Sweet and Sticky Brisket

Recipe by Chanie Nayman

SERVES 8

• 1 3-lb (1.3-kg) brisket
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, to taste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp mustard
• ½ tsp ginger
• 2 onions, diced and sautéed

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place brisket in a 9 x13-inch (23 x33-cm) pan or a roaster. Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Cover and bake for 3 hours. Cool and slice. Reheat before serving.

Savory Roasted Chicken with Honey Glaze

Recipe by Estee Kafra

SERVES 4

• 1 4-lb (1¾-kg) chicken, butterflied, patted dry

Rub Recipe

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp thyme
• ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• small splash of hot sauce (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Honey Glaze

• ¼ cup honey
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• ½–1 tsp chili powder

In a small bowl, mix olive oil, salt, chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, thyme, black pepper, hot sauce, and garlic. Rub all over the chicken and between the breast meat and skin. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Mix all the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside until 5 minutes before end of cooking time.

Barbecue directions: Heat all burners of a gas grill to medium low. Wipe grates with a lightly oiled bunch of paper towels.

Set the chicken skin side down on the grill, cover, and cook until it’s nicely browned and easily releases from the grates, 5–10 minutes. Watch carefully during this stage. If a flare-up occurs, move the chicken away from the flames until they die down.

Flip the chicken and move it to the cooler zone of the grill. Cook approximately 30–35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Brush with glaze in the last 5 minutes of cooking. (You can test by inserting a fork into thickest part and see if juices run clear.)

Roasting directions: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Place marinated chicken on a roasting pan and roast for approximately 40 minutes. Brush with glaze and roast 5 minutes more. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet Noodle Kugel

Recipe by Brynie Greisman

SERVES ABOUT 12

• 8–10 oz (250 g) brown rice spaghetti
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup real maple syrup
• ½ cup raisins, optional (soaked in warm water or apple juice to soften, and then drained)
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt, optional

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions — approximately 4–5 minutes. Drain and don’t rinse. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together well. Pour into two 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) round pans, lined with parchment paper, or 22 to 28 lightly greased mini muffin tins. Bake for half an hour (less time for muffins). Cool before slicing or popping out of muffin tins.

Note: If you like a very crispy kugel, bake for 10 minutes more.

Tip: If some members of your family fancy raisins and others don’t, do what my mother-in-law does. She puts raisins in half the kugel and leaves the other half plain. Simple, yet brilliant, solution!

Easy Carrot Muffins

Recipe by Chaya Rochel Berr

YIELDS 12 MUFFINS OR 30 MINI MUFFINS

• 3 small jars of stage-one or stage-two carrot baby food (12 oz/340 g total)
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup melted margarine
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• 11/8 cups flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).

Lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) casserole dish, a 12-cup muffin pan, or 30 mini muffin cups.

Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Pour into prepared pan(s). (If making muffins, fill only two-thirds full with batter.)

Bake for 20–40 minutes, depending on baking vessel. Just make sure the center is firm to the touch.

Perfect Apple Cake

SERVES 12

Dough

• 2¼ cups flour, divided
• ¼ cup water
• pinch salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine

Filling

• ½ cup pancake syrup, divided
• 8–9 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1–1¼ cups sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) margarine
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Mix 1⁄4 cup flour and 1⁄4 cup water.

In a separate bowl, combine salt, remaining 2 cups flour, and margarine. Combine the two mixtures until a dough forms. (This can be done in a food processor.) Pat the dough on bottom of a 10 x15-inch (25 x38-cm) cookie sheet, or divide in half and put in two round pans.

Pour 1⁄4 cup pancake syrup over dough.

Arrange apples on top of syrup.

Mix together sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, and the rest of the syrup. Drizzle mixture over apples.

Mix together topping ingredients in a food processor. If you want the pecans to stay chopped, add them by hand.  Sprinkle on top of apples.

Bake for 1 hour.

Note: This kugel tastes good served cold or hot. It can even double as a dessert if served warm, and topped with vanilla ice cream. It also freezes very well. If desired, bake in individual muffin tins or ramekins and reduce baking time.

Tip: To maintain the crispiness of the crust, you might want to prebake the bottom crust for a few minutes before continuing to the next step.

Classic Honey Cake

Recipe by Brynie Greisman

YIELDS 1 9X13-INCH PAN OR 1 TUBE PAN

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup oil
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup black coffee (2 heaping tsp coffee granules dissolved in 1 cup water)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 3½ cups flour
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Beat eggs and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Add oil and honey and mix. Combine dry ingredients. Add to mixer, alternating between dry ingredients and coffee. Pour into a lined 9 x13-inch (23 x33-cm) pan, or a lightly greased tube pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Note: Store honey in a cool, dry place. Honey lasts indefinitely; if it crystallizes, place the opened jar in a bowl of hot water. Stir until the crystals dissolve.

Tip: Honey cake tastes best served straight from the refrigerator. It also freezes very well.

Tip: To prevent honey (or molasses, corn syrup, or silan) from sticking to a measuring cup or spoon, oil the measuring cup or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray first. The honey will slide out. It saves on clean-up too.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 756)