I think I can get in one more Passover recipe to share with you, this week. As you know, Gnocchi is probably my favorite pasta – the one I judge all Italian restaurants, and even cookbooks, by. So, when Amy of Ess Eppis (Yiddish for Eat Something) piped up on Twitter that she’d found a kosher for Passover gnocchi recipe, I had to give it a try.

Amy found the original recipe here, where it was originally posted in 2009.  And since Amy posted it in 2010, I thought it was time to share it with you, with my own tweaks. As Mimi said in her post that she couldn’t recall where she’d found the recipe originally, I’m going to post my version of it here, in full.  If anyone recognizes it as theirs, please feel free to pipe up!

Actually, my only quibble with the original recipe is that it specifies “medium potatoes”. Potatoes come in a number of varieties and sizes, and I frankly don’t know what a “medium” potato is. No, I don’t think I’m being dense, because, while a “medium onion” is a more forgiving measurement in, say, a sauce or a soup or a stew, when the size of the potato (or avocado, etc.) could significantly affect the texture when combined with the other ingredients, I do feel it necessary sometimes to get more specific.

I’m also not that wild about the method of boiling potatoes unpeeled, then peeling them hot. Which is heresy, I think, to the purist. I think it’s messy and uncomfortable, and just annoys me.  So, I peeled my potatoes and boiled them whole.  The recipe also didn’t indicate what kind of potatoes to use.  Gnocchi traditionally calls for a more mealy potato, such as a Russet, but I was out of those, and used reds.  The reds yielded a very silky end product, but if you like a more substantial gnocchi, definitely go with the Russets.

Passover Gnocchi  (makes approximately 120-130 pieces)

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ lbs of potatoes (russets, reds, or golds)
• 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
• 1 cup potato starch
• 2 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ – ½ tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes and boil them whole in salted water until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. Start poking them with a fork at around 20 minutes, to check.

Drain the potatoes and, keeping them in their cooking pot, shake them over a low flame till they are very dry, just a minute or two.  Mash well with a potato masher, while still hot.

Turn the potatoes out onto the counter or a large cutting board (or even a very large mixing bowl), add the dry ingredients, and make a well in the center.  Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and olive oil to the well.

Start mixing from the inside, out, drawing more of the potato, cake meal, and potato starch in and then mixing and kneading with your hands, until you have a smooth, silky dough. Don’t add any additional meal or starch – it will take a few minutes, but it will come together.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, cut the dough into 4 or more pieces, and on a flat surface well dusted with potato starch, roll each piece out into a snake about 3/4 of an inch thick.  If you have small counter space for the purpose, feel free to just tear off pieces of dough that you’re more comfortable with.  Using a fork, cut the rope into pieces about 1/2 inch long, and roll them along the tines of the fork to kind of round them off and imprint them with those lovely grooves.  I got a little better at it, than I did the last time.   The process moves pretty quickly, after you get past the first few.

Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, in batches, if necessary. When they rise to the top, allow them to cook for an additional one minute. I mean it: One minute, only. Do not overcook!  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or spider, and if not dressing right away, toss with a few drops of olive oil, to prevent sticking.

Please note that, in the end, I doubled this recipe from the original. Who knew? I was weighing potatoes and perfected it by feel. Half of this fed the two of us, but we didn’t have anything else for supper, except small green salads.  Be assured, that you can wrap any remaining dough in plastic wrap and drop it into a freezer bag and freeze the remainder for future use.

I like a pink sauce on my gnocchi, so I made a batch of my Quickie Pasta Sauce and added 1/4 cup of cream at the end.  I like the sauce kind of chunky, but you can hit it with a stick blender at the end, if you prefer yours smooth.  You can also garnish with some shaved Parmesan, which I didn’t do here.

Verdict? This was some of the best gnocchi ever. Really. Even the husband said that, not only is this the best gnocchi I’ve ever made, he thinks I should make it this way all the time, not just at Passover!  So, if you’re jonesing for some pasta right about now, make this. You’ll feel guilty – I promise!

Congratulations! You’ve gotten past the Passover Seder meal(s) and lived to tell the tale. The pressure’s off and it’s just you and your nuclear family. But it’s only Day 2 of the 8-day holiday and you’ve still gotta eat. Time to start thinking of some more casual meals, and maybe using up those leftover matzo balls.

If the kids are back in school and you’re back to work, you’ve probably prepared a couple of batches of these Passover Rolls for your lunches. You might remember that I adapted that recipe from a 1960′s Manischewitz recipe folder that they used to give out around the holiday. One of those folders included a recipe for a meatball “stew” which used your leftover matzo balls and included a can of their Tomato Mushroom sauce. Well, if your grocery store is anything like mine, if you can find the product at all, the price has gone right through the roof (yeah, they know they’ve got you!).

I make my version of this Meatball/Matzo Ball Stew every year, but lost the actual recipe quite a long time ago, and stopped using the commercial tomato mushroom sauce even longer ago than that. You know what? You don’t need it. No leftover matzo balls? Well, if you don’t want to make a fresh batch, just cut up a couple of potatoes. It’s all good.

Passover Meatball Matzo Ball Stew
(serves 4-6)

For the Meatballs:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 Tbs. vegetable or peanut oil

Combine everything, except the oil, in a medium bowl until well-mixed.

Heat the oil in a large (about 6 quart) pot over medium-high heat. Form the meat mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball and brown in the oil gently, turning occasionally.

For the Sauce:

1 medium onion, peeled & coarsely chopped
3-4 carrots, scraped & sliced into 1/2″ – 1″ pieces
2 ribs celery, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
Water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt & Pepper

Matzo balls or 2 – 3 medium potatoes, cut into roughly 1″ pieces

Add the vegetables to the pot with the meatballs, lower heat to medium and stir occasionally, cooking until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the diced tomatoes, fill the empty can with water and add that to the pot, as well. Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine well.

Add the matzo balls or potatoes, and bring to a boil. If your matzo balls are very large, cut them in half or quarters.

Cover the pot tightly and simmer for about 30 minutes. Uncover, stir, and simmer uncovered for about another 10 minutes to reduce the liquid.

This is one of my favorite Passover dishes, and like all stews, it tastes even better the next day!

I was going to start Passover week with Matzo Balls, but they’re still in the freezer, so I haven’t taken any photos yet. Hold your questions – all will be explained in that post. In the meantime, let’s start with the Passover Breakfast of Champions: Matzo Brei.

When I was a kid, there were two breakfasts you could count on getting during Passover: Dad’s scrambled eggs & onions, and Mom’s Matzo Brei. We didn’t have any of these Kosher for Passover boxed cold cereals like they do today. In fact, we ate no dairy during Passover for many years, because you couldn’t get KP milk in Ohio. Back then, Mom and Dad drank their coffee with milk in it, so during Passover? No coffee. Tea. Until I became a coffee-drinking adult (sort of), I never realized what a sacrifice that was.

But, how to describe Matzo Brei? Sort of a matzo pancake? Definitely a tasty blank canvas that can be topped with a sprinkle of sugar (Mom’s way) or a spoonful of jam (my way). We only ever had it (and I only ever make it) during Passover. If you don’t save certain dishes for special occasions, how would you know it was a holiday? Right?

Matzo Brei
(single serving)

Ingredients:

2 sheets of matzo
1 egg
pinch of salt
2 tsp. peanut (or vegetable) oil (for frying)

Preparation:

Put the matzos into a medium bowl and crush (I usually just make a fist and crush it with my knuckles). Cover with cool water and soak for about 2 minutes or until the matzo is soft, but not mushy. Pour through a strainer to drain, and press to get most of the excess water out.

Beat the egg with a fork until well-blended, add the salt and mix. Add the soaked matzo and mix very well, making sure that the matzo is completely coated.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and heat the oil. Add the matzo-egg mixture in a pile in the middle of the pan and press down with a spatula, spreading it out evenly, until it’s about 3/4″ thick. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, turning it over when it’s golden brown. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.

We do the “Mom” touch around here, cutting the matzo brei up into bite-sized squares, then either sprinkling with sugar or adding a dollop of jam.

Notes:

Is it me? Or is matzo getting smaller this year? Or is it just Manischewitz brand? They looked positively Lilliputian when I took them out of the box!

A word about oil: Unless you follow the Sephardic tradition, the use of canola oil is not allowed during Passover. When I was growing up, the only kosher for Passover oil available, was peanut oil, so I continue to use that. There are KP vegetable oils available now, so if you prefer to use one of them, feel free.

A friend recently presented me with a veritable cornucopia of assorted fresh herbs she’d gotten in her CSA box, as she was leaving on vacation the next day and she wouldn’t be able to use them. “What do you do with tarragon, anyway?” she asked.

Tarragon is a really pungent herb that, when used judiciously, enhances poultry, citrus, eggs, and especially cream sauces. Oh, yesssss… especially cream sauces…

I actually discovered tarragon some years ago, when Mike and I used to co-host big St. Patrick’s Day parties at a friend’s home. Back then we lived in a teensy condo and it became a bit too crowded, what with two home businesses going at the same time (don’t ask), to entertain much. Among the advantages of the arrangement, though, was that I didn’t have to put together a kosher St. Patrick’s Day party. I know. Weird. Anyway, I found a recipe for chicken in a tarragon cream sauce in The Best of Irish Cooking, edited by Rosemary Moon. Not exactly low-fat or particularly heart-healthy, but ohmygod delicious!

The conversation with my friend about tarragon motivated me to try to come up with a version that uses no dairy. That accomplished two things: First, I could now prepare this decadent delight in my kosher kitchen, and second, it eliminates pretty much all of the saturated fat and replaces it with soy. I’ve paired it here with some simple steamed Yukon Gold potatoes that I created on the fly, prepared in the microwave.

All in all, you’ll be surprised how quickly this meal comes together – fast enough to fix for your family on a weeknight – but elegant enough for company. You can also multiply this very easily for a large party. I once prepared it for 50+ people and served it buffet-style on warming trays! I’m going to give you the recipe as it appears in Ms. Moon’s collection, with my changes in red next to the original ingredients.

We were really happy with the outcome. As Mike said, when he went into the kitchen searching for seconds, “If you don’t tell anyone that there isn’t any cream in here, they’d never know.”

Chicken in (Non-Dairy) Tarragon Cream Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. unsalted butter (Smart Balance Light Spread)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 cup white wine (I was out of white wine – horrors! – and used Calvados)
3/4 cup heavy cream (1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream + 1/2 cup plain soy milk)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Heat a 10″ skillet on high heat and brown the “pretty” sides of the chicken breasts in the butter. Turn them over, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a heat-safe plate and keep warm while preparing the sauce.

Raise the heat back up to medium-high, add the wine to the skillet (off the stove, please, for safety), then add the fresh tarragon leaves, deglazing the pan and scraping up all the good brown bits. Allow to boil for about a minute, then reduce the heat again to medium. Add the “cream”, salt and pepper to your taste (you won’t need much), and simmer gently (reducing the heat again, if necessary) for another 2 minutes. (Thin with a bit more soy milk if it becomes too thick) Return the chicken to the pan (along with any juices accumulated while it was waiting), for just another couple of minutes.

Serve the chicken with a generous dollop – or two – of the sauce, along with some Simple Microwave Steamed Potatoes and a green salad.

Simple Microwave Steamed Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 medium gold potatoes
1 1/2 Tbs. butter (Smart Balance Light Spread)
Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Wash and then roughly cube the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place on a large dinner plate and dot with the Smart Balance Light Spread. Cover the plate with plastic wrap, leaving a gap to vent the steam, and microwave on high for 10 minutes, or until fork-tender.

If you, too, have always wondered “what do you do with tarragon, anyway?”, I recommend you start with this dish – either in its original form, or my kosher, lower-fat version. You’ll want to add this versatile herb to your culinary arsenal!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated or induced in any way to use or recommend Tofutti or Smart Balance brands. I wish I had been – I use them all the time in my kitchen, and you should keep them on hand, too. By the way, regular Smart Balance Spread contains dairy. I use the Light version, because it is kosher, pareve, and vegan. Although the package states that it’s not intended for cooking/baking, I use it in both with excellent results. Word.

This post is part of Share Our Holiday Table, a seven-day, online progressive dinner series that we hope will encourage you to support and donate to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign during this critical holiday period. I’m honored to be one of more than 50 bloggers who are participating. If you’ve been following along, the dinner has been unfolding for the last week across 7 courses and in 4 tracks (Gourmet, Family-Friendly, Gluten Free and Vegetarian).

Today’s featured course is the Side Dish and I’m offering you one of my favorite Vegetarian dishes, Kasha Varnishkes. My mom used to make this as a side to pot roast and turkey, and I’ve been cooking it through my adult life, frequently as a main course.

You see, kasha is actually roasted buckwheat kernels and is one of the healthiest grain products out there. A complete protein on its own, high in fiber, yada yada yada, kasha can be used as a main dish, side dish, stuffing, and even as a delicious hot breakfast cereal. It’s also gluten-free, so if that’s an issue for you or someone you love, you can also prepare the following recipe without the pasta as a Kasha Pilaf.

This recipe will feed a crowd on your holiday table or buffet, and makes an attractive change – or addition to – the usual potato fare. If you have less than a crowd, you can easily make half the quantity.

Kasha Pilaf Varnishkes
(serves 8-10 as a side dish, 4-6 as a main course)

Ingredients:

1 14 – 16 oz package Farfalle (Bowtie) pasta

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup carrots, split & sliced thin
1/2 cup celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
1-1/2 cups medium or coarse Kasha
1 large egg or egg white (optional – see Preparation)
2 Tbs canola oil or butter
3 cups vegetable broth (divided)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

If not using the egg, skip to the next step. If using the egg or egg white: Beat the egg or egg white until well-blended. Add the kasha and combine with a fork until the grains are coated well.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the kasha and stir while toasting, till the grains are mostly separate and you smell a pleasant, toasty aroma.

Add the vegetables and 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth, stir well, and saute until the vegetables soften slightly, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the remaining broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan tightly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the kasha is soft. Uncover, and cook an additional 3 – 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the kasha to dry out a bit.

Check the seasoning, and add the farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, tossing together until thoroughly combined. Serve hot.

Notes:

You can find kasha in your regular grocery store in either the pasta/rice aisle or the ethnic foods, kosher products section. I’ve only ever seen Wolff’s brand, but feel free to use any other you may spot. It comes in Fine, Medium, or Coarse granulations. Only use the medium or coarse granulation for this recipe. The fine granulation is mostly for cereal and will turn out mushy.

A variety of liquids can be used to prepare this, including beef or chicken stock (although using these would render this no longer vegetarian), or even water.

The word “varnishkes” refers to the bow-tie pasta. No, I don’t know what it means.

As noted earlier, if you omit the pasta, this Kasha Pilaf is an excellent gluten-free choice, too.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this special holiday post on behalf of Share Our Strength, and that you’ll visit the other participating blogs to see what they’re serving up for Share Our Holiday Table.

In fact, I hope you’ve enjoyed it enough to click on one of these links and make a donation to Share Our Strength and sign the No Kid Hungry Pledge. Approximately 17 million children right here in the United States go hungry because of lack of access to programs that can change that, and lack of access to healthy foods. A hungry child can’t learn.

Even though my husband and I have no kids, we recognize that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders. And can yank our Social Security in a heartbeat.

Will you join us in the No Kid Hungry Campaign?

Today’s side dishes in each track are brought to you by:

Gourmet

• The Urban Baker
• Heather Christo
• We Like to Cook, and Eat
• Plum Pie

Family Friendly

• What’s Cooking
• Dine and Dish
• The Evolving Cook

Vegetarian

• My Kitchen Addiction
• Taste as You Go
• Flamingo Musings (that’s me!)

Gluten Free

• The Whole Gang
• Jenn Cuisine– A mostly gluten free cooking blog.
• Creative Cooking Gluten Free

I’ve got two – count ‘em – two treats for you today! Maybe even three!

I was on the web recently, looking at platform beds for my new space-age foam mattress, when I was struck by an idea for another frozen and healthy concoction (it happens that way, sometimes), and inspired by the new Flickr group,

created by Elle and Heather, I give you treat number one:

Vegan Blueberry “Ice Cream”
(makes about 1-1/2 pints)

Ingredients:

1 dry pint blueberries
1/2 cup agave nectar (divided) -or-
1/2 cup sugar (divided)
1 cup soy milk
1 cup silken tofu
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

Preparation:

Make the blueberry syrup at least one hour before preparing the base.

Wash the blueberries, removing any stems in the process. Do not dry.

To make the syrup: In small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries and 1/4 cup agave nectar or sugar. Bring to a boil, and allow to cook and reduce for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer contents to a heat-proof container, and refrigerate. You should have about 2/3 cup of blueberry syrup. When the syrup is completely cooled (it doesn’t have to be cold – just room temperature is fine), make the “ice cream” base.

To make the base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk, silken tofu, remaining 1/4 cup agave nectar or sugar, vanilla, and salt. Transfer this mixture to the bowl of your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Put the now-soft ice cream into an air-tight container and mix in the blueberry syrup. Cover and freeze – minimum an hour or two.

So, if you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, diabetic, or just want a sweet, frozen sump’n-sump’n on a hot summer day, that won’t kill your diet and might actually be >gasp!< healthy, give this a try while the blueberries are in season!

I promised you a second treat, didn’t I? I don’t think you’ll be disappointed…

I was contacted recently by CSN Stores – you know, the hugely popular web company with over 200 internet stores that carry everything from patio furniture to (my personal fave) Cookware.com? They asked if I would like to give you – my dear, dear readers – a gift certificate for $50! Think about it – $50 to spend anyway you like in any of those 200 stores! It’s like Christmas in June, isn’t it? I said, “Heck, yeah! My readers deserve a little something special!” Because I love my readers. All of my readers. So I know you won’t be mad when I tell you that only those of you with U.S. and Canadian shipping addresses can play. Sorry!

And because I love you, I’m going to give you several ways to win:

First way, go to CSN and find something you’d love to blow $50 on, come back here and leave a comment about it.

Second way, follow me on Google Friend Connect (over there in the sidebar), and leave another comment that you did.

Third way, follow me on Networked Blogs (also over there in the sidebar), and leave another comment. If you already follow me on Google Friend Connect and/or Networked Blogs, leave a comment for each one that you do.

Fourth way, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and/or mention it on Facebook, then come here and leave the link to your tweet or mention in another comment. You can tweet and FB everyday – but only comments about tweets and mentions with links will be counted. Above all, make sure I have a good e-mail address for you – if I can’t contact you within 3 days after the end of this giveaway, I’ll choose a new winner.

Fifth way, “Like” Flamingo Musings on Facebook, and of course, come back and leave a comment that you’re a “liker” (I really hate that… What was wrong with “fan,” anyway?). Again, if you already like Flamingo Musings, please leave a comment saying that.

Winners will be selected by random.org next Sunday night, June 13, 2010 at 11:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time. I’ll tweet, FB, and e-mail the winner shortly afterward.

Fun, right? Well, guess what? Here’s your third treat: My buddy Barbara, over at Barbara Bakes, is also giving away a CSN gift certificate this week! Double your chances of winning by visiting her, too!

One post, three treats – isn’t that a great way to start off the week?

*Disclosure: I have not been paid in any way or given any inducements of any kind to write this post or participate in this giveaway.

Print this post for your Moleskine journal

It’s Monday once again. Back to school, back to work, and back to the eternal question: “What the heck am I going to make for supper that I can get on the table before someone gnaws a hole in the couch?” “Oh. And yeah. I’d like to get a vegetable in there, somewhere.”

My answer? Taco Salad.

Surprise! It’s vegan! Wait! Don’t run away! First the recipe, then my notes (which includes non-vegan/vegetarian substitutions).

Vegan Taco Salad
(makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup ground beef-flavored TVP (textured vegetable protein)

2 cups hot water

1 16 oz. jar of your favorite salsa (I used Oxford Falls Fried Green Tomato Salsa – a tomatillo-based salsa)

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Mixed salad greens

Riceworks Sea Salt Brown Rice Crisps

1 large tomato, diced

Tofutti “Better Than Sour Cream”

Preparation:

In a large frying pan over high heat, pour the water and TVP, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Add the salsa, canned diced tomato, and beans, stir well, and allow to cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, about 10 – 15 minutes.

Assembly:

In a large bowl – I like my flat soup bowls – place a bed of the salad greens. Take a large handful of the chips (count out a serving size, if you like), and crush in your hands, sprinkling them over the greens.

Spoon the chili over the salad greens/chips. Top with a tablespoon of the Tofutti “Better Than Sour Cream” and the fresh diced tomato.

Notes:

No, we haven’t given up meat. I guess we’ve always been “flexitarians” before there was actually a name for it. All that means is that we have vegetarian meals a few days a week. That’s just the way we’ve always been, without giving it any thought. Our use of TVP actually grew out of a desire to find non-meat substitutions for dishes we wanted to cook in which you can’t get around the dairy ingredients, in my kosher kitchen.

This is one of the variations of my 15 minute chili / sloppy joes. Okay, so you don’t have to make it vegan, but in the spirit of environmentalism and the movement to eat more meatless meals, I urge you to try it. All of the ingredients are easily available in natural foods markets or online, and this is one painless and delicious introduction to that exercise.

If you keep kosher, feel free to use dairy sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. TVP is certified kosher / pareve.

To make this with meat, substitute the TVP and water for one pound of ground beef. Brown the ground beef and then add the rest of the ingredients as indicated. You can use any tortilla chips and dairy sour cream for your toppings.

To quote the old commercial: “Try it, you’ll like it!”

*Disclaimer: I have not been paid or otherwise induced to use the named products. I use them because I like them. So there.

Yes, I know it’s Tuesday. What’s your point?

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, is coming up in a couple of weeks, beginning at sunset on Friday, September 18th. In case you’re unfamiliar, Rosh Hashana begins a ten-day period of introspection, atonement for misdeeds during the previous year, and of giving charity and doing good deeds, to hopefully have your name sealed in God’s “Book of Life” for the next year.

We wish each other a Sweet Year and mark the occasion by eating special foods, such as apples dipped in honey and other foods touched with sweetness, like honey cake. For Rosh Hashana, the challah bread you might be familiar with, is not braided, but coiled into a smooth round shape, signifying the Circle of Life and God’s Nature – there is no beginning and no end.

MJ and I will be spending the first evening at my mother’s and the second evening at my brother’s, so I won’t be doing any of the actual cooking, this year, but I am baking the challahs and honey cakes for both dinners, by special request. I’m even baking challahs and honey cakes to order for my co-workers at $10 apiece, and donating the money to the Komen Foundation to find a cure for Breast Cancer!

Some people equate the New Year honey cake with the Christmas fruitcake – traditional, but more useful as a doorstop. I proudly admit that I like fruitcake – properly aged in a fine Irish whiskey – and I love a good honey cake. This is one of them.

I posted a recipe for my favorite Honey Cake, last year, but as with all things, evolution happens. I’ve tweaked this a bit further, adjusted a couple of measurements, and added a little ground cardamom for even more dimension.

This is my new favorite.

Honey Cake

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup hot strong coffee

Handful of sliced almonds (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325º F.

Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together the wet ingredients in a large bowl until blended, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, alternating with coffee, until batter is smooth.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. If using sliced almonds, sprinkle them on top of the batter in 2 columns, on either side of the center. 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 a rack; cool completely.

Wrap cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature or if preparing ahead, seal in freezer storage bag and freeze.

Makes about 8 servings.

Of course, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this honey-sweetened spice cake! It’s the perfect first taste of Fall – try it topped with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream and cup of coffee or tea on the side. Mmmm… This freezes really well, too, so make it now, wrap it well, put it in a plastic freezer storage bag, and you’ll have one less thing to think about, when preparing your holiday meal!

And speaking of charity and doing good deeds, now would be a really good time to donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to cure Breast Cancer through my page! Remember – I’ve pledged to add $2.00 out of my own pocket per donation made through my page, no matter the size – so please click here and do a good deed! Thanks!

If you’re good, I’ll give you the challah recipe next week!