This is beautiful – a sweet year

Honey for the New Year in a silver dish given to me by a friend.  A sweet year to all.  In real life, that honey glows. 

Honey Cake for the New Year

Honey cake is a Rosh Hashanah tradition. This holiday honey cake is easy to make and delicious to eat.

Save Room for Dessert is run by Joy of Baking.  Yes, her name is Joy and she is a talented cook and baker.  If you go to her  blog, she has loads of ice cream recipes and loads of chocolate recipes including all the other diverse group of treats for us to enjoy. 

Ingredients:      

• 2 Tbsp. instant coffee dissolved into 3/4 cup hot water
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. oil                  
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 3/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour  mix
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation: 

1. Dissolve coffee into water. Cool.
2. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius).
3. Mix eggs, oil, apple sauce, honey and brown sugar in a using an electric mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon and salt).
5. Alternating, add flour mixture and coffee to the egg mixture in the bowl. Mix lightly until just smooth.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. 

TFF – Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Almonds

 This is my submission to Tyler Florence Fridays.    Check out the this blog and you will find a new cooking club as well as Tyler’s recipes.  Thanks to Debbie and Nataysha

 

The Jewish New Year is upon us and I have been cooking up a storm.  Alas, I made this, forgetting that we do not eat nuts for those two days.  It will not go to waste though.  Let me take this moment to wish each of our Jewish friends, a good and sweet year and a Happy Holiday. 

 

More appropriate to Rosh Ha Shana (the head of the year) are sweet foods and particularly honey.  My daughter just baked a honey cake for the holiday.  We also dip our challah in honey as well as an apple.  Here is an article about symbolic food eaten on these days.

 

For recipes and cookbooks, check this out.

 

Back to my green beans.

 

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and AlmondsRecipe courtesy Tyler Florence  (adapted)

 

Ingredients       

Kosher salt

3 pounds green beans, trimmed of stem end

1/2 cup skin on sliced almonds

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large onions, sliced thin

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Fill a large high sided skillet with some water, adding enough to be just shy of the rim of the pan by about 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring up to boil; add a big pinch of salt and the green beans.

Cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp. Drain the beans and then run them under some cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve the beans while you start the onions.

Return the skillet you cooked the beans in to the cook top over medium heat.

Add the almonds and toast stirring every now and then until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.  ( I only had peeled almonds) Remove the almonds from the skillet and reserve.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter and olive oil and heat until the butter has melted. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring frequently until the onions caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.

 

Add the cooked cooled green beans and almonds, and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Between my daughter and myself, we made about 8 different recipes.  It is now almost morning so I am not going to blog them all.  I hope to add at least one tomorrow but the rest will have to wait.