Recipe: Moroccan Charoset Balls for Passover

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Moroccan Charoset Balls
By Susan Barocas

A typical Moroccan charoset recipe contains dates, raisins, local spices and various fruits finely ground together for unique blends. There is a tradition of rolling up haroset into balls that are delicious eaten alone or squished between two pieces of matzah at the seder, for a Passover breakfast or an anytime snack.

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: none

Yield: about 24 balls

Ingredients

2 cups pitted dates (about 24 medium-sized)
6-7 dried figs, Black Mission or Smyrna
1 cup raisins, preferably golden
10-12 dried apricot halves
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or to taste
Couple pinches allspice (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons sweet red wine or grape juice
½-¾ cup almonds, finely ground (optional)

Directions

1. Using a food processor with the metal blade, pulse and grind the dates, figs, raisins, and apricots until coarsely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed.
2. Add the walnuts, cinnamon, and allspice, if using, and pulse until mixture is finely chopped and blended together. Keep scraping down the sides as needed. It often will start to form a ball.
3. Add just enough wine or grape juice to make the mixture stick together. Too much and it will be too sticky. As you pulse it, the mixture will start to form a large ball.
4. Very slightly dampen your hands with cold water. Gently roll the mixture into small balls, marble- to walnut-sized depending on personal preference.
5. To roll the balls in the ground almonds, spread the nuts on a plate or in a wide soup bowl. Then roll each ball gently in the nuts until covered. You can do all the balls or none or do a mixture with and without the nut coating.
6. Place charoset balls in a single layer on a tray or cookie sheet that has been covered with waxed or parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Once cold and firm, the balls can be stored stacked in a container with a tight lid. Use parchment or waxed paper between layers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks…if they last that long!

Photo from jewishfoodexperience.com.

Want a bigger taste? 
Join us this summer at the Hazon Food Conference!