Holidays
Recipes for every holiday
No-Bake Cheesecake with Crumb Topping
A chilled cheesecake on a shortbread base, with a cream of whipped cream, soft white cheese and cream cheese and baked crumbs on top.
Cheese Pastries
Cheese pastries from a buttery yeast dough, rolled up around a soft cheese, lemon and raisin filling and sliced into rounds.
No-Bake Cheesecake with Petit Beurre Crust
A no-bake cheesecake on a petit beurre and butter crust, with a cheese mousse and layers of chocolate pudding combed into a pattern.
Lemon Honey Chicken
Chicken thighs marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and garlic and baked on a bed of lemon slices, za'atar and garlic heads, for a holiday meal.
Classic Yeast-Dough Cheesecake
A baked cheesecake on a soft, cream-enriched yeast dough that rises slowly in the fridge overnight, with a light lemony cheese filling.
Chocolate Mousse Cake for Passover
A chocolate mousse cake for Passover without a speck of flour, with a baked chocolate base, a real mousse made with eggs and a ganache glaze.
Gefilte Fish
Sweet gefilte fish made from ground carp, with patties and stuffed steaks that simmer slowly in an onion and carrot broth and are served cold.
Yeast-Dough Hamantaschen with Vanilla Cream
Hamantaschen from a buttery yeast dough that rests overnight in the fridge, filled with vanilla pastry cream and golden raisins.
Honey Caramel Petits Fours
Bite-size shortcrust tartlets baked in a mini muffin pan, with a honey and brown sugar filling that puffs slightly and caramelizes in the oven.
Honey Crème Brûlée with Almond Brittle
Crème brûlée flavored with honey, thyme and lemon, baked in shallow dishes and served cold under crushed almond brittle and a torched sugar crust.
Kreplach (Filled Dough Dumplings)
Soft dough dumplings filled with ground beef and cooked in chicken soup. I serve them at the meal before Yom Kippur.
Lemon and Honey Chicken Breast
Chicken breast I marinate for a few hours in honey, garlic and lemon and then grill, a simple, light dish.
New York Cheesecake
A dense New York cheesecake on a shortbread crust, which I bake slowly at low heat and cool in the oven and then the fridge overnight.
Passover Rolls
My Passover rolls made with matzo meal, from a cooked egg dough that puffs in the oven, topped with coarse salt.
White Chocolate Cheesecake with Passion Fruit Topping
A no-bake white chocolate cheesecake on a petit beurre crust, which I top with fresh passion fruit to balance the sweetness.
Yeast Roulade with Cheese and Vegetables for Sukkot
Two yeast-dough roulades filled with sautéed vegetables, cheeses and herbs, which I serve sliced for Sukkot with a leek and cream sauce on the side.
Berry Cheesecake
A light baked cheesecake with lemon zest and berries, made in one bowl with whipped egg whites folded in.
Yeast Donuts with Chocolate Glaze and Cinnamon Sugar
Fried yeast donuts dipped in ganache and sprinkles, plus mini sufganiyot rolled in cinnamon sugar from the same dough, which I make for Hanukkah.
Quick Eshel Doughnut Balls
Quick doughnut balls from an eshel and self-rising flour batter, no yeast and no rising, fried small and served with powdered sugar or honey.
Potato Latkes
Simple potato latkes of grated potato and onion, fried until golden, the way I make them for Hanukkah.
Moroccan Sfenj
My sfenj, Moroccan ring doughnuts from a soft, sticky yeast dough that I fry for Hanukkah and serve hot with sugar or syrup.
Papanash Cheese Latkes
Sweet cheese latkes in the style of papanash, which I fry for Hanukkah and serve hot on sour cream with cherry jam.
Tripolitan Sfenj (Libyan Fried Doughnuts)
Tripolitan sfenj from a soft, sticky yeast dough that I stretch by hand, deep-fry and serve hot with sugar.
Yo-Yo Cookies
Fried yo-yos filled with almonds and rose water, dipped in sugar syrup and rolled in coconut, which I serve with an almond cream.
Zalabia (Fried Dough Puffs in Syrup)
Airy yeast fritters I fry for Hanukkah and dip, still hot, in a sugar syrup with rose water.
Churros with Cinnamon Sugar
Churros from a cooked choux-style dough piped straight into hot oil, served with warm chocolate sauce for dipping or with cinnamon sugar.
Festive Passover Cake - Chocolate, Walnuts, and Coffee
A festive layer cake for Passover. It's a light matzo cake meal torte with chocolate and walnuts, filled with chocolate-nut cream and covered in coffee cream and crocant.
Foolproof Sufganiyot
My Hanukkah sufganiyot, from a rich yeast dough with butter and egg yolks, fried golden and filled with whatever I like.
Cheese and Raisin Blintzes
Shavuot blintzes filled with soft white cheese and raisins, which I like to fry in butter and serve warm with sour cream.
Passover Krembo Cake
A cold cake inspired by Krembo, with an airy chocolate base, a layer of vanilla pudding, and dark chocolate cream on top. I serve it straight from the fridge.
Kubaneh (Yemenite Overnight Bread)
Yemenite kubaneh: balls of soft yeast dough in melted fat, baked overnight in a covered pot until tender inside and browned outside.
Chicken-Liver Stuffed Matzo Balls
Matzo meal kneidlach with a center of chopped liver, cooked in boiling water and served in soup.
Shabbat Challah with Butter
A Shabbat challah made of small dough balls that bake snugly together in a pan and are sprinkled with coarse sugar.
Spaghetti and Chicken Hamin (Shabbat Stew)
A spaghetti and chicken hamin with paprika, set over a layer of potatoes. I put it in the oven overnight and serve it on Shabbat turned out of the pot like a cake.
Dag Marokai Harif (Spicy Moroccan Salmon)
This is a spicy Moroccan fish I make with salmon, cooked slowly for three hours on a bed of onion, tomatoes, and garlic. I serve it with challah for dipping in the sauce.
Foolproof Hamantaschen
My hamantaschen, from a shortbread dough that always works, with a homemade chocolate filling. For Purim I fill some with jam or nuts too.
Shabbat Hamin (Cholent)
My Shabbat hamin, with beef, beans, barley, potatoes and eggs. It goes into the oven on Friday and cooks slowly all night.
Honey Rosemary Chicken Draft
Chicken leg quarters roasted with honey, olive oil, lots of garlic cloves and rosemary, which I make for Rosh Hashanah.
Chicken with Honey and Tomato Paste Draft
Oven-braised chicken in a honey and tomato paste sauce with paprika and cumin, all in one pan, which I make for Rosh Hashanah.
Chicken Soup with Kreplach Draft
Kreplach filled with ground beef and chicken liver, in a dough made with potato, which I serve in clear chicken soup before the fast or fry with browned onion.
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Honey Draft
Chocolate chip cookies with butter, brown sugar and a spoonful of honey or molasses, which I bake for Rosh Hashanah.
Chocolate Honey Mousse Cake Draft
A no-bake chocolate and honey mousse cake on a crisp chocolate rice-cereal base, which I make for Rosh Hashanah and decorate with cocoa.
Chocolate, Walnut and Honey Cookies Draft
Honey cookies packed with walnuts, dark and white chocolate and brandy-soaked raisins, mixed in the food processor and baked until the edges brown.
Baked Coffee Caramel Cheesecake Draft
A cheesecake baked in a water bath, with coffee in the filling, a caramel cookie crust and a coffee cream topping I pour on just before serving.
Bourmuelos (Matzo Cheese Fritters) Draft
Fried matzo balls with potato, kashkaval and feta, which I make for Passover and serve warm or at room temperature.
Cauliflower Latkes Draft
Cauliflower latkes I make for Hanukkah, from cooked mashed cauliflower with parsley and paprika, fried until golden.
Cheese Danish Pockets with Almond Streusel Draft
Yeast pastries filled with cheese, apricots and raisins, folded like envelopes and topped with almond streusel. I make the dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge overnight.
Strawberry Cream Cheesecake Draft
A chilled cheesecake on a baked crust, with a cream cheese and whipped cream filling topped with strawberries in gelatin. I make it a day ahead, since it needs a full day in the fridge.
Kosher for Passover Tiramisu Draft
A Passover tiramisu of wine cookies dipped in coffee and brandy, mascarpone cream and layers of candied nuts, which I make as a holiday dessert.
Light Cheesecake with Instant Pudding Draft
My airy cheesecake made with sour cream and whipped egg whites, baked over a water bath and topped with a vanilla pudding cream.
Matzah and Cheese Balls Draft
Fried balls of softened matzah, cheese and eggs that I make for Passover and serve hot.
Matzah Chocolate Bites Draft
Little no-bake bites of matzah farfel coated in bittersweet chocolate that I make for Passover.
Matzah Cake with Chocolate Cream Draft
A no-bake layer cake of milk-dipped matzah and whipped chocolate ganache that I make for Passover.
Mini Baked Sufganiyot Draft
Mini baked sufganiyot from a yeasted batter, finished with jam and powdered sugar, which I make for Hanukkah without frying.
Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts Draft
Little doughnuts of choux dough, fried and rolled in vanilla cinnamon sugar, which I make for Hanukkah.
Passover Chocolate Cookies Draft
Flourless chocolate cookies I make for Passover, from powdered sugar, cocoa and eggs with plenty of chopped chocolate, which spread into thin cookies in the oven.
Passover Kubbeh Draft
My Passover kubbeh, with a shell of mashed potato and matzah meal and a filling of ground beef, onion and hawaij, fried until golden.
Passover Meringue Cake Draft
A Passover cake with a baked meringue base under a thick layer of chocolate cream mousse, which I make ahead and chill until serving.
Passover Walnut Cake Draft
A flourless chocolate walnut cake for Passover; I bake two thirds of the batter and spread the rest on top once it has cooled.
Quick Chocolate Cake for Passover Draft
A stir-together chocolate cake for Passover, with ground almonds instead of flour and chocolate chips inside, which I mix by hand and bake in a loaf pan.
Ricotta Blintzes Draft
Sweet blintzes filled with ricotta and rum-caramelized bananas, which I make for Shavuot and fry once more just before serving.
Stuffed Chicken (Also for Passover) Draft
A whole chicken stuffed with a matzo ball mixture and roasted with drumsticks and vegetables, which I make for Passover too.
Nut and Chocolate Passover Cake Draft
A flourless Passover cake with a toasted-nut meringue layer under a rich chocolate layer, which I serve at room temperature or cold from the fridge.
Passover Nut Cake with Whipped Cream Draft
A Passover nut cake made with matzo cake meal, topped with whipped cream and a glossy chocolate glaze, which I keep in the fridge.
Yeast-Free Doughnuts Draft
Small doughnut rings from a food-processor baking-powder dough, no yeast and no waiting for a rise, which I fry for Hanukkah and dust with powdered sugar.