Table’s set for sweet Rosh Hashana deserts

No matter how hard you work on your picture-perfect turkey or perfectly sliced brisket or elaborate rice dish, someone is bound to eventually ask, “What’s for dessert?” Everyone loves dessert and on Rosh Hashana, the sweetness that both begins and ends the festival feast seems to reinforce our hopes for a sweet year.

The custom of eating dessert after a meal goes back to the discovery of honey in pre-historic, caveman times. Ancient civilizations mixed honey with nuts and fruits and forever imprinted in our DNA our love of anything sweet. As humankind developed, their love for sweet tastes never ended, despite the disparate diets throughout the world.

Sugarcane, another sweetener, was domesticated about 10,000 years ago in New Guinea. Sugarcane became a common trade commodity throughout the world. In England, in the 1300s, sugarcane sold for the equivalent of about $50 per pound, something only the wealthy could afford. Still, whatever the cost, people began to use this and much less expensive honey in all kinds of foods.

People discovered that sugar, fat and flour, when mixed together and baked, created something absolutely delicious. Flavor that trio with spices like cinnamon and allspice, cloves and vanilla and all kinds of magical foods appeared. The world had gone far beyond the biblical honey to satisfy their sweet tooth.

However, when to eat these foods was the big question. They did not go well with savory dishes like game or poultry, so it soon became the custom to serve sweet treats at the end of the meal. This custom ended feasts on a positive note. It seemed everyone who ate something sweet was happy. Finally, the French named this final food, desservir, to clear the table, and the place of dessert at the end of the meal was solidified.

Ending a holiday meal with a lavish dessert may seem like overkill if the meal has been festive and elaborate, but how can you not end the holiday that begins a sweet year without a sweet treat? The key is to keep the dessert sweet but not overly filling. No heavy cakes with thick frosting and no molten chocolate cakes with warm runny insides — save those for another time. Make desserts that you can prepare a day ahead and that will not overstuff your guests, understanding that the delicious meal has filled everyone almost to the brim.

I always try to make something with apples to end the meal as it began, with apples and sweetness. To keep things lighter I make crumbles, rather than two-crust pies. And, of course we always have honey cake.

I hope you all have a sweet year and great desserts! Shanah Tova!

Fresh Blueberry Tart (Pareve)

This is an excellent recipe that is light and fresh and brings summer forward into the cooler fall. Use the amount of fresh berries you like depending on whether you want a thin tart or a fuller (less neat when served) one.

PASTRY:

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour

6 Tbsp. pareve trans-fat-free margarine

2 Tbsp. solid vegetable shortening

1 Tbsp. plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. ice water

In a food processor bowl, combine flour, margarine, shortening, sugar, and salt. Pulse until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Add ice water slowly through feed tube. Pulse until the dough just holds together. Usually less than 3 Tbsp. is enough. Remove dough from the bowl and knead on a well-floured surface for several seconds. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

NOTE: If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix this with a large fork or pastry blender or your hands. The results are the same and children love to help mix dough!

When chilled, place the dough onto a well-floured surface. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Roll out to an 11 inch circle and transfer to the prepared tart dish. Roll the rolling pin across the top of the tart pan to cut off any excess dough. (I usually make a small blueberry hand pie with the remaining dough.)

Prick the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate for an hour. Place a parchment circle on the bottom of the tart crust and fill the center with pastry weights, dried beans, or rice to keep the bottom from rising. Place the crust in the lower third of the oven at 400 degrees. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully (the beans or rice get very hot) discard the paper and beans or rice and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the bottom gets lightly golden. Let cool.

If this sounds too daunting, use the quick, pareve, deep dish, frozen crust method. Prick the bottom and line with parchment and weights. Prepare to bake as above.

GLAZE:

1/2 cup apricot, seedless raspberry, or peach preserves.

1 to 2 Tbsp. fruit liqueur like apricot, peach or raspberry OR

1 to 2 Tbsp. Orange or other fruit juice instead of liqueur.

Blend the jam in blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and thick. Add only as much liquid as needed to reach a thick, but flowing consistency. Apricot and peach jam usually need a little more liquid than the raspberry. Brush the glaze on the cooled tart shell and let sit for 2 minutes. Brush again and let sit for 10 minutes.

FILLING:

5 to 6 cups large fresh blueberries, more if berries are small, washed and dried thoroughly, divided.

When I wash and sort the berries, I save the best-looking ones for the filling (2 to 3 cups) and the rest go into the sauce. Place those best berries into the tart shell evenly. The berries should fill the shell to about a third of an inch from the top.

SAUCE:

3 cups blueberries

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depends on tartness of berries)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. red currant jelly

1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for ten to fifteen minutes or until mixture thickens. It will coat the spoon when done. Let cool till just warm then refrigerate and chill, covered, until just cool. Don’t let it get cold or it will set.

Mix and spread the cooled sauce evenly over the berries. Chill the tart for several hours or overnight. Serve with non to dairy ice cream or fruit sorbet (like lemon or raspberry) or alone.

For a dairy meal, serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 6 to 10.

Best Apple Cake Ever (Pareve)

My grandmother made apple cake in a square pan lined with waxed paper. She added walnuts and lots of cinnamon. I can’t remember the cake, but I can remember the delicious aroma as it baked. This is as close as I will ever get; it sends the aroma of cinnamon all through the house, and it is delicious warm from the oven, or cool. My kids love it with pareve vanilla ice cream.

7 to 9 large Cortland apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

2 cups plus 5 Tbsp. sugar

5 tsp. cinnamon (generous)

3 cups unbleached white flour

Generous pinch salt but less than 1/3 tsp.

3 tsp. baking powder

1 cup Canola oil

4 extra-large eggs

1/4 cup orange juice

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3 Tbsp. sugar plus 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon mixed together and divided.

Grease and flour a tube pan. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and thinly slice the apples. Place them in a medium sized bowl, add 5 tablespoons of sugar and all the cinnamon. Toss gently to coat and set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the oil. Add the eggs, juice and vanilla and blend completely.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon and sugar over the bottom of the pan. Spoon one-third of the batter into the pan, making sure to cover the bottom completely. Spread half the apples over the batter and gently press them down. Spread another third of the batter over the apples. It’s OK if the batter is not completely spread evenly; it will fill in as the cake bakes. Repeat with the apples and end with the batter. Try to cover the apples completely on the top layer. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar

Bake for 80 to 90 minutes. Check at 50 to 60 minutes. The cake should be brown on top, but not too dark. A tester should come out with cinnamon, but no batter. If the cake is getting too dark but is not baked through, cover lightly with foil.

When done, cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Serves 8 to 12.

Raspberry Walnut Almond Tart (Pareve or Dairy)

For the Crust:

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup almond flour

1-1/2 sticks butter or trans-fat-free pareve margarine, well-chilled, cut into small pieces

For the Filling:

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, chopped to about the size of small peas

10 to 12 ounces fresh raspberries

2 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. pure almond extract

Place the ingredients for the crust in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. If it is too crumbly, add a few drops of ice water.

Grease a 10 to 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press the dough gently into the tart pan. Roll a rolling pin over the top to remove any excess dough. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the tart pan on a foil-lined rimmed cookie sheet. Bake until golden, 20 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave the oven on and let the crust cool for about 15 minutes.

For the tart:

Scatter the walnuts and raspberries evenly over the bottom of the crust.

Place the eggs, sugar, flour, salt and extracts in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low to fully incorporate all the ingredients. Do not overmix and scrape the bowl as needed. Pour the mixture evenly over the berries and nuts and spread to cover completely.

Place the cookie sheet in the center of the oven and bake until golden and set, 35 to 45 minutes. A tester should come out clean, but maybe red from the berries. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serves 6 to 8.

Cranberry Walnut Vanilla Bean Crumb Cake
(Pareve or Dairy)

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 cups sugar (will be divided)

2 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 cups unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick trans-fat-free pareve margarine, softened or butter

2 extra-large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or whole milk

Topping:

1/3 cup vanilla sugar (from above)

2 Tbsp. unbleached flour

2 Tbsp. softened butter or pareve, trans-fat-free margarine

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Generously grease a 9-inch round spring-form pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the parchment.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Scrape into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Place the cranberries in the food processor and add 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar. Pulse until finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl. Add the finely chopped walnuts, mix and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Place the softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and add 1 cup of the remaining sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour and almond milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, until just combined.

Spread half the batter in pan, spoon the cranberries over the batter leaving a half inch border around the berries and top with the remaining batter. Smooth the top.

Mix the remaining vanilla sugar with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until crumbly and sprinkle evenly over the cake.

Bake until a tester inserted into cake comes out clean; the sides will begin to pull away from pan, about 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, remove the rim from the pan and cool completely. Serves 6 to 10.