When our patriarch Yaakov masqueraded as Eisav to obtain his rightful “firstborn” blessing from his father, Yitzchak, he donned Eisav’s cloak. Yitzchak exclaimed, “the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that God has blessed” and blessed Yaakov. The Talmud identifies the fragrance as an apple orchard, and the Vilna Gaon says this happened on Rosh Hashanah. We eat apples (tons of them) because we too want those holy blessings given to Yaakov.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 + 30 chill min

Ready Time: 1 hour

Servings

12 challah rolls

Ingredients

2 large granny smith apples, peeled , cored and diced

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch Kosher salt

2½ pounds prepared challah dough

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

¼ cup demerara or turbinado sugar

Directions

1. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook apples, lemon juice, sugar, honey, cinnamon and salt until tender and softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 375*F. On a lightly floured surface, cut dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Roll out each ball into a 5-inch disc. Place 2 tablespoons of apple filling in the middle of each disc Using your fingers, bring all the edges up and around the filling and pinch tightly to seal the filling inside. Place in greased jumbo muffin tins, seam side down, and repeat with remaining dough.

3. Brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy your sweet challah.