Rosh Hashanah Recipes #3: Desserts

The itrek Team

September 1, 2021

Only a few days left until Rosh Hashanah- the Jewish New Year! Here are three more sweet recipes from the itrek cookbook to round out your holiday meal: Poppy Seed Cake with Apples and Dates, Tarte Tatin with Leeks and Apples, and Bread Pudding with Dates, Tahini and Hazelnuts.

Poppy Seed Cake with Apples and Dates

28-cm (11-inch) wide cake pan

At the market

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and coarsely grated

20 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1½ cups sugar

4 cups ground poppy seeds

4 eggs

¾ cups yogurt

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

In the kitchen

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease the cake pan with a little olive oil.

Place the grated apples and dates in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the flat beater and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until uniform and moist.

Add the cake mixture to the tin and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry with some crumbs sticking to it. The cake should be a little moist, so make sure not to overbake it.

Cut into slices and serve with a dollop of sour cream or thick yogurt.

Tarte Tatin with Leeks and Apples

30-cm (12-inch) cast iron pan

At the market

6 relatively slim leeks

100 g (3½ oz) butter

2 tablespoons sugar

2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 6 segments

2 tablespoons spicy harissa

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ kg (1 lb) puff pastry

In the kitchen

Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F).

Clean the leeks, discarding the roots, green tops and the top layer. Cut into 2½-centimeter (1-inch) slices.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron pan over a medium heat. Sprinkle the sugar on top and arrange the apple segments in a circle in the pan. Squeeze the leeks in between the apples, with the cut side facing down. Cook until the leeks soften a little and their bottoms are lightly seared. Drizzle a little harissa on top and season with salt and pepper.

Cut the puff pastry into a 12-inch circle and place it carefully on top of the vegetables. Push the edges of the dough down to touch the surface of the pan around the edge. This will seal in the leeks and apples, so that they will cook in their own juices.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the dough is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and release the edges using a sharp knife. Turn the pan over a large platter and serve immediately with chilled white wine.

Bread Pudding with Dates, Tahini and Hazelnuts

6-8 servings/ 30-cm (12-inch) loaf pan

At the market

3 cups whole milk

500 ml (½ quart) heavy cream

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons salt

1 pod vanilla

3 tablespoons honey

4 eggs

8 egg yolks

½ cup tahini

4 excellent one-day-old croissants, torn into 2½-cm (1-inch) pieces

1 challah (page 152), 2-3 days old, torn into 2½-cm (1-inch) pieces

20 Medjool dates, pitted and halved

¾ cup roasted hazelnuts

In the kitchen

Add milk and cream to a pot set over medium heat and bring to a light simmer. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with the back of a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the sugar, salt, vanilla pod, and honey and stir.

Beat the eggs and egg yolks in a bowl until yellow and foamy. Stirring continuously, add a little of the warm milk mixture to even out the temperatures. Add the rest of the milk, stirring continuously to prevent curdling. Add the tahini and stir to combine.

Grease the loaf pan with butter and arrange the croissants and challah pieces densely. Stuff the dates and the hazelnuts in between the challah and croissant pieces. Pour the eggy batter on top and press the challah and croissant pieces lightly with your hands, making sure they’re nicely soaked. Let rest for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and place the loaf pan inside a larger pan. Add boiling water to the larger, external pan until the loaf pan is submerged halfway. Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until golden and firm. The pudding is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar or brush with warm honey for a glossy sheen. Serve warm alongside a chilled glass of arak.