Charoset is more than a symbolic food, meant to represent the mortar that binds the Egyptian pyramids. It is delicious! Charoset is my favorite part of the Passover sedar, and I love snacking on it throughout the rest of the holiday. It’s sweet and nutty, the perfect thing to liven up a piece of matzah or any kind of cracker. It is also really easy to make. No heat required! I first made charoset sitting on a dorm room floor while preparing for the least traditional sedar that ever existed. My technique has matured a lot, but the charoset was delicious even back then.

I make my charoset in the food processor for ultimate ease, but you could easily hand mix the ingredients in a single bowl. To start, add 1/4 cup of ground walnuts to your bowl. My walnuts were in pieces, so I ground them in the food processor.

Next, peel and grate 1 red apple. Any type of red apple is fine, I used Gala. Add the apple to the walnuts.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of a sweet red wine to the bowl and mix it together. I pulsed my mixture in the food processor a few times to combine the ingredients and chop up my larger apple gratings. If you use a traditional box grater, additional chopping won’t be necessary. Taste the charoset and add more of any of the ingredients to get the balanced flavor you prefer. Decorate the charoset with another sprinkling of cinnamon and walnut pieces. Store it covered in the refrigerator. This recipe makes enough charoset for about 5-6 people. It’s really used as a condiment. But you can easily double the recipe if you’re serving a larger group. Enjoy!

Shopping list:

• Ground walnuts- 1/4 cup
• Apple- 1
• Red wine- 3 tablespoons
• Cinnamon- 1/4 teaspoon