SILVIA NACAMULLI’S ITALIAN CHAROSET
There are endless recipes for charoset, often linked with the country, city, or shtetl of origin. Any of the ingredients can be changed. Ingredients can include walnuts, raisins, pine nuts, pomegranate and even bananas. If you try different combinations, remember to keep a balance between three key ingredients: nuts, fruit and some kind of liquid. The end result should have the consistency of the mortar used to build the pyramids, which is what charoset is there to remind us of:
INGREDIENTS:
100g unskinned almonds
100g hazelnuts
100g pitted dates, diced 2 apples such as Royal gala, cored and diced
100ml Marsala or sweet wine
100ml freshly squeezed orange juice – ideally from blood red oranges
½ tsp cinnamon
2-3 tbsp red wine pinch of salt
METHOD:
● Place all the ingredients in a food processor — for a coarser finish — or blender for a smooth paste.
● Pulse a few times and then run for a minute. If the paste is too hard then add a little more red wine or orange juice. If it’s too loose add more almonds or dates or a tablespoon or two of matzah meal.
● Pulse until you have a homogenous consistency.
● Transfer it to a closed container and refrigerate.