Since I published my recipe for Autumn Apple bread on Wednesday, I’ve received several emails asking one of two questions: First, is it ok for non-Jewish people to wish Jews a shana tovah? And second, do I have a favorite recipe for honey cake?

The answer to both questions is the same: Of course! I often wish my non-Jewish friends a Merry Christmas and would be delighted if someone wished me a happy new year in any form. Happy Rosh HaShanah, Happy New Year, Shana Tovah, Shana Tova Umetukeh - it’s all good, and very much appreciated. Rosh HaShanah begins tonight (Monday) at sundown and ends on sundown Wednesday, so if you have the opportunity to wish someone a happy new year during that time by all means do so.

As for the honey cake recipe, below is my favorite. It’s a spiced honey cake topped with caramelized apples and served with vanilla ice cream. Cooked in brown sugar, the apples are a succulent way to combine the apple and honey themes of Rosh Hashanah on one plate. I love how the warm notes of cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg capture the flavors of Fall, and though the ice cream is optional, I’ve never gone without it. How could I resist a spoonful of cool ice cream, warm apples and spiced cake, the ice cream barely beginning to melt as the spoon makes it way to my mouth? Exactly. I plan to serve this dessert tonight with my homemade pumpkin spice lattes - though obviously I had to sample a slice in order to take the photo shown here. It’s a hard life, being a food blogger.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and don’t forget about the monthly book giveaway! September’s winner will be posted on the giveaway page on October 1st - I plan to post details about October’s giveaway by then too.

Spiced Honey Cake with Caramelized Apples (My Recipe)

Ingredients: Makes 1 8-inch square cake

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• A few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup warm (not hot) English Breakfast tea
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Optional accompaniments: whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream

For the apples:

• 6 Gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 4 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

Put the oven rack in middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8-inch square cake pan with non-stick spray (I used Pam).

In a large bowl, gently whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the honey, yogurt, tea and vanilla. Mix until combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand held mixer on the lowest setting, just until everything is combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before attempting to remove the cake.

Making the caramelized apples:

While the cake is baking, make the caramelized apples. Peel and core each apple, then cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon light brown sugar. Sauté apples until almost tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Increase heat to high and gently, but briskly, stir the apples until the sugar melts and apples are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Pour apple mixture onto large plate.

Once the cake has cooled run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, then invert the cake onto a plate and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with the caramelized apples, along with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Notes:
- You can make the caramelized apples 1 day in advance. Allow them to cool completely (uncovered), then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat before serving, or in a microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- You can make the cake 1 day in advance. Cool it completely (uncovered), then store at room temperature covered loosely with plastic wrap.

When I woke up this morning I found cool Autumn at my door. It was about 6 o’clock and I opened all the windows, inviting the crisp breeze in, and as the smell of sunrise drifted by I felt all the tension from the past weeks easing away. Then I decided to bake, and I knew exactly what would manifest in my oven today: Apple Bread. With apples coming into season and Rosh HaShanah right around the bend, this warm, aromatic bread filled with diced apples felt like the ideal way to welcome Autumn. It is not a sweet bread (though you could make it so if you upped the amount of sugar), so I most often enjoy it with a strong slice of sharp white cheddar cheese or even as part of a grilled-cheese sandwich made with Gouda and mozzarella.

Apples play a significant symbolic role in Rosh HaShanah, which begins on Monday night (Sept 29th). They are dipped in honey, representing our hopes for a sweet new year, and they remind us of the verse from the Song of Songs, “under the apple tree I aroused your love.” In this way, eating apples also symbolizes our hope that God will look lovingly upon us. Last year I wrote about Rosh HaShanah and also shared my recipe for Apple-Honey Challah (a sweet bread), so if you want to learn more about the holiday please do visit the post. Reading through it this morning I realized there was one element I forgot to mention before, which is that Rosh HaShanah is traditionally thought to be the anniversary of the Creation of the world. It’s a time of new beginnings and looking forward, followed by the reflection and repentance of Yom Kippur. At this time of year it’s customary for Jewish people to greet each other with “Shana Tova Umetukeh,” which means “May you have a good and sweet New Year.” So to my Jewish friends among you “Shana Tovah Umetukah,” and to my non-Jewish friends, may the coming months be a blessing to you.

With apples, apples everywhere I’d like to share some apple lore with you:

• Though it’s commonly thought the forbidden fruit in Genesis was an apple, the fruit is never identified in the story. Eve may have eaten an apple, but figs, pomegranates and other tree fruits are equally plausible. Some historians believe the “apple tradition” emerged during the Renaissance, perhaps when painters added elements of Greek mythology to their depictions of biblical scenes.
• The “adams apple” in the human throat got its name from the Genesis story: it was believed a piece of the forbidden fruit became stuck in Adam’s throat.
• In Greek mythology, Gaia (Mother Earth) presented a tree with golden apples to Zeus and his bride Hera on their wedding day. Guarded by Ladon, a serpent who never slept, the apple tree was in the garden of the Hesperides, daughters of the Evening Star. Later during his Twelve Labors, Hercules was tasked with picking an apple from a tree in the center of the garden.
• According to Irish folklore, if an apple is peeled in one continuous ribbon and thrown over a woman’s shoulder, it will land in the shape of her future husband’s initials.
• In Arthurian legend, the mythical isle of Avalon is believed to be the ‘isle of apples’.
• In some places, bobbing for apples is a traditional Halloween activity. The game was popular at the court of King Henry VIII, where apples were associated with love or fertility - the first person to catch an apple would be the next one to marry.
• In the cider-producing areas of England the locals sometimes sing to trees in the apple orchards. According to tradition, “Apple Wassailing” guards against evil spirits and blesses the trees for a fruitful harvest. An old rhyme goes: “Wassaile the trees, that they may beare. You many a Plum and many a Peare: For more or lesse fruits they will bring, as you do give them Wassailing.” Wassailing also refers to the practice of door-to-door singing, as in Christmas carols. For instance: “Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green!”

Have a great week and don’t forget about the monthly book giveaway! September’s giveaway features 2 copies of The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry, by Kathleen Flinn. August’s winner has been posted on the giveaway page, where you can learn more about this event. September’s winner will be posted on the giveaway page on October 1st.

Autumn Apple Bread (My Recipe)
Makes 1 9×5 inch loaf

Ingredients:

• 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 heaping tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 2/3 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Optional: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or toasted hazelnuts (skins removed)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

In a large bowl using a whisk or the paddle attachment of a heavy-duty electric mixer, combine the yeast, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, warm water, warm milk and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Allow the mixture to rest while you peel and dice the apples. Add the apples, walnuts or hazelnuts (if using), butter, salt, egg, cinnamon and nutmeg to the bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and the 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour. Mix well. Add the remaining AP flour 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl forms. If you are doing this by hand, you may need to switch to a wooden spoon.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for 4-5 minutes, adding additional AP flour 1/2 tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to prevent sticking. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes. If any of the fruit falls out, simply push it back in. The dough is ready when it’s smooth to the touch and springs back when pressed. *Note: Although I generally use my stand mixer to knead my dough, I always turn it out onto a floured surface and finish the kneading by hand, for the last minute or so. It’s the best way to know when the dough has been kneaded enough.

Grease a deep container with about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Place the dough in the container, turning once to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough with your fingers and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 equal portions, and roll each portion out into a smooth, thick strip about 15 inches long, with the ends slightly thinner than the middle. Lay these ropes side-by-side, not quite touching.

Beginning in the middle and working towards you, braid the lower half of the three ropes. To braid, alternately move the outside ropes over the one in the center - left over, right over, left over -until you come to the end. Now go to the other side of your working space and braid the other half, this time moving the outside ropes under the center one. Braid tightly - you don’t want any gaps. When you finish braiding each side crimp the tapered ends together, then tuck them under.

Using your hands, lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Transfer the braid to the pan. Pat your hands on top of the braid so that any oil on your palms is transfered to the dough. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the loaf pan on a rack in the center of the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until browned and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it with your fingers. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.