Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Charoset Cookies
Here’s a happy accident! For our Passover gathering this year, one of our tasks was to bring “charoset,” the ceremonial dish that’s symbolizes mortar. It’s typically a mixture of grated apples, chopped walnuts, and sweet wine. Charoset is Giordano’s forté, and his batch this year was delish. When we arrived at our relatives, we were mortified to discover we had left it at home. So, no charoset for the crowd to spread on matzoh, and now we had a quart of charoset at home. What to do? Why cookies of course! And tasty they are! 
You don’t need to be Jewish to love Charoset Cookies. And you don’t have to make them only at Passover. They’re a snap to make (particularly if you forget to bring it to the seder).
Prep 10 minutes if you have charoset on hand, 20 minutes if you don’t
Bake 25 to 30 minutes
Makes about 30 two-inch cookies
 
½ cup date paste, or to taste
1 cup kosher certified quinoa flour, like OU or Star-K, if you are observing Passover
1 teaspoon kosher certified baking powder, if you are observing Passover
3 cups charoset1, well drained plus ½ cup for topping 
Dusting of freshly grated nutmeg
 
Note
There are as many recipes for charoset as there are Jewish cooks, this is Giordano’s: 
5 firm, sweet fuji apples, peeled and grated coarsely
1 to 1½ cup fresh walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About ¾ cup dessert wine or cream sherry, or if you’re like my Mom, Manischewitz wine
 
To save time, quarter the apples, remove the seeds, and grate in a food processor using the coarse grating disk. Chop the walnuts coarsely with a chef knife or mezzaluna. Mix the apples, walnuts, add vanilla, and use just as much wine as required to flavor the mix to your liking. Refrigerate until use. 
 
Preheat the oven to 350°F, or 325°F for a convection oven.
In a mixing bowl combine the quinoa flour and baking powder, mixing it well.  
Stir in the chopped walnuts
In a separate bowl, mix the grated apples and date paste, dispersing the date paste throughout.
Add 3 cups only of the apple mix and the wine to the flour, stirring lightly to combine.
Taste and adjust the flavors as you like. 
Line a large baking sheet with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Use a small ice cream scoop to mound the cookie mix on the baking sheet, spaced ½ inch apart.
Top each cookie with a small spoonful of the reserved apple mix.
Grate a light dusting of nutmeg over each cookie.
Bake for about 30 minutes but start checking at 25. The cookies are done when they are firm and golden, and a little toasted on their edges.
Remove from the oven. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes, then gently transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
The cookies will stay fresh in the fridge for about a week and freeze beautifully.