peas at a party

Passover begins today at sundown.  Haroset (also charoset or charoses) is the one symbolic food from the ritual Passover plate that usually becomes part of the meal.  It is a reminder of the mortar used to make bricks when the Jews were slaves in Egypt.  At one time it was ground to more resemble the mortar.

Today there are hundreds of recipes for haroset with the common ingredients being apples, nuts, cinnamon, and very sweet wine.  This recipe uses juice concentrate and a touch of brandy flavoring in place of the wine, but would work well with wine, sherry, or brandy.  You can add any other fruits, such as mango, that appeal to you.  It’s delicious.  Hard to stop at one serving.

Haroset

Serves 4; about 15 minutes hands on time; ready in 15 minutes

• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled & chopped
• 1 lemon, zest & 1 Tbsp juice
• 1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 small banana, chopped
• 2 Tbsp coconut
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
• ⅛ tsp brandy flavoring (extract)

Toss the lemon zest & juice with the apple.  Add oranges and next 5 ingredients.  In a small bowl, combine honey and remaining ingredients.  Pour over the fruits.  Mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per serving:  approximately 175 calories; 6.0 g. fat; 32.4 g. carbs; 3.3 g. fiber; 1.9 g. protein

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