just 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Mix and keep adding a little of the yogurt until you get a soft sticky mixture. (The dough should not be crumbly or dry. If it is, add more yogurt.) Make smooth small balls about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter.
Heat the oil and drop in one ball. Once the ball sizzles, reduce the flame to low and add more balls. Fry them, stirring often to get even color. When they become golden, remove the balls with a slotted spoon and add to the sugar syrup. Let them soak in the sugar syrup for at least one to two hours. This is very important! The gulab jamun balls increase in flavor and deliciousness the longer they soak. Serve hot or cold, topped with sweet syrup and some almond slices.
Sweet Syrup
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. honey
3-4 green cardamoms, husked and crushed or powdered
1 tsp. rose water (optional)
Mix the water, honey, and cardamom together in a 1- to 2-quart pot. Bring to a simmer and keep at a simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the rose water.
Caramelized Honey Apples
Apples and honey in one recipe. If your coconut oil is solidified, it’ll melt once it goes in the oven. A delicious under-utilized garnish is creme fraiche. Not so easy to find in stores but crazy-simple to make yourself. It actually only takes moments to put together, a day to sit, and then you’ll have your own creme fraiche. Sometimes I add a couple of tablespoons of sugar, depending on what I’m topping.
4 large apples
4 T. coconut oil (or butter, if you want to make this dairy)
1/4 c. honey
1⁄2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
1 T. apple cider
3 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
Heat the oven to 425°. On a cutting board, quarter the apples and remove their cores. Cut each apple quarter again lengthwise. Place the apple pieces in a 9x13-inch baking dish and toss with the coconut oil, honey, and salt. Roast, turning once halfway through, until the apples are soft and lightly caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer the dish to a rack and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a serving dish. Scrape the pan juices into a small bowl and whisk in the apple cider and sesame seeds. Pour the juices over the apples and toss gently to combine. Let the apples stand for 10 minutes to soak up some of the juices. Stir again, and then serve warm with creme fraiche.
Creme Fraiche
1 c. heavy cream, room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream (or 1 T. buttermilk), room temperature
1 to 2 T. sugar (optional)
In a jar with a lid, place whipping cream and buttermilk or sour cream. Add sugar, if desired; cover securely and shake 15 seconds. Set aside at room temperature for 24 hours or until very thick. Stir once or twice during that time. (Note: Cream will thicken faster if the room is warm.) Stir thickened creme fraiche well. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. This is amazing to eat with homemade scones.
Bracha Shor is the owner and executive chef of Sweet and Good Catering. As always, she would love to hear your comments or questions (and is always a willing taster). Send to bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com. Sweet and Good Catering has a Simanim Platter for Rosh Hashanah as well as a Rosh Hashanah menu. You can buy them from Bracha Shor, or 7-Mile Market (ask for them in the deli section).
