Are you ready for the next New Year’s celebration?
Tu B’Shevat, or New Year for the Trees, begins at sunset on Jan. 24 and concludes the following night. The holiday marks the aging of trees, once important for tithing and for honoring the prohibition against eating the fruit of a tree younger than 3 years old.
One tradition is to eat foods from the Seven Species (Shivat Haminim) mentioned in the Torah as being plentiful in Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
The Barley-Date Dessert includes pomegranates — in the form of pomegranate molasses, available in specialty and Middle Eastern markets — and fresh pomegranate seeds, providing a tangy contrast to the homey, sweet, spiced pudding.
The Twice-Baked Fruit and Nut Cookies feature six of the species. Try substituting chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds for the chocolate chips.
Barley-Date Dessert
Serves 6
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups unflavored almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground dried ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup water, more as needed
2 Tbs. pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Combine barley and almond milk in 2-qt. sauce pan. Bring to low boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Stir in vanilla, sugar, cardamom, ginger and salt. Cover and lower heat to keep at simmer, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 40 to 50 minutes). Stir in dates. Keep covered and at a simmer, stirring often, until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1/4 cup of water and simmer, covered, stirring often, until absorbed. Taste. Barley should be cooked through with a slightly chewy center. If needed, add more water, 1/4 cup at a time, simmering until absorbed and barley reaches desired texture. Serve warm or at room temperature. To serve, divide into individual dishes and drizzle each with 1 tsp. of pomegranate molasses and sprinkle with seeds.
Twice-Baked Fruit and Nut Cookies
Makes 20
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for pans and hands
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
11/3 cups flour, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped figs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Pomegranate-White Chocolate Glaze (see below)
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets with olive oil. Beat eggs and sugar together in large bowl until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in 1/4 cup oil and vanilla. Separately mix 2/3 cup flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in almonds. Toss dates, figs, raisins and chips with remaining flour. Stir into batter, mixing well.
Divide dough in half. Oil hands. Shape half into a loaf 3/4-inch high, 2 inches wide and 81/2 inches long on a cookie sheet. Repeat. Bake 35 minutes until golden brown and puffy. (Leave oven on.) Cool in pan 5 minutes.
Ease loaves onto cutting board with spatula. Cut each into 10 short 3/4-inch slices. Lay cut side down on cookie sheets. Return to oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to rack to harden and cool completely. (Cookies can be wrapped and glazed later if desired.)
Place rack over cookie sheet. Prepare glaze. Dip cookie by flat bottom crust about 1/4-inch into glaze, allowing excess to drip back into glaze bowl. Place on rack cut side down until glaze is firm. Store airtight at room temperature.
Pomegranate-White Chocolate Glaze: Combine 1 cup white chocolate chips with 2 Tbs. pomegranate juice. Melt, stirring until smooth. Use warm on cool cookies.
Faith Kramer is a Bay Area food writer. Her columns alternate with those of Josie A.G. Shapiro. Faith blogs about her food at www.clickblogappetit.com. Contact her at [email protected].