Kitchens flowing with apples and honey

It may still be summer but Rosh Hashana is just around the corner; mix the two holiday favorites for a sweet New Year.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Caramelized apple krantz (photo credit: Courtesy)
Caramelized apple krantz
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Dipping apples in honey is one of the most beloved customs of Rosh Hashana, symbolizing our wishes that the coming year will be sweet and whole. Chef Amir Porat of Biscotti Bakery in Bnei Brak has created new versions of the traditional honey cake, adding apples, almonds and dates for an even sweeter New Year.
Apple and Honey Pie 26 cm. pie mold
For the dough ✔ 1½ cups flour ✔ 3 Tbsp. finely ground almonds ✔ 150 gr. butter ✔ ⅓ cup sugar ✔ 1 egg yolk ✔ Zest of 1 orange For the apples ✔ 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled ✔ ½ cup brown sugar ✔ 1 Tbsp. lemon juice ✔ 4 Tbsp. honey ✔ 100 gr. butter ✔ 1 tsp. cinnamon For the topping ✔ 2⁄3 cup flour ✔ ½ cup powdered sugar ✔ 3 Tbsp. almonds, finely ground ✔ 80 gr. butter, cold, cubed ✔ 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
To prepare the dough: Mix all ingredients in a food processor or a mixer until smooth.
Remove and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the dough and line in a pie dish. Bake in a 180° oven for 12 minutes.
To prepare the apples: Core the apples and slice or cube them. Melt butter in a skillet, add the apples and the rest of the ingredients. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until apples are cooked. Let cool and arrange on the baked pie crust.
To prepare the topping: In a food processor, mix all ingredients in pulses (4-5) until crumbles form. Sprinkle over the apples to cover the whole pie. Bake for 20 minutes in a 180° oven.
Honey and Apple Cake  Makes 2 loaf cakes
✔ 4 eggs ✔ 3⁄4 cup sugar ✔ 3⁄4 cup oil ✔ 1 cup honey ✔ 2½ cups flour ✔ 1 packet baking powder ✔ 1 tsp. baking soda ✔ 1 cup strong fruit infusion (tea) ✔ 1 tsp. cinnamon ✔ 1 tsp. ground ginger ✔ ¼ tsp. ground clove ✔ 2-3 green apples, peeled and cut into small cubes
Oil and line 2 loaf forms. Heat oven to 170°.
Beat together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes at medium speed). Add oil and then honey and mix.
In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: seasonings, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the wet mixture and mix until smooth. Add the tea and the apples and mix well.
Divide the batter equally between the 2 forms. Bake for 40 minutes.
baking class Apples and honey Caramelized apple krantz August 22, 2013 9 weekend Caramelized apple krantz Makes 2 cakes This recipe calls for two-day preparation.
First day, preparing the dough; second day, filling and baking. But the result is worth the trouble.
For the dough ✔ 1 kilo (7 cups) flour ✔ 50 gr. fresh yeast (1 cube) ✔ ½ cup sugar ✔ 10 Tbsp. oil ✔ 2 large eggs ✔ 1 tsp. salt ✔ 2 cups lukewarm water ✔ 1 tsp. vanilla extract ✔ 1 packet vanilla sugar ✔ Zest of ½ lemon ✔ 300 gr. soft butter
Apple filling ✔ 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced ✔ ½ cup brown sugar ✔ 1 Tsp. lemon juice ✔ 4 Tbsp. silan ✔ 100 gr. butter ✔ 1 tsp. cinnamon ✔ Pinch each: cardamom, baharat ✔ Zest of ½ lemon ✔ Zest of ½ orange Cheese filling ✔ 750 gr. 5-9% white cheese ✔ ½ cup sugar ✔ 1 bag (70 gr.) instant vanilla pudding mix ✔ Zest f ½ orange ✔ 100 gr. ricotta (optional)
To prepare dough “head”: In a glass bowl, mix yeast, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. flour and 50 ml. lukewarm water. Mix and cover with plastic wrap for a few minutes until the yeast begins to bubble.
To prepare dough: In a mixer bowl, using a kneading attachment, mix together all the ingredients except salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix slowly until dough is smooth. Add salt and mix 2 more minutes at slow speed.
Remove from bowl, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
After an hour, take the dough out and divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a 3-cm. thick rectangle.
Spread soft butter on one half of each rectangle. Fold the unbuttered half over the buttered one. Turn and roll again to a 3-cm.
thick rectangle. Fold like a 3-page book – ⅓ over from both sides. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until the following day.
The next day To prepare apple filling: Melt butter in a skillet. Add apples, sugar and the rest of the ingredients. Cook over low heat until apples are soft. Let cool for 1 hour.
To prepare cheese filling: Mix together sugar and pudding mix. Add cheeses and orange zest. Mix by hand until smooth.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 160°.
To assemble the krantz: Remove dough from refrigerator.
Roll each part into 20x30-cm. rectangles (about 5 mm. thick). Spread half the cheese mixture on each, leaving 1-cm.
edge around. Arrange the apple mixture over the cheese, spreading evenly over the 2 parts. Roll the cakes into “sausages” and place in loaf forms to rise until double in size (about 1 hour). Before baking, brush the cakes with beaten egg and sprinkle with crushed nuts.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Apple cinnamon brioche
✔ 20 cupcakes baking molds or 1 large round mold ✔ 3 cups flour ✔ 25 gr. (½ cube) fresh yeast ✔ 2⁄3 cup sugar ✔ 1 flat tsp. salt ✔ 1 egg ✔ ½ cup milk ✔ 150 gr. soft butter, cut into cubes ✔ 1 tsp. vanilla extract ✔ Zest of ½ lemon ✔ Zest of ½ orange ✔ Caramelized apples (see recipe below)
To make the dough: Place all the ingredients except the butter in a mixer bowl.
Using the dough arm, mix together at medium speed for 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 30 minutes.
Continue mixing, gradually adding the butter until it is integrated into the batter (about 2-3 minutes). Cover the bowl with plastic and let rise for 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the caramelized apples (see recipe below).
Heat oven to 170°.
Remove plastic wrap and add the caramelized apples. Continue kneading the dough with the apples. Divide dough into small 70-80-gram balls (makes about 18-20 balls).
Place each ball in a cupcake mold or place all of them in one large round mold and let rise for 1 hour.
Brush with beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes.
Garnish with cinnamon sticks.
Caramelized apples
✔ 8 green apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes ✔ 1 cup brown sugar ✔ 2 Tbsp. lemon juice ✔ 8 Tbsp. honey ✔ 150 gr. butter ✔ Zest of ½ lemon ✔ Zest of ½ orange
Melt butter in a skillet. Add all the ingredients.
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
Let cool at least 1 hour.
Recipes and photos courtesy of chef Amir Porat and Biscotti Bakery, 67 Hayarkon Street, Bnei Brak. Orders can be delivered to most parts of Israel. Call (03) 570-4015/8.