Two Tu b’Shevat sweet treats

EFRAT TABI

Tu b’Shevat is on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, which falls this year on Jan. 30. It is the New Year for the Trees, or Rosh Hashanah LaIlanot. In Israel, this holiday marks the beginning of spring. There will be less rain, the temperature will rise and flowers will start to bloom.

The main traditions of Tu b’Shevat are to eat various fruits and to plant trees. The most common fruits that are eaten are from the trees that grow in Israel, including almonds, dates, figs, raisins and carob.

As a young child in Israel, I used to return from kindergarten with a small plant in a flowerpot and a small bag of dried fruits. We also used to go out for field trips to plant trees. People who lived outside of Israel could plant a tree by contributing through the Jewish National Fund.

People that lived outside of Israel used to use dried fruits that grow in Israel because they could not keep them fresh until the holiday, and this tradition still exists.

Dried fruits are not just sweet and tasty, they also contain a high amount of fibre and vitamins. Although they also have a high amount of sugar, they are still healthier than other sweet snacks and you can eat them without feeling too guilty!

I would like to share with you these two recipes for Tu b’Shevat, one using fresh fruit and the other using dried fruit.

CRUNCHY APPLE CAKE

This apple cake has a wonderful texture. The foundation of this cake is apples, and it is topped off with sugar and cinnamon, making it soft on the bottom and sweet and crunchy on top. When you take the cake out of the oven, the smell of cinnamon will fill your house. Warning: once you have a taste of this cake, you won’t be able to stop.

4 Granny Smith apples
200 grams butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups white flour
200 grams walnuts
1 tbsp. of sugar mixed with 1 tbsp. of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the apples, cut them into quarters and slice them into thin slices using a food processor or by hand.

Transfer the apples onto a buttered baking pan (25-by-35 centimetres), and make an even layer from the thinly sliced apples.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar. Stir well and let cool for little bit.

Beat the eggs and add them to the butter and the sugar.

Add the flour and the nuts. Stir well until the mixture becomes smooth.

Pour the mixture on top of the apples, fully covering the apples evenly.

Sprinkle the mixed sugar and cinnamon on top of the cake and bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the top is crisp.

Let the cake cool completely and cut it into squares. Keep the cake in the fridge, warm it up before eating or serve at room temperature.

DATE CANDY

This Tu b’Shevat candy is based on dates, honey, nuts and almonds. The nuts can be roasted in the oven for a few minutes, adding extra flavor to the candy (roasting the nuts is optional; you can make the candy without roasting them). It is a sweet and healthy snack that you can enjoy all year round.

250 grams dried seedless dates
100 grams roasted almonds
50 grams roasted pecans
50 grams roasted hazelnuts
4 tbsp. honey
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
50 grams each of sesame seeds and coconut (for coating the candy)

To roast the nuts, put the oven on grill mode and place the nuts on a baking pan (no need to oil it first). Leave them in the oven for five minutes, stirring at the two-and-a-half-minute mark. Be careful not to burn them. Remove the nuts from the oven and grind them in a food processor into a course mixture.

Place the dates on a cutting board to cut them in half to make sure that there are no seeds inside. Put the dates in a small pot, add a half cup of water and cook on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until softened and melted. Add the honey and the nut mixture to the dates. Stir well.

While the date mixture is cooling down, roast the sesame seeds. Put 50 grams of sesame seeds in a saucepan and roast on medium heat for two minutes, constantly stirring. Be careful not to burn the sesame seeds! It is better to roast the sesame seeds, as otherwise they may have a bitter taste. Put the roasted sesame seeds on a small plate and the coconut on another plate.

Roll small balls (or any other shapes) from the mixture, and then roll some of them in the sesame seeds and some in the coconut – that way you will get two different flavors. If your hands become sticky, fill a small bowl with water and dip your hands before forming each candy.

Store the candies in the fridge in a sealed plastic container.

Happy Tu b’Shevat to all of you and thank you for letting me share my passion for cooking with you!

Efrat Tabi is the owner, with her husband Albert, of the Donair Place and Coffee Shop, located at Yarrow Station, 42375 Yarrow Central Rd., in Chilliwack. The phone number is 604-823-0111.

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