The pomegranate was one of the seven species of Israel, and because of the idea that each one has 613 seeds, the number of mitzvot of the Torah, it has become a symbol that we associate with Rosh Hashanah. Here are some recipes to try.

Apple-Pomegranate Cobbler

8-10 servings

This recipe came from Food & Wine, with some of my changes.

• 2 cups pomegranate juice
• 6 peeled, halved, cored, sliced ½-inch thick apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, or ½ cup unsalted pareve margarine
• 1 cup cold heavy cream or pareve cream
• Pomegranate seeds
• Pareve vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place an 8 x 8 glass baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a small saucepan, bring pomegranate juice to a boil over high heat, reduced to ⅓ cup (15 minutes). Pour into a bowl. Fold in apple slices, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Scrape into a baking dish.
3. In another bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Add butter or margarine and cut until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1 cup cream.
4. Gather topping and scatter over apple filling. Brush top with cream, sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden.
5. If the crust is browning, tent with foil. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, Top with vanilla ice cream.

Persian Pomegranate Gelee

8 servings

This is a Food & Wine recipe from Mahin Gilanpour Motamed, mother of a Persian food expert.

• 6 cups pomegranate juice
• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• Pomegranate seeds

1. Put 1 cup pomegranate juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin on top. Let stand until moistened, about 3 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups pomegranate juice to a boil. Whisk in dissolved gelatin mixture and simmer for 1 minute until dissolved. Stir in remaining 3 cups pomegranate juice. Let cool.
3. Pour mixture into 8 glasses and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Pomegranate Ice

5 cups

This has no origin noted in my recipe card.

• 8-10 seeded pomegranates
• 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
• ¾ cup sugar

1. Whirl seeds in a blender. Strain and save liquid for 4 cups.
2. Add lemon juice, lemon peel and sugar. Pour into a metal pan and cover with foil. Freeze 8 hours. Remove and break into chunks. Blend into slush. Refreeze until firm.

Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist, author and compiler/editor of nine kosher cookbooks. She is a food writer for North American Jewish publications, and she leads walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.