Passover Charoset

Charoset (pronounced ha-ROW-set) is arguably one of the easiest Passover dishes to prepare, and one of the best foods of this holiday, in my opinion.  It is also one of the most varied, with recipes and ingredients ranging widely depending on the Jewish tradition, as well as the particular Jewish family.  Some use apples and dates, while others use figs and almonds.  Some people use cinnamon alone, while others use a wider variety of spices.  Check out the Jewess with Attitude's blog post, Charoset Medley, to find out more about the endless possibilities of this dish.  And the best part is that charoset is naturally gluten-free.  No modifications necessary!  Suffice to say, I have yet to find a charoset that I do NOT like.

Charoset is eaten as part of a traditional seder dinner and is a sweet paste made of fruits, nuts, red wine, and sugar, usually eaten as a topping for matzoh crackers. (And by the way, do you all know about Yehuda Gluten-free Matzoh crackers??  They are pictured in this post.)  The paste-like consistency symbolizes the mortar that Israelite slaves used to bind bricks together when they were building cities in Ancient Egypt.  I've seen it as a very chunky paste before (almost like a sweet, wine-infused salad), but also sometimes as a very thick, smooth paste, in which all ingredients have been very well-blended.  My own family's recipe is of the chunky variety, but you could easily puree this to make it more mortar-like if you want to increase the symbolic power of this delicious Passover treat.  What follows is the delicious recipe that I enjoy every year on Passover, but I encourage you to experiment with this and other charoset recipes to find one you love!

Charoset
Makes enough for 3-4 moderately hungry seder guests

1 whole apple, peeled, cored, and very finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds (or as much as you like!)
4 dates, chopped into small pieces
Handful of raisins
Red wine to coat
Cinnamon (to taste)
White and brown sugar (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Adjust sugar and wine to taste.  Chill until ready to serve.  Eat as a topping for gluten-free matzoh.

Irish Soda Bread

I'm a convert.  A soda bread convert, that is.

It's not like I used to hate soda bread or anything.  I don't even know that I ever even tried a regular piece before being diagnosed with celiac.  And maybe that's why I was never particularly compelled to make a gluten-free version of it.

If only I had known, I might have tried this recipe years ago.  It's a bread that sits on the fence, with a hint of sweetness on the one side and a slightly bitter aftertaste that gives you pause, and then makes you want to take another bite, and another, and another.  It doesn't taste quite like a regular loaf of bread, but also doesn't taste like a dessert bread.  It's fantastically in between the two, and to make it even better, it comes together very quickly since you don't need to proof any yeast.  The raisins add intermittent splashes of subtle sweetness (hint: try using the raisins that are specifically for baking so they don't dry out as much).  Absolutely perfect with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, this bread is pretty addictive.

Since I have learned not to trust my own taste buds as indicators of what others will find delicious, I tested it on several friends who can eat gluten;  one friend took one bite before proclaiming "Oh, it's delicious!", while another (who is a huge fan of regular soda bread) called it, in his own words, "DAMN good" (he really did put that emphasis on DAMN, I swear).

Having never made a regular loaf of Irish soda bread before, I was unsure about the texture.  I knew it was supposed to be a very sturdy bread, but even though it called for 30 minutes of baking, I got nervous after the top was dark brown after only 25 minutes and took it out of the oven then.  It was baked through, but ended up being rather soft when it cooled.  Unless you're really wanting that particularly hard texture, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, and besides, it firmed up quite nicely after 2 days in the fridge.  However, if you want to eat a firmer loaf, I'd suggest either baking it for longer at a lower temperature (perhaps 325 F instead of 375) or making it a day or two before you want to serve it.

You can find the recipe I followed from the Gluten-free Goddess here.  I used Sunmaid Baking Raisins, substituted a real egg for the egg replacer, and also brushed a thin layer of hemp milk over the top of the loaf before baking to give the crust more of a sheen and crunch.  Make this when you have someone to share it with - they'll appreciate it!