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Sweets Celebrate Jewish New Year

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By HEDY GOLDSMITH McClatchy Newspapers

Published: September 19, 2007

Some chefs are inspired by childhood memories of wonderful food and others, like me, by its absence.

I didn't grow up with the sweet aroma of cinnamon, apples and chocolate wafting through our Philadelphia home. My mother and grandmothers never developed a passion for baking - or cooking, for that matter. We spent the Jewish holidays with friends or extended family, and the meals usually ended with dry honey cake or coconut macaroons so hard they could have cracked the dessert plate if you had dropped them.

I had an idea of what I was missing thanks to friends whose mothers actually used their kitchens for cooking and baking. (My mom would have been happy turning ours into a library.)

Then, when I was 9, I got an Easy-Bake Oven. With the power of that 60-watt light bulb and sheer determination, I mastered the fine art of baking all sorts of yummy things for anyone who would eat my creations.

I secretly hoped I would inspire my mother to begin baking, but it wasn't to be. Eventually I boxed up the oven and the mini-cake pans.

It wasn't until I had graduated from culinary school and moved to Miami Beach that I celebrated holidays with great desserts. My friend Debi Wechsler, a fabulous mom and remarkable home baker, dispelled my belief that Jewish mothers aren't great dessert makers. (My mom was no longer with us by the time I became a pastry chef, but I know she would have been as proud as she was surprised.)

Every holiday is a sweet labor of love at Wechsler's home, and she was my inspiration (and test baker) in creating the recipes here. I used apples, an age-old symbol of 'a sweet New Year,' and chocolate, my favorite flavor.

These desserts are fun to make, easy to follow and wonderful to eat. They come from a special place in my heart with the hope that they will help to fill your home with sweetness and love.

Cook's note: Because these recipes contain dairy ingredients, kosher cooks will find them incompatible with meat meals.

Beignets need to be made just before serving. Plate two or three with a scoop of ice cream. This recipe is also great made with finely chopped banana or pineapple for Sunday brunch. Add a little cinnamon to the dusting sugar if you wish.

WARM, PUFFY, APPLE BEIGNETS

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)

1/3 cup whole milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped or grated apple

1 tablespoon candied ginger, finely chopped (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

Canola or peanut oil for deep-frying

Powdered sugar for dusting

Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Place milk, egg and vanilla in a bowl, and whisk to incorporate. Slowly whisk the mixture into the dry ingredients, creating a thick, almost heavy-looking dough. Fold in apple and, if using, the candied and ground gingers.

In a Dutch oven or similar deep, heavy pan, heat at least 3 inches of oil to 365 degrees. Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

Working in batches, drop tablespoonfuls of dough into the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. Fry 2 minutes, turn, and fry 1 minute more, until golden. (Check the center of the first fritter to make sure it is fully cooked.)

Drain on paper towels, and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Makes 20 to 25 beignets.

Per beignet (based on 20; does not include oil absorbed in frying): 42 calories (10 percent from fat), 0.4 g fat (0.1 g saturated, 0.1 g monounsaturated), 11 mg cholesterol, 1.1 g protein, 8.3 g carbohydrates, 0.2 g fiber, 158.1 mg sodium

You may omit the espresso, nuts and/or chocolate. A candy thermometer is a must. I prefer European-style butter because it contains less water.

ENGLISH COFFEE TOFFEE WITH CHOCOLATE AND PECANS

Vegetable oil spray

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon corn syrup

2 teaspoons finely ground espresso beans

1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

3 tablespoons water

1 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Generously spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with vegetable oil; set it aside.

Place 1 cup butter in a heavy-bottom, 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, corn syrup, espresso, salt and water, stirring until all the sugar melts.

Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Stir slowly as the temperature rises to 260 degrees. Continue heating without stirring until it reaches 300 degrees.

Immediately remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the toffee into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate on top, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate over the toffee. Sprinkle nuts on top.

Allow to cool completely. Break into pieces. Store in anair-tight container at room temperature or in freezer. Makes about 1 pound, or 12 servings.

(based on 12): 322 calories (63 percent from fat), 24.2 g fat (13.1 g saturated, 5.8 g monounsaturated), 40.5 mg cholesterol, 1.7 g protein, 30.2 g carbohydrates, 0.7 g fiber, 53.7 mg sodium

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