By now, most Jewish people are deep into their Seder dinners, as the first night of Passover began at Sundown today. However, I'm not Jewish so I don't get to enjoy the ceremonial storytelling and delicious Seder feast tonight.
Much of the story of Passover is about suffering, so I feel sort of sacrilegous in thinking that haroset is delicious. Haroset has its place on the Seder plate, representing the mortar that the Israelis used for building when they were kept as slaves in Egypt. Haroset can be made in many different ways, but the most basic recipe is made from apples, nuts, and sweet wine.
After about 6-8 chopped apples, and anywhere from a ¼ to ½ cup of syrupy sweet red wine, haroset is pretty much up for anyone's interpretation. (Incidentally, I am no stranger to Manischewitz - probably my first introduction to wine, and in elementary school, no less!). I added ½ cup of chopped walnuts, though some recipes use almonds, and I also added lemon zest in with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Lemon juice - that's probably not very symbolic for Passover, but itkeeps the apples from turning brown.
Some recipes use white sugar, some use honey - I used a little of both. Finally in the recipe, a teaspoon or less, or more, as you prefer, of cinnamon. I think if I added cranberries, I could take this haroset right to the Thanksgiving table! Haroset is served room temperature, though you can put it in the fridge to save for later. I thought putting it in the fridge may let the flavors blend together more, but I waited all of five minutes before I took it right back out and ate the haroset like a dessert right out of the bowl with a spoon.
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