I have so many lemons right now I don’t know what to do with them all! So I tried candying them and they are quite nice atop ice cream with a bit of lemon zest. Crunchy and sweet. Enjoy!
Photos and Illustration by Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast
Persimmon Pear Cake
This Persimmon Pear Cake is a nice twist on the traditional pumpkin bread. It’s denser than cake, which is why you don’t need icing. Peel, cube and cook persimmons and pears in a small pot on the stove (add a bit of butter and water to get it simmering). Mash it up until you get about 1 cup of puree (depending on the size of the fruits, you may need another persimmon or pear). Combine this fruit mixture with all the other ingredients and bake in a round spring form pan. A light drizzle of honey, plus nuts if you like… and serve it warm!
Photos and Illustrations © Erin Gleeson
Sufganiyot Jelly Donuts
In honor of this last day of Hanukkah, I made Sufganiyot (jelly donuts). Believe it or not, this is a Hanukkah tradition, right along with latkes. This was the first time I’d made them so I used Martha Stewart’s recipe and they came out great!
Pumpkin Challah Cinnamon Rolls
Challah dough makes for great cinnamon rolls- the dough is sweet and a little chewy, yum! Use my recipe for challah dough as is (or add a little pumpkin puree when you’re mixing it together). I found a jar of pumpkin butter at Trader Joe’s which was a great glaze, but you can also just make a basic icing (1c powdered sugar + 2T butter + 2t milk+ 1/4t cinnamon). Glaze right as they come out of the oven and enjoy immediately!
Challah
Whenever I am working from home on Fridays (which is pretty much weekly) I make Challah for Shabbat dinner. I have tried and adjusted many recipes, and this is the version I like best. Most recipes make 2 loaves (because it’s traditional to have 2 loaves for Shabbat) but I created a recipe that makes one loaf, which is usually plenty. To mix it up, you can add raisins, craisins, nuts, fruit, chocolate chips, etc. I learned to do the 6-piece braid on youtube via this link (I think about 100 of those views are mine). You can sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, crushed nuts, sea salt…whatever you like on top. Whatever you don’t finish makes for great french toast the next morning. Shabbat Shalom!
