Much to the surprise of no one, many of us get busy in the kitchen midday on a fast day. Although cinnamon buns seem to be the post-fast mascot, there are so many comforting dishes — sweets, treats, and savory — that we prepare time and again in our households. Here are the basics that we keep returning to.

Chocolate, Vanilla, or Cinnamon Rugelach

I often make rugelach with my kids on the afternoon of a fast. I clipped this recipe from a Hebrew magazine called Eim Haderech. The dough is so easy to work with, and the kids roll it out and fill it themselves.

• 2.2 lbs (1 kg) flour
• 1½ cups canola oil
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp dry yeast
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Combine all the ingredients and knead the dough until soft. Let it sit for 10 minutes before dividing into balls and rolling out. (Divide the balls among your children — you can make as many as needed.)

Roll each ball into a circular shape, like a pizza pie, and sprinkle the dough with chocolate milk powder (shoko powder, in Israel), vanilla pudding powder, or cinnamon-sugar. Cut into eighths and roll up each one from the wider end. Bake for 15–20 minutes.

—Sara Bonchek, associate editor

Home Fries and Eggs

We love making eggs and home fries for the end of a fast. It’s almost like kids look forward to the fast just to eat these, but the message of the fast days prevents them from fighting over them. Phew.

Here’s my method: I prepare the potatoes before the fast and sometimes crack the eggs and cover them the day before too.

Cube the potatoes into marble-sized chunks and toss with avocado oil, salt, and tons of paprika. Put a thin layer of salt in a frying pan and heat it up. Add potatoes and salt and oil and fry over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes.

Uncover the pan. Remove the potatoes, draining most of the oil. Return the potatoes to the pan and cook over a medium-high flame until the potatoes get crunchy. Mix continuously to prevent burning. Remove from heat and serve with scrambled eggs.

—Chaia Frishman, columnist

Gluten-Free Bagels

Baking is my favorite way to pass time any day, so as long as I’m feeling well I love to get in the kitchen and make a bag of my gluten-free dough and shape them into bagels or twists (or both). Eggs, bagels, and veggie soup is our traditional break-the-fast meal, so having fresh homemade bagels on hand is the best.

—Rorie Weisberg, health columnist

Banana Muffins with Add-ins

We looove banana muffins from Sally’s Baking Addiction, and I add in blueberries and/or white chocolate (chopped, never chips). Elite has a caramelized white chocolate bar that is truly next level in baked goods. If you can find that, use it.

YIELDS 12 MUFFINS

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 3 large ripe bananas (about 1½ cups mashed)
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (or melted coconut oil)
• ⅔ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On medium speed, beat or whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then beat or whisk until combined. If adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in. Batter will be thick.

Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Bake for an additional 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21–23 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 12–14 total minutes at 350°F.)

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

—Michal Frischman, recipe contributor; chief of staff, US office