This is my sister Tova’s recipe. I spent the weekend at her place and it’s no surprise that I walked away with a tasty new recipe from her. It’s a quick and easy dessert that is also healthy.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup red sweet wine
3 cups of water
6-8 pears, skin peeled
1/2 cup of sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Sprinkle of cinnamon (about 1 tsp.)

Directions:
Place all ingredients, besides the pears, in a pot. Bring to boil then place pears in pot and simmer for 45 minutes.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

These chocolate and raspberry filled pastries are decadent! The first time I baked them, the raspberry juices leaking out during the baking process leaving them to resemble bleeding hearts. (Which worked for me since my fam and I dressed up as pirates for Purim!) This year I dusted the raspberries in some flour before placing them in the chocolate, and they did not leak. Either way, they taste divine!

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 cup of raspberries
Chocolate spread
1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:
Cut out circles of puff pastry using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass cup. Wet the dough with some water, then place 1 tsp. of chocolate sauce in the center of each circle. Place 1 or 2 raspberries on top of chocolate then pinch the side of the dough together forming a triangle. If you have trouble getting it to stick, wet it with more water. This will help it stick together. Bake in oven on 375′ for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and slightly crispy. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over hamentashen. These taste great once cooled off and given the chance to slightly harden, otherwise it’s a gooey mess!

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, cut into small slices
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large apple, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 large pear, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 cup of apple cider
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar <!–more–>

Directions:
Saute onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent. Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink. Remove from heat and set aside, wrapping in foil to keep warm. Add remaining olive oil to pan, and cook the pear and apple slices until tender. Combine the apple cider with the apple cider vinegar and add to the pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add the chicken back to the pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes then serve with apple and pear slices.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

Dressing:
1/2 Cup salad oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon pineapple juice

Directions:
Combine all salad ingredients & mix dressing in a separate container. Pour dressing over salad and toss well (mix dressing in slowly and measure how much is needed depending on how big the salad bowl or plates are).

~ Recipe submitted by Bay Yess

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted margarine
1 cold egg (or 1/3 cup egg beaters)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh, frozen, or canned (or pie filling)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a pan (measuring 8 x 10 on the bottom or narrowest part) with aluminum foil.
2. Mix the first 6 ingredients to form coarse crumbs.
3. Drizzle egg and vanilla over crumb mixture and form a clumpy dough.
4. Put 2/3 of the dough in the pan and press into the bottom of the pan to form an even layer.
5. Spread the blueberries on top.
6. Dot the top with the remaining 1/3 of dough in clumps.
7. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely. Take out of pan and remove foil and cut into squares.

~ Recipe submitted by S.K.

When I first moved to the United States with my family, we settled in Stamford, Connecticut. My mother insisted we buy that particular house because of the massive apple tree in the back yard, complete with a swing tied onto a low branch. At the time, apples in Thailand (my native country) typically sold for close to $50 a pound, as they were considered “exotic” fruits. Naturally, my mother’s excitement over the prospect of unlimited apples in her own back yard got the best of her. Consequently, I learned how to make apple pie. Lots and lots of apple pie.

This pie worked out perfectly fine for me, until one day my fiancé requested one. It was then that the curve ball came. “I like it with crumbs on top,” he said. My eyebrow raised as my eyes widened. Crumbs on top? What matter of silliness is this? Then I thought, the guy gave me this huge diamond ring, the least I can do is give him a crumby pie. So I set to work, revamping my cherished apple filling to compliment and withstand a Dutch crumb topping.

This is what I came up with, and I must say, Eric might be onto something with these silly crumbs. Any way you slice it, it’s a great way to end a meal, not to mention a perfect way to start out the new year. L’shanah tova!

Ingredients:
Your favorite pie crust (an all-butter crust seems to work the best here)

Filling:
3 lbs Baking Apples (approximately 6 apples total, see note), sliced to about 1/8″ thickness
1/4 to 1/2 C Medium Brown Sugar, to taste
1/2 tsp to1 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste
1 to 2 tsp Saigon Cinnamon, to taste
2 tsp Corn Starch
Juice of half a lemon

Topping:
3/4 C Rolled Oats
3/4 C All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Saigon Cinnamon
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Unsalted Butter
1/4 tsp Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out dough to fit into a standard 9 1/2″ pie pan. Place pie crust into freezer. If you are not using an all-butter dough, brush the bottom of the pie crust with a beaten egg white before baking. While crust is in the freezer, combine sliced apples, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Taste frequently to make sure you have the seasonings right. This variation depends on how naturally sweet, spicy or juicy the apples naturally are. After well seasoned, add lemon juice, sprinkle corn starch over the apples and combine. If the apples are particularly juicy, you may need to add an extra teaspoon of corn starch. Remove the pie crust from the freezer. The crust should be very cold, but not frozen. Pour apples into the pie crust and spread evenly. Place pie into preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, to dehydrate the apples. While pie is in the oven, make streusel topping by combining the dry ingredients and incorporating the butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter. Alternatively, you may use a food processor. Process/work the ingredients until you get crumbs. Remove pie from the oven and reduce the heat to 375F. Spread crumb topping evenly over the apples and return to oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes more. Pie is done when filling is bubbling and slightly thickened. It will probably smell pretty good too. Allow pie to cool a bit and serve. If you can’t wait that long, ice cream helps a lot. Enjoy!

~ Recipe submitted by Allaya Diep

Ingredients:
1 regular frozen pie shell
2 cups of frozen berries
1 can apple pie filling
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put in a regular frozen pie shell in the oven for 10 minutes to cook it a little. Then take it out and cool it on a cooling rack. Meanwhile, mix the frozen berries with the apple pie filling in one bowl. In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients to make the crumble topping. When the pie shell has cooled, pour the berry apple filling into the shell and then top with the crumble topping. Put the pie on a piece of aluminum foil in case any of the liquid bubbles over. Bake for about 55 minutes or until the liquid is bubbling and the topping looks golden brown.

~ Recipe submitted by S.K.

Directions:
Bring all but last ingredient to boil in a medium pot. Reduce flame to low and cook 5 more minutes. Add starch mixture and cook only till mixture begins to boils and looks clear (a minute or two). The mixture will be chunky. If you like it smooth, cream it with an immersion blender. Wait until the mixture cools, then store in glass jars in the refrigerator.

~ Recipe submitted by Levana Kirschenbaum of www.levanacooks.com for more great passover recipes go to, Levana cooks for Passover!

Ingredients:
1 cup diced dates, packed
1 cup dark or golden raisins
2 1/2 cups flour, all purpose, whole wheat pastry or spelt (as always, spelt is my favorite)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup hot strong tea, decaf ok

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Mix the first set of ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the second set of ingredients in another bowl. Combine both mixtures, making sure not to overmix. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan, or 6-cup loaf pan, and bake 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Muffins: Pour the batter into greased muffin molds (about 12 medium) and bake 30 minutes

~ Recipe submitted by Lévana Kirschenbaum of www.levanacooks.com

‘Tis the season to be jolly….yes, even in Israel, wintry festiveness has settled upon us (in the form of Channukah, festival of lights) and we are indulging in donuts, latkes, and other seasonal delights. Personally, I find myself missing the mince pies…

Happily, these pears went some way towards fulfilling that craving. Warm, spicy, rich and comforting, a perfect dessert for a chilly winter’s evening. Surprisingly easy to prepare, the best thing about them is the steaming mulled wine left over once you have served the pears.

Ingredients:
2 small cinamon sticks
125g sugar
300ml red wine
150ml water
thinly pared rind and juice of 1 small orange
4 firm pears
frozen vanilla yoghurt or ice cream to serve

Directions:
1. Place the cinnamon sticks on the work surface and with a rolling pin, slowly roll down the side of the cinnamon stick to bruise. Place in a large heavy-based saucepan.
2. Add the sugar, wine, water, pared orange rind and juice to the pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Meanwhile peel the pears, leaving the stalks on. Cut out the cores from the bottom of the pears and level them so that they stand upright.
4. Stand the pears in the syrup, cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the pears to cool in the syrup, turning occasionally.
5. Arrange the pears on serving plates and spoon over the syrup. Decorate with orange slices if you wish, and serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

~ Recipe submitted by Joanne Mandel of the delicious food blog, Eat Love Jump