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Recipe for "charoset"

NAME

     CHAROSET - Traditional Seder accompaniment
     This paste-like, sweet spread is a prescribed  part  of  the
     traditional  Seder.  Its mortar-like consistency is intended
     to remind Jews  of  the  bricks  and  mortar  our  ancestors
     labored  with  as slaves in Egypt. Quite incidentally, it is
     delicious and tastes wonderful spread on matzah. This is the
     traditional  charoset from the Ashkenazic (Eastern European)
     Jewish tradition; very  different,  but  equally  delicious,
     charoset  recipes, using such ingredients as dates, raisins,
     and sesame, can be found in the various  Sephardic  communi-
     ties (e.g., Yemenite, Persian, Turkish, Moroccan, etc.).

INGREDIENTS (5 dl)

     150 g     finely chopped nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts,  fil-
               berts)
     30 ml     sugar or honey (or a mixture)
     100-200 g  chopped or  grated  apples  (about  4 - 6  medium
               apples)
     2.5 ml    cinnamon
               sweet wine

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Mix  nuts,  sugar,  honey,  apples  and   cinnamon
               together until well-blended.
          (2)  Add wine slowly  until  the  texture  resembles  a
               thick paste, like mortar.
          (3)  Taste and adjust cinnamon, sugar, wine amounts.

NOTES

     This recipe yields about enough for the Seder table.  If you
     like this as much as we do, you will want to make more.
     Some  people  prefer  a  chunkier,   less   smoothly-blended
     charoset.
     If you live in an area where Kosher for Passover ground nuts
     (not  groundnuts) are available, they save a lot of chopping
     time and lead to a smoother consistency.   If  you're  lucky
     enough  to  have  a  Kosher for Passover food processor, you
     will also save a lot of arm exercise.   And  remember,  kids
     love to chop!

RATING

     Difficulty:  easy.   Time:  20  minutes  to  several  hours,
     depending  on how much hand-chopping you have to do.  Preci-
     sion: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Tovah Hollander
     UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Los Angeles, California USA
     {ihnp4!sdcrdcf,seismo!hao}!cepu!tovah