Category: Dessert

Passion for Persimmon: Salad & Sorbet

I’ve blogged about persimmon before, but I couldn’t help exploring the overlooked fruit again since I just. can’t. get. enough. I first fell in love with persimmon when I went to seminary in Israel, where they can be found in abundance.

The most important thing to know about persimmon is this: there are 2 different types, fuyu and hachiya. They can both be enjoyed during the fall months, you just need to know how to eat them.

Don’t worry, I’ve pretty much got it all down pat. Read on and you’ll soon be on your way to persimmon heaven.

Fuyu persimmon have a squatted flat shape, almost like a tomato. They can be eaten when firm, but are best when they are just the slightest bit soft and orange in color.

My favorite way to enjoy fuju persimmon is in a salad. Use it as you would mango or papaya.

Fuyu persimmon also benefit from roasting with warm spices like cinnamon and allspice with a drizzle of honey.

Kale Salad with Persimmon & Pomegranate

1 bunch kale leaves, center ribs and stems removed
2 fuyu persimmon, hulled, peeled and chopped
1 pomegranate, deseeded (how to deseed a pomegranate)
1 avocado, cubed
1 small red onion, sliced thinly into half rings

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra light olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

Tear kale into pieces and place in a large bowl, Add persimmon and pomegranate and mix to combine.

Add dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk to emulsify. Pour over salad before serving.

VARIATION: If persimmon are not in season, you may substitute with mango or peaches.

TIP: I have read that massaging the kale helps to get rid of it’s bitter aftertaste.

 

Hachiya persimmon are oval-shaped and cannot be eaten unless they are incredibly ripe – almost to the point of looking rotten. Unripe hachiya persimmon will leave a dry, pithy substance in your mouth that will make you want to scream :)

My favorite way to enjoy hachiya persimmon (short of eating the silky smooth pulp with a spoon) is freezing them for a few hours until the liquid turns into a creamy sorbet. One taste and you’d never imagine it was that easy!

The silky pump of hachiya persimmons can also be mixed into baked goods like cakes and pies as well as puddings and smoothies.

 

Hachiya Persimmon Sorbet

1 very ripe hachiya persimmon

Method:

Wash the persimmon and place in the freezer for 2-4 hours, until slushy, but not frozen solid. Turn upside down and slice off the tip. Scoop out the creamy flesh and enjoy.

1 year ago: apple celery veggie dip

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Rainbow Cupcakes

We all know I’m not much of a baker, but when my newsfeed got flooded with Noah rainbow crafts of all kinds, I was inspired to create something fun with my kids. All those multicolored rainbow cakes were definitely out of my league, mixing one batter is enough for me – forget 6! (not to mention all that unhealthy food coloring). Inspiration struck from my pinterest crafting board, where I pinned this cupcake idea a while back. I simplified the idea by using a simple glaze instead of a buttercream, as well as mini marshmallows instead of pastry cream. The results are absolutely adorable! Feel free to use your favorite cupcake recipe, or follow my easy no-mixer recipe below.

*In the story of Noah, G-d promised never to destroy the world again with a flood, and as a symbol of that promise, he made a rainbow appear.

Rainbow Cupcakes

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
blue food coloring
rainbow sour belt candy
mini marshmallows

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar and baking powder to combine. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, orange juice, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into cupcake tins filled with liners, until they are 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the confectioners sugar with the milk and stir until smooth. Add a few drops of food coloring, until the glaze reaches a deep sky blue. Once the cupcakes are cooled, spread the glaze over them. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes and prepare the decorations.

For each cupcake, set aside 1 sour belt and 3 mini marshmallows. With a knife, or using your hands, pull each marshmallow apart into 2 pieces (this will expose the sticky part and help them stick together). Press 3 marshmallow halves together to form clouds. Take the sour belt candy and gently press each side into the cupcakes to form a loop. Place the clouds on each side of the rainbow, pressing down to secure it in the icing.

Yields approximatley 24 cupcakes.

1 year ago: 3 layer chocolate cake martini

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Cinnamon Infused Honey


Have you ever seen those honey straws that the stores start carrying around the holidays? I can’t get enough of the delicious honey flavors! Every year, I buy a large assortment and place them in a vase at the center of my table. I also like to add a honey straw to each person’s place setting. Usually, I tie a bow around some gold napkins with raffia and slip a straw inside.

Honey straws come in an array of flavors from caramel to chamomile. But you don’t have to buy them to enjoy the taste of flavored honeys. You can make your own flavored or infused honey at home by following a few simple steps (see method below).

I love the combination of cinnamon and honey, but feel free to make your flavor of choice. I like to drizzle thyme honey over figs and cheese or vanilla honey over poached pears. The possibilities are endless, here are just a few…

rosemary
thyme
lavender
cumin seeds
fennel seeds
cardamom seeds
chamomile blossoms
rose petals
mint
lemon
vanilla
chile

What’s your favorite honey flavor?

This post is part of the Kosher Recipe Linkup for the month of September, featuring HONEY recipes. Scroll down for more!

Cinnamon Infused Honey

1 cup good quality pure floral honey
5 sticks cinnamon

Method:

Add honey and cinnamon sticks to a pot (running some warm water over the honey jar will make it easier to pour) and warm over low heat. Make sure the honey does not come to a boil (you’ll lose some of it’s health benefits and it will also create a huge mess if it boils over!). Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove honey from heat and cool (but keep it warm enough that it’s still easy to pour). Pour the honey and a few of the cinnamon sticks into a glass jar and seal. The longer the honey sits, the more of a cinnamon flavor it will take on. You can taste it periodically and remove the cinnamon sticks once the honey has reached your desired taste.

VARIATION: For other honey flavors, use approximately ½ cup herbs (unless they are very pungent) to 1-2 cups honey. Strain the honey from the herbs or spices when you are done steeping.

1 year ago: rosh hashanah roast

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Apple & Honey Tart


You’ll never believe how easy this beautiful tart is to make. It only requires 4 ingredients, and the dough isn’t even homemade!  The secret to this scrumptious dessert is puff pastry. I’m a huge fan of puff pastry because as most of you already know, I don’t like to bake, and it comes already prepared in the freezer section of every supermarket. I’ve been known to sneak puff pastry into just about any recipe that calls for a dough, even rugelach and hamantaschen!


Truth be told, I can’t take all the credit for this simple, elegant and delicious dessert. Last year, my wonderful sister-in-laws decided to treat me out to a fun evening at the Kosher Culinary Institute for my birthday. It was a special “date night” class, so my husband joined me in preparing a gourmet meal together with a few other couples. We really enjoyed the evening and I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember exactly what was on the menu. What I do remember is making spaetzle from scratch, whipping up cherry clafoutis for dessert, and what was a mere afterthought of the chef – a version of this apple tart.

For other sweet puff pastry ideas, check out Dina’s apple turnovers or my sweet potato bourekas on kosherstreet.

 

Apple & Honey Tart

1-2 crispy sweet apples, cored and thinly sliced (unpeeled)
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup honey
1/2 lemon
powdered sugar, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold puff pastry sheet and cut it in half down the center (don’t worry about the creases from the folding, they will disappear during baking). Place the halves on a greased cookie sheet.

Add honey to a microwave-proof bowl and heat in the microwave until warm, about 20 seconds. Brush the puff pastry with the warm honey. Mix the apple slices with lemon juice and place them along the length of the puff pastry, overlapping over each other. Brush the apples with additional honey (warm the honey again, if necessary). Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until pastry has puffed up and is golden brown around the edges.

Drizzle with additional honey and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

This tart cannot be frozen (the apples will turn soggy) but it may be prepared in advance. Just warm it in the oven to crisp up the pastry before serving.

NOTE: Don’t worry if some of the honey syrup leaks off the puff pastry during baking. It will actually help caramelize the puff pastry around the edges. Just remove the puff pastry to a cooling rack as soon as you take it out of the oven.

TIP: Always make sure your puff pastry is cold otherwise it may become difficult to handle. If the dough becomes sticky, just return it to the fridge so that it can firm up again.

VARIATION: Try this tart with other fruits like sliced pears or peaches, or for a delicious dairy option, spread some goat cheese on the puff pastry, and top with figs and honey.

 

1 year ago: honey cake with caramelized apples

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Cherries in Red Wine Syrup

Sometimes I feel like a grandma. And not just because I’m always tired from running after the kids or because I like to sit on the glider in my babies room and crochet. It’s because I have that old lady habit of not wanting to throw food away. And let me tell you people. I did not grow up that way. If a tomato so much as had a dimple, my mom would consider it rotten. Me? I go through my fridge and brainstorm about how I can use each and every fruit and vegetable to the last drop. If my fruits are getting too soft, I’ll make a compote. If my tomatoes are mushy, I’ll make a tomato soup. I just can’t stomach throwing food away. Lucky for my family, I don’t serve up Shabbos leftovers passed Monday, but I’ve been know to turn my leftover chicken soup into chicken pot pie. Lets hope I don’t become like one of those Bubby’s who is still serving up their leftover gefilte fish on Thursday!

Turning leftovers into do-overs recipes:

curry chicken salad
turkey pot pie
salmon pasta salad
chicken pot pie
black grape and plum compote
Bubby’s cabbage soup with flanken

Last week, I had some cherries that were on their way out. I thought about making cherry clafoutis, but I wasn’t really in the mood of baking (am I ever?). So I googled “leftover cherries” and I found my way to David Lebovitz’s cherries in red wine syrup. I’m a sucker for anything in red wine, so I knew I just had to make it. I’ve poached pears, figs, and prunes, but never cherries. My only issue with David’s recipe is that he uses cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I did not see a need for that at all. If you let the wine reduce enough, it will thicken into a lovely syrup. I served it over vanilla bean ice cream and pound cake, but I could eat it plain, straight out of a bowl.

More red wine recipes:

poached pears
mulled wine
Rosh Hashana roast
london broil with red wine reduction

 

Cherries in Red Wine Syrup
adapted from David Lebovitz

1 pound fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Put the cherries, wine, vinegar, almond extract and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes, until the cherries are wilted and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Serve over ice cream.

1 year ago: fried fish sandwich

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