This year, we added many more delicious, diverse and comforting Jewish recipes to The Nosher. We also introduced recipe reviews, which gave you, our beloved readers, the chance to share your feedback on recipes new and old.
In 2023, you celebrated Jewish dishes that have stood the test of time — be it a 2,000-year-old Iraqi apricot meatball recipe or a glass of the Ashkenazi cure-all gogol mogol. You sought comfort in the classics, turning to holiday eats like hamantaschen and masa tiganitas, but weren’t afraid to have a little fun with them, subbing potato kugel for cauliflower, and updating your Rosh Hashanah brisket with flavors of French onion soup. And you were always on board with a speedy twist: from one-bowl honey cake to 3-ingredient Passover fudge.
Read on for more dishes that you couldn’t get enough of this year. You can find them (and oh-so many more) on The Nosher.
1. The Best Hamantaschen Recipe
Year after year, you keep coming back to this foolproof hamantaschen recipe, and we totally get it. With a sugar cookie-like dough, these bake up tender, moist and sweet. Simply add your favorite filling and enjoy!
2. Masa Tiganitas
This year, you demanded more from your Passover breakfast than a dry sheet of matzah topped with cheese, turning to this sweet Sephardi dish that tastes like a cross between baklava and matzah brei. Who needs a bagel when you have fried matzah topped with sweet arrope (grape syrup) and toasted walnuts? Dayenu.
3. Gogol Mogol
Many of you sought comfort in this Ashkenazi cure-all beverage dating back to 17th-century Central Europe. And you’re in good company: Barbra Streisand’s mom was reportedly a fan of this frothy, sweet treat, said to soothe everything from sore throats to winter blues. We’ll be spiking ours with brandy and toasting to better things in 2024 from the comfort of our couch on January 1st.
3. Cauliflower Kugel
You Noshers love a kugel and were very excited about this humble cauliflower version in 2023, with many of you awarding it a 5-star review. It’s easy to see why: This simple recipe has all the comfort and nostalgia of a more traditional kugel, but just so happens to be a little lighter.
5. French Onion Brisket
Speaking of twists on a classic, you loved the idea of bringing the bistro to your brisket, with flavors of French onion soup: caramelized onions, apple brandy and thyme. Too good to save until next Rosh Hashanah, this recipe feeds a crowd plus guarantees flavorful leftovers (best eaten over pasta).
6. Kasha Varnishkes with Lots of Mushrooms
This recipe for “old-fashioned” kasha varnishkes with lots of mushrooms sent many of you on a trip down memory lane… and into our recipe comments! We expect to see even more 5-star reviews in 2024, when kasha (aka buckwheat) is predicted to enjoy a moment in the spotlight.
7. One-Bowl Honey Cake
A truly delicious, moist honey cake can be hard to find, but we thought we’d spoil you by bringing you all that wrapped up in a one-bowl recipe that keeps for up to a week. Sounds too good to be true? Check out this 5-star review:
“I made this cake on Rosh Hashanah. It was fabulous. My son loves Honey cake and practically ate half of it! My other guests were lucky to get a taste! Will be making this in my bundt pan again. Absolutely love it! Thank you so much for this terrific recipe.” – Rene, Sep 26, 2023.
8. Iraqi Apricot Meatballs
Nosher readers love their meatballs, and this year we brought you a special recipe — with a side of history. Variations of these tender, rich, sweet-and-sour apricot meatballs have been enjoyed by Iraqi Jews and non-Jews alike for 2,000 years, and you were more than happy to keep the tradition alive.
9. 3-Ingredient Fudge (For Passover, or Anytime)
You embraced this bite-sized upgrade on the nostalgic, but always disappointing, Passover chocolate lollipops. This super easy, endlessly customizable, vegan fudge recipe (lollipop stick optional) makes the perfect after-dinner treat — for Passover or anytime.
10. Crockpot Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup
Sometimes, after a long, cold day, only a good soup will do. So it’s no surprise that this recipe for comforting beef, barley and mushroom soup (aka krupnik) has been a reader favorite for the past eight years. Stick it in a crockpot on a Sunday morning and go about your day, smug in the knowledge that a hearty dinner awaits.
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