Please accept my very best wishes for a Shanah Tova - a very Happy New Year! May it be filled with good health, happiness and joy, and peace for us all!
We were at home for Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat - the only sensible decision, we thought, for a family with three small children! I attended my usual shul, while Rebecca and the girls went to the hear the shofar at a nearby shul.
There was happily lots of good food to be enjoyed over the three days, including Chopped Herrring and Danish Herring, Lamb Chops, Tsimmes with Brisket with Dumplings, and for dessert, Honey Cake (recipe follows), stewed quinces, and the Jewel in the Crown, Teigelach - doughnut shaped biscuits (cookies) that are boiled in syrup till they are sticky and shiny. It seems that they only Lithuanian Jews who still make Teigelach are those who live or grew-up in South Africa - and I am delighted to be continuing that tradition. It is certainly a great way to ensure you have a sweet and good year!
I am including a great Honey Cake recipe that I made for the Yomtov. It is light and melt-in-your-mouth, as opposed to so many others that are heavy. I hope that you will make it for your family and friends, and that you will enjoy it!
Honey Cake
Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark tea
1 cup oil
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 heaped tablespoons honey
for syrup:
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
4 tbs honey
Method
Beat egg whites with sugar, until forms stiff cream. In separate bowl, mix yolks with the tea, oil, cinnamon, cloves, flour, baking soda and honey.
Fold yolk mixture gently into egg whites and pour into a 28 cm baking tin or a Bundt cake pan. Bake in a pre-heated oven (180oC) for approximately 35 minutes. Switch off oven and leave in for additional 5 minutes. Open the oven door and leave cake in oven for another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the sugar and water to form a simple syrup. Add honey.
When the cake has cooled down a bit, spoon over the syrup one spoon at a time.
Wishing you and yours a G'mar Chatimah Tova!
