Iranian Haroset

This is from Cooking Light. "Seder means "order" in Hebrew, and the seder meal has several components symbolic of the story retold each year. The meal always includes haroset, a condiment made of fruit, nuts, and honey. Its thick, chutneylike consistency symbolizes the bricks and mortar the Jews had to prepare when they were slaves, while its sweetness represents the joy of freedom that followed their slavery. The tradition of eating haroset as part of the seder dates back at least 1,500 years. Haroset is a kosher dish that showcases the richness of Jewish culinary traditions. As people settled in different areas, they made creative use of local ingredients. Ashkenazic Jews (those from Germany and Eastern Europe) favored apple-based haroset. Sephardic Jews from Spain and countries farther south and east, such as Tunisia, Greece, and Turkey, made their haroset with dates, figs, and other dried fruit (showcased in our Turkish Haroset). In addition to these traditions, it seems every family has its own heirloom recipe. New versions are created all the time, like New England Haroset, which incorporates dried cranberries and maple syrup."

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup hazelnuts
• 1  cup  whole pitted dates
• 1⁄3 cup  whole  blanched almond
• 1⁄4 cup raisins
• 1⁄4 cup golden raisin
• 2  tablespoons sweet red wine
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1  cup  shredded peeled granny smith apple (about 8 ounces)
• 1⁄3 cup  sliced banana

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring once.
3. Turn nuts out onto a towel. Roll up towel; rub off skins.
4. Combine hazelnuts, dates, almonds, raisins, and golden raisins in a food processor.
5. Process until ground, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. (Mixture will be thick and crumbly but will hold together when pressed.)
6. Add wine, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves; pulse 4 times or until combined.
7. Add apple and banana; pulse 4 times or until combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.