Happy New Year!

As you may or may not know, tomorrow night marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana. It’s one of those two-day holidays out here, in the Diaspora (anywhere not Israel).

Rosh Hashana marks the beginning of ten days of repentance, giving to charity, and being all-around good people, and culminating in fasting and breast-beating on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), so the Almighty will write your name in his Book of Life for another year.

So, MJ and I will be spending the first evening at my Mom’s and Tuesday evening at my brother’s. Usually, we’re all together for the High Holidays, but this year, Mom’s got some sort of sciatica thing going on where she can’t sit for ten minutes at a time, so she prefers to stay home; and two of my brother’s girls – one in Birmingham AL and the other in Tallahassee, can’t make it in, and his in-laws’ kids are out of town at school, too. Everyone’s growing up. So it’ll be 3 at Mom’s and only 7 at my brother’s. I think it’ll be the first time ever without folding chairs. Weird.

It will also be the first time that I’ve baked challahs and honey cakes for both evenings. That’s us Jews, for ya. Feasting and fasting so you can feast some more. Got to love a religion that is so food-centric!

Every holiday has its traditional foods and Rosh Hashana is no different. Apples and honey. I don’t remember where the apple tradition started, but honey represents sweetness. And of course, Israel is the Land of Milk and Honey. In which case, shouldn’t we be eating dairy? But I digress. Everything on the table should have a touch of sweetness, symbolizing our fervent wish that the coming year is filled with sweetness in all aspects of our lives.

In that spirit, I offer you my favorite Honey Cake recipe. And if someone tells you, “I don’t like Honey Cake”, you tell them to try some of this:

RJ’s HONEY CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup hot strong coffee
handful of sliced almonds (optional)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Grease (spray Crisco) and flour a 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan.

Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat applesauce, honey, sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until blended, about 3 minutes.

Beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions. Beat in coffee.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds, if using. Bake until cake is brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour (test with a wooden skewer).

Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.

Wrap cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

Shana Tova! A Happy, Healthy, And Sweet New Year To You All!