At our upcoming Passover seders to be held on Monday and Tuesday nights this coming week, we will be serving a number of different kinds of charoset (kha-ROE-set). In addition to our traditional apples-and-walnuts charoset that I make each and every year, we’ll be serving two other truly extraordinary charoset recipes. I want to share for a moment that my mom and my Grandma Rosie actually taught me to make charoset in a large wooden chopping bowl (such a special memory), a bowl that continued to hold a place of honor in my parents’ house for many, many years after Grandma Rosie was gone. Things go much faster now with the food processor, though I always process each ingredient separately almost to the desired consistency, and then add them all back together for a big stir with a big fork. Otherwise you are likely to get fruit-nut spread, which is a different recipe entirely. 

But this post is mostly about the other two kinds of charoset. For a long time, a couple of decades at least, I annually made my way through a series of Middle Eastern-style, dried-fruit-based charoset recipes. But I never found one I liked enough to make it again until a few years ago, when I prepared a bowl of the first charoset recipe below, which went around and around the table until it had been wiped clean! 

Recipe number one is a mixture of lots of nuts and dried fruit plus sweet spices and a little heat. Note that instead of cayenne pepper you can also use some ground smoked Serrano chili pepper, which I first happened upon at a market in Napa one year. Feel free to be creative with whatever kind of heat you find in your cabinet. Remember that freshness is more important than the particular source. Here is the first recipe:

2/3 cup whole almonds with skins intact, toasted and cooled
2/3 cup salted undyed pistachios, shelled
1 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped (5 ounces)
2/3 cup Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 strip (~3 x 1/2 inch) orange zest, finely chopped (approx. 1 tsp.)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Toast the almonds in a cast iron pan or a cookie sheet in the oven, shaking often, especially once the color begins to deepen. Be careful not to allow them to burn, or you will have to start over. Set aside, and allow to cool. 

Rinse the pistachios to remove most of the salt, and spread out on a towel to absorb most of the water. 

Add the apricots and orange zest to the food processor, and pulse until well chopped. Remove apricots, and set aside.

Add the dates to the food processor, and pulse until well chopped. Remove, and set aside. 

Add the almonds to the empty food processor, and pulse just a few times until the nuts begin to break apart. Add the pistachios and spices, and continue to pulse until the two different types of nuts are well mixed but just (barely) distinguishable. Return the apricots and dates to the bowl, and pulse until all is well mixed, but still chewy and a little bit crunchy. Empty into a beautiful bowl, decorate with an almond or two, and cover until Seder.

The second recipe comes from my son, who was looking for a charoset with bright and unique flavors, when he happened upon this beauty. The flavor of this nut-free charoset is nothing less than spectacular, and I encourage you to try it. You can make it by hand for a more rugged result, or with a food processor. 

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger (approx 1/3 thumb, peeled and chopped fine)
2-3 heaping Tbsp. shredded coconut
1 strip (~2 x 1/2 inch) lemon or grapefruit zest, finely chopped (approx. 3/4 tsp.)
2-4 tsp. sweet white wine (or white grape juice)

Mix together the ginger, coconut, and citrus zest. If using a food processor, pulse no more than two or three times to allow at least some of the ingredients to remain visibly separate.

Then add the dates and pulse just a few more times to mix all the ingredients. Remove from the food processor. Add 2 teaspoons of white wine and mix by hand. If the charoset seems dry (like trail mix), add more wine, just one teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is very slightly moist and sticky. The amount of wine you end up using will depend mostly on the type and age of the dates, so it’s hard to predict in advance, and each batch may be slightly different. Empty into a beautiful bowl, decorate with a sprinkle of coconut and a thin strip of citrus peel, and cover until Seder.

If you’ve never eaten charoset, or if you’re wondering what to do with leftovers (if there are any), you can spoon it onto matzah, chicken, fish, or eat it right off a spoon. I have eaten charoset on matzah for breakfast almost every day of Passover since I was a child, so I doubt I will stop now. Confession: I always make a huge container of apple-and-walnut charoset so there’s enough to last the whole week!

Chag sameach, happy Passover to everyone! Enjoy!