Apple Cinnamon Charoset with Candied Walnuts

Directions

Peel and core the apples and chop finely.

Place the chopped apples in a bowl. Stir in 5 tablespoons of kosher wine, honey, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt. Taste the mixture. If it needs more moisture or sweetness, add a bit more kosher wine, which will be soaked up as the charoset marinates.

Cover the bowl, place in the refrigerator, and allow the mixture to marinate for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, make the candied walnuts.

Preheat oven to 300˚ F.

Separate the egg and pour about half of the white into a mixing bowl. Whisk egg white until frothy and beat in the sugar, salt, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Add the walnuts to the egg mixture and stir until the walnuts are fully coated in the seasoned egg mixture.

Spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp. Remove sheet from the oven and let nuts cool. Pour the candied nuts onto a cutting board and roughly chop them into smaller pieces.

Sprinkle candied nuts on the charoset just before serving or serve the nuts alongside the charoset.

Cook’s tips: You can chop the apples in a food processor by pulsing a few times until they’re chopped finely but with texture. However, it’s easy to chop too much using the food processor. You might end up with applesauce if you’re not careful.

The walnuts are intended to be a topping for the charoset. Don’t mix them in. They’ll lose their candied crunch.