Each year, for my Rosh Hashanah sweet table, I like to make some tried and true recipes (my favorite honey cake) as well as some new things. What could be more fitting than a dual offering of tradition and innovation? This new crop of honey-kissed, New Year’s recipes are variations on familiar Jewish baking recipes – but they take on a new look and feel, simply by some refinements and imagination. Don’t be surprised if what is new this year, becomes next year’s tradition!

Sublime. A study in autumn in the kitchen.
This crunchy biscotti features chopped dried apples, natural apple syrup and smooth, cloverleaf honey. After baking, the sliced cookie is dipped first in apple juice and then sugar and baked once more, for a caramelized crunchy exterior.

BATTER
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light honey
2 tablespoons pure apple syrup or honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter
or canola oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/4 cup natural apple juice
3 – 4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely minced, optional
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried apple slices, plumped, dried, and chopped coarsely
1 cup finely diced tart apples
1/2 cup yellow raisins
1/2 cup ground walnuts, optional*
Cinnamon, for dusting

APPLE CRUNCH COATING
2 cups sugar, approximately
2 cups apple juice, approximately

Preheat oven to 350 F. Double up a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones - four altogether) and line top one with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar, honey, apple syrup and butter together until well blended. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and apple juice and mix well, about 2-3 minutes.

Fold in flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, salt and blend well. Fold in apples, raisins, and walnuts.

Spread batter out in a 10-11 inch by 4-5 inch length. Pat top with about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Bake until set, 45-55 minutes.

Cool well, then slice into diagonal slices, about 1 inch thick. Place apple juice in a shallow dish and place the sugar on a large sheet of parchment paper. Carefully dip one side of biscotti into apple juice and then into sugar, pressing lightly.

Place sugar side down on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining biscotti. Bake to dry out and caramelize sugar, about 20-30 minutes at 325 F. Bake until cookies are dry to the touch and sugar seems set, reducing heat if cookies are browning whilst sugar is still wet to the touch.

Makes about 3 dozen. You can also make smaller ones by cutting long cookies in half before dipping.

This heady and velvety fusion of mellow honey, pure cocoa, coca-cola, and a gentle hand with traditional honey cake spices makes this sublime.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup corn oil
1 cup mild honey
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup coca-cola or strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup, optional, coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup slivered almonds, optional*

Garnish
Confectioners’ sugar, or cocoa, or drizzled
melted semi-sweet chocolate
Microwave Ganache Glaze
3/4 cup water or heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously spray a nine or ten-inch tube or angel food cake pan or a ten-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves.

In a food processor, add in the oil, honey, white sugar, and brown sugar and blend well about 30 seconds. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and coca cola and blend well another minute. Fold in the dry ingredients and blend about 2 minutes until smooth, stopping machine once or twice to insure that ingredients are all blended and not stuck at the bottom.

Fold in chocolate chips if using. Spoon or pour batter into prepared pan (s). Sprinkle with almonds if using.

Place cake on baking sheet and bake until done, about 60-75 minutes until cake springs back when gently pressed with fingertips. Cool ten minutes before unmolding from pan.

For the Microwave Ganache, place the water or milk in a microwavable bowl and heat to just boiling in the microwave. Remove from the microwave and stir in chocolate chips all at once and whisk to blend. Stir in the honey. Chill until mixture is thick enough to spread on cake, as a frosting, about 1-2 hours.

Serves 12-16

A sheet of sweet dough swells to a throne for fresh apple slices. This is easy and as good for breakfast as it is for tea or coffee break or after High Holiday services. See the Busy Baker frozen dough approach if you are in a hurry or not enthralled with yeast.

Sweet Dough

1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups warm milk or warm water
1 1 /2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 eggs
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened or unsalted margarine
pinch cinnamon
5-6 cups bread flour, approx.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously spray a 10-inch angel cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl or bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough book, hand stir the water and yeast together. Let stand a few minutes then stir in milk (or water), sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, eggs, butter and cinnamon. Stir in most of flour until you have a soft mass. Stir, and then knead 8-10 minutes to form a soft dough, adding in more flour as required.

Gather into a ball or mass in the work bowl. Spray sides of bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place the bowl inside a large plastic bag and let rise until almost doubled, 45-60 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare apples. Toss the prepared apples in a bowl with sugar, honey, butter and cinnamon.

Gently deflate the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Press out the dough on a floured surface into a oval of about 10 inches orso. Press in half of apples and cover up with dough (folding in quarters).Use a rolling pin and press down and then press in remaining apples. Mush inand cover again with dough - any way you can. Apples will leak out but that is fine - just press them back in as best you can.

Let dough rest 10 minutes and then using a sharp knife or dough knife, cut into 14 portions. Gently place the portions in the prepared cake pan. Spray the top of the dough with non-stick cooking spray and insert the whole pan in a large plastic bag, sealing lightly. When almost doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes, remove from the bag.

Place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush generously with egg wash and sprinkle on regular or coarse sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place on baking sheet. Bake until nicely browned, about 55-70 minutes. Let rest in pan 5-10 minutes before gently unmolding and cooling. Slice to serve and offer with a bowl of honey to dip slices of babka into.