apples and honey challah

… with the following changes:

• Add ¾ teaspoon of cardamom with the flour

• Add 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla paste or vanilla extract with the eggs

• Replace ½ of the water (3/4 cup) with apple cider or apple juice

  Follow the directions as given until the dough has gone through its first rising.

  You’ll need to set aside one egg, whisked with a teaspoon of cold water, for an egg wash.

  While the dough is rising, make the filling.

• For the Filling:

• 4 large Honeycrisp or other crisp sweet apples, about 1 ½ pounds

• 1½ cups dark brown sugar, packed

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons water

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• about ⅓ cup honey, as needed

Method:

• Peel, core, and roughly chop the apples.

• Toss the apples with the cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt, and allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes to give off their liquid.

• Warm the butter in a skillet and add the apples with the liquid that has accumulated in the bowl. Sauté over medium heat until the apples are tender and just begin to caramelize.

• In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and the water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Then pour the cornstarch mixture into the apples in the pan. Now, it’s important to stir constantly so that the mixture thickens without developing lumps of cornstarch. Once the contents of the pan look thickened and shiny, remove from heat and allow them to cool.

• Divide the dough in half. Set half aside for another loaf of Star of David Apple Challah or for any challah shape you’d like to make.

• Take the half of the dough that you’re using and cut it into four equal pieces. I use a scale for this but you can do it by eye. Roll each one into a ball, cover them with a clean kitchen towel, and let them rest for ten minutes, in order for the gluten to relax a bit before rolling them out.

• Lay out a large sheet of parchment paper, and with a floured rolling pin, roll one of your four dough balls into a 10” circle. One easy way to do this is to trace the circumference of a 10” dinner plate onto the parchment with a pencil. You can use your fingers to help coax it into shape. Then move your disk of dough over to another sheet of parchment, and roll out the second disk on the same template.

• Warm honey in a small bowl in the microwave to make it easy to spread.

• Brush a thin layer of honey over the first disc, leaving a half inch border all around the edge. Arrange one third of the apple filling evenly over the honey.

• Brush a thin layer of honey over the second disc, leaving a half inch border all around the edge. Lay the second disc over the first, making sure to line up the edges. Spread another third of the apple mixture over the honey.

• Roll out the third disc and repeat the process—brush it lightly with honey, place it on top of the other two, and top with the remaining apples.

• Roll out the final disc of dough and place it on top of the others. You won’’t be adding anything on top of this final layer.

• Working with your fingers, move around the circle, pressing the edges of all the layers together so there are no gaps. Then tuck the pressed edges under the layered disc.

• Using a 3” round cookie cutter, find the center of your disc and place the cutter directly in the middle. Don’t cut through, just press hard enough to make an indentation.

• Now, imagine your disc of dough as a clock. From the edge of the inner circle that you imprinted with the cutter, make 4 cuts at twelve o’clock, three o’clock, six o’clock, and nine o’clock. Use a sharp knife and cut all the way through.

• Next, go back and make 8 more cuts, judging the spacing by eye, for the rest of the numbers of the clock. (one o’clock, two o’clock, four o’clock, five o’clock, seven o’clock, eight o’clock, ten o’clock, and eleven o’clock. Be sure to cut all the way through each time.

• And now, it’s time to do the twist! It’s all in the wrist. Gently pick up two triangular sections that are next to each other and holding them one in each hand, twist them away from each other—once, then twice. Lay them down and pinch them together at the outside edge. Set them down.

• Repeat the twisting away with rest of the sections, pinching each pair together as you lay them down. You’ll now have six sections.

• Finally, pinch the six sections together at the edge, each one to the next.

• Carefully slide your star challah onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. (the parchment you’ve been working on probably has cuts in it by now! Cover it with a sheet of parchment to keep it from drying out, and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 350°

• Brush your Star of David Spiced Apple Challah with the egg wash. Wait a few minutes and give it a second coat. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar or colored sprinkles, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until it’s golden in color and looks done. Allow it to cool on the pan for ten minutes and then slide it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

If there’s any left over at the end of the day, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.

May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year and a sweet year!

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

One recipe for my Round Rosh Hashanah Challah …

star of david

sweet apples and honey challah with warm spices

for rosh hashanah

I know that the length of the instructions can be off-putting, but don’t despair. It seems long because each step is carefully laid out. I promise that this is easier than it looks.