It’s hard to believe, but Rosh Hashana is around the corner. The Jewish new year starts at sundown on Friday, September 15. Traditionally, apples and honey are eaten with the idea of bringing sweetness to the new year and remembering that years are cyclical and round like an apple.
Whether you’re on your own, hosting others, or going out, there is always room for more sweetness and more apples and honey-infused dishes at the table.
Here is a roundup of dishes featuring apples and honey, from start to finish. Play your cards right, and you can have a super sweet start to the new year.
Classic apple and honey tasting
Before the meal even starts, have an apples and honey tasting. Buy (or pick!) various apples, slice them up, and arrange from tart to sweet. You can also arrange them in a rainbow. Expand your family’s palates by buying different types of honey. See if you can tell the difference between the locally sourced and the mass-produced varieties.
Apple-stuffed challah popovers
Challah is known for its sweet, doughy goodness year round. What happens when you take your favorite challah recipe, turn it into individual portions, and stuff it with sweet, gooey, apple filling? Sheer bliss.
Honey garlic chicken breast
This healthy chicken breast recipe is super easy and super versatile. You can make it dairy free (use oil instead of butter) or try it on salmon, beef, or tofu. You can also make extra sauce to put on rice or veggies.
Instant Pot matzo ball soup
OK, so technically this recipe has no apples or honey in it, but how can you have a Jewish holiday with no matzo ball soup? This is a delightfully simple recipe, where the matzo balls cook while the rest of the soup does, too.
Roasted glazed carrot tzimmes
This is not your Bubbe’s soggy, prune-filled tzimmes! This tzimmes involves roasted carrots, maple syrup (OK, not honey, but close enough) for sweetness, and balsamic vinegar for depth.
Honey balsamic roasted brussels sprouts
This roasted vegetable recipe stays true to the Rosh Hashana honey theme. These will make a brussels sprout lover out of anyone. My kids love them. I sometimes add onion powder or garlic powder.
Honey-roasted apples
The beauty of this dish is 1) it’s apples and honey all in one, and 2) it can be dessert or a side dish.
Apple cake
No Rosh Hashana feast is complete without honey cake or apple cake. And in New England, with so many amazing apple orchards around, any excuse for more apples will do! There are so many varieties of apple cake, and truthfully, you really can’t go wrong. The presentation of this cake is phenomenal and is a great way to end the meal. And the best part? Any leftover cake makes for a great breakfast.
If you haven’t had your fill, feel free to do another round of sliced apples, dessert style. Serve sliced apples with a variety of dippers — chocolate sauce, caramel, marshmallow fluff. Add sprinkles to up your game.
For an indulgent adult treat, sip your dessert by enjoying honey wine. You’ll thank me later.
