I don’t know about you, but for me foods are inherently connected to memories. Long ago I understood that part of the reason I like to eat vegan junk food every now and then (burgers made with Beyond Meat, ice-cream from Golda, Wonderz sausages, etc.) is because even though the vegan versions don’t have the exact same texture or taste as the real things, they bring back my favorite memories connected to the real things.
One of my favorite memories from Rosh Hashana was eating teiglach at home with my Bubby and Zaidy (grandparents) and my “favorite” aunt when we were together for the holiday meals. I am calling her my “favorite” aunt because up until her untimely death, whenever we met she would give me a big kiss with, “Give a big kiss to your favorite auntie.” She did this even when she came to Israel for my oldest son’s bar mitzva and I was already 38.
In any case, this recipe isn’t vegan, but with the holiday coming up and reflecting on years gone by, the memory popped up and the recipe came out. It’s a little complex – but well worth it!
Ingredients:
· 3 eggs
· 3 tbsp. oil
· 1 tsp. kosher salt
· 2 cups flour
· 1 tsp. baking powder
· 2 cups dried fruit and nuts (almonds, walnuts, coconut, and dried cranberries, raisins and apricots)
· ¾ cup sugar
· 1½ cups honey
· Zest of 1 lemon
· ½ tsp. ginger
· ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Directions:
- Gently beat the eggs with the oil and salt. Mix in 1 cup of flour and the baking powder. Add the remaining flour slowly, until the dough is soft but workable. (You may need slightly less or slightly more than the 2 cups, depending on a number of factors.)
- Knead the dough for a few minutes, until smooth, then cover and set aside for 10–15 minutes.
- Roll the dough out and cut into small pieces. If you prefer rounder pieces, you can roll the dough into ropes and then cut into pieces.
- You can either fry or bake the dough. To fry, drop the pieces into hot oil until they puff up and turn golden. To bake, spread the pieces over a greased cookie sheet and bake at 190° C for 15–20 minutes until pieces are golden brown.
- Place the honey, sugar, ginger and lemon zest into a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add in the pieces of dough, dried fruit, nuts and salt, and stir so the syrup coats all the pieces. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool for 4–5 minutes, then gently spoon into cupcake wrappers. Sprinkle with coconut if desired, and let cool. Store an in airtight container at room temperature.
