Leah Koenig - 23 July

Dedicated to my sweetie, Yoshie Fruchter

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The Little Book series is a collection of thematic Jewish cookbooks that is published serially. Each book includes a bite-size collection of meticulously curated and category-defining global Jewish recipes. Packaged in slim, gorgeously designed books, a single volumeor the whole seriesfits perfectly on and enhances an already overcrowded bookshelf.

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Text copyright 2019 by Leah Koenig.
Photographs copyright 2019 by Linda Pugliese.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 9781452159157 (epub, mobi)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Names: Koenig, Leah, author. Title: Little book of Jewish sweets / Leah Koenig. Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2019] | Series: Little book series | Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018036640 | ISBN 9781452158969 (hc : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Confectionery. | Jewish cooking. | LCGFT: Cookbooks. Classification: LCC TX783 .K59 2019 | DDC 641.5/676--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018036640

Photographs by Linda Pugliese.
Food styling by Monica Pierini.
Prop styling by Paige Hicks.
Series design by Vanessa Dina.
Typesetting by Jared Gentz.

Bob's Red Mill is a registered trademark of Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, Inc. Frontier is a registered trademark of Frontier Distribution LLC. King Arthur Flour is a registered trademark of King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. Manischewitz is a registered trademark of R.A.B. Food Group, LLC. Nielsen-Massey is a registered trademark of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. Sadaf is a registered trademark of Soofer Company, Inc. Seinfeld is a registered trademark of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Simply Organic is a registered trademark of Frontier Distribution LLC. Solo is a registered trademark of Sokol and Company.

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San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

From the apples that get dipped into honey on Rosh Hashanah to the cinnamon and allspice that perfume Sephardi stews, sweetness is woven into the fabric of Jewish cuisine. Like all food traditions that come bound up with ritual and family, Jewish home cooking is driven by a desire not just to nourish, but also to inspire and delight those around the table. And what could be more delightful than closing a meal with a slice of almond-scented babka, a nutty, syrup-drenched square of baklava, or a fudgy sliver of sesame halvah?

Throughout history, Jewish communities have been deeply involved in the business of sweets. Sephardi Jewish merchants in Europe and the Middle East traded extensively for centuries in sugar and vanilla. And during the seventeenth century, Jewish craftsmen were central to the establishment of Frances chocolate industry. Later, pastry making became a common profession for the Jews of Central Europe, yielding one of the regions most iconic confections, the Sacher torte. Although not a Jewish dessert per se, the decadent chocolate cake was developed in the 1830s by Jewish baker Franz Sacher.

It is understandable, then, how deeply important the dessert course has become to Jewish life. Even during moments of hardship, Jewish communities around the world have found ways to incorporate sweetness. Take hamantaschen, the poppy seed or jam-filled cookie eaten by Ashkenazi Jews on Purim. The pastrys triangle shape is designed to mimic the hat or pocket of the Purim storys reviled villain, Haman. On Rosh Hashanah, Tuscan Jews traditionally eat long, thin, honey-walnut cookies called sfratti, which resemble the sticks once used to drive out Jewish families during periods of expulsion. Meanwhile, the charoset on the Passover seder plate employs a jammy fruit and nut paste to recall the mortar used by the enslaved Israelites in ancient Egypt. In each case, the harshness of these unpleasant stories and memories gets dusted over with sugar. And those eating the desserts get to have the last laugh (and the last bite!) over history.

Of course, most of the global Jewish dessert canon is focused not on sadness but on celebration and connection. There are holiday favorites like the rose waterscented stuffed dates that Moroccan Jews serve at the end of Passover, the bimuelos (rustic doughnuts) Sephardi Jews eat during Hanukkah, and the majestic honey and apple cakes Ashkenazi Jews favor on Rosh Hashanah. Then there are everyday sweetsblack-and-white cookies from the Jewish bakery case, Sephardi rice pudding dolloped with marmalade, and the tender Hungarian poppy seed roll, makosh, which is best shared among friends with cups of tea.

On Rosh Hashanah, the following blessing is traditionally recited before eating apples and honey: May it be Your will, Eternal our God, to renew us for a good and sweet year. I like to think of this New Years invocation as something of a mantra for this cookbook. Life is uncertain, after all, but the satisfaction that comes with serving and enjoying a great dessert is a comforting constant. My hope is that longtime baking mavens and novices alike will be inspired to explore the Jewish traditions sweet side and share a little bit of that sweetness with those they love.

In America, rugelach are regarded as one of the most iconic Ashkenazi Jewish sweets. But they are actually a relatively modern variation of kipfel, a crescent-shaped cookie that was favored in Central Europe. Regardless of their provenance, the cookies have solidified their place in the Jewish dessert canon. The cream cheeseenriched dough makes a wonderful canvas for flavor, from chopped nuts and jam to chocolate and cinnamon. These little twists get rolled with orange marmalade and studded with chocolate chips for a brightly flavored, flaky pastry that begs for a cup of coffee and a friend to share with.

MAKES ABOUT 32 COOKIES

DOUGH

1 CUP [225 G] UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

8 OZ [225 G] CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1/4 CUP [50 G] SUGAR

1/2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT

1/2 TSP KOSHER SALT