Apples and honey may be PEAK Rosh Hashanah, but Apple and Honey shaped challahs? That is the peak of the peak! Today I’m showing you how to make the cutest mini apple-shaped challah and accompanying challah-covered functional honey jar. These stunning and adorable challahs will get your new year off to the sweetest start!
Ingredients for Mini Challah Apples and Mini Honey Jars:
1.5 pounds of honey or honey cinnamon dough after its first rise, divided into 6 2.5-ounce pieces (for apples) and 6 1.5-ounce pieces (for honey jars)
Red and green sanding sugar (for the apples and leaves)
Cinnamon sugar (for the honey jar lids and bases)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
6 pretzel sticks, snapped in half (for the honey jars and apples)
1 6-hole muffin tin, greased well (for the apples)
6 1-ounce oven-safe ramekins (for the honey jars)
2 cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper (for the honey jars)
Directions for Mini Challah Apples:
1. Start with your 2.5-ounce pieces. Divide each ball of dough further into a 2-ounce piece for the apple base and a .5-ounce piece for the apple leaf.
2. Roll each 2-ounce piece into a rectangle approximately 6 by 4 inches.
3. Braid three strips of challah together. Gently roll up to create a ball shape.
4. Coat in egg wash. Cover in red sanding sugar.
5. Place each piece seam-side down into the muffin tin.
6. Roll each .5-ounce piece into a small oval. Pinch one of the ends to create a leaf shape.
7. Coat in egg wash. Top with green sanding sugar.
8. Place on the top center of each of the red sanding sugar coated balls. Let rest 10 minutes.
9. Use a half of a pretzel stick to press the “leaf” into the “apple.”
10. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 25 minutes or until golden.
(If freezing, use a toothpick instead of a pretzel stick. Remove the toothpick and replace with a pretzel stick before serving.)
Directions for Honey Jar Lids:
1. Start with your 1.5-ounce pieces. Divide each ball of dough further into a 1-ounce piece for the honey jar base and a .5-ounce piece for the honey jar top.
2. Place ramekins, upside down, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Use a pen or marker to trace a circle around the top of each ramekin. Remove ramekins and set aside.
3. Roll each .5-ounce piece into a rope approximately 12 inches long.
4. Place half a pretzel stick in the center of one of the circles drawn on the parchment paper.
5. Wrap the dough rope around the pretzel stick and gently shape dough into a spiral around it, filling in the drawn circle.
6. Repeat for the remaining 5 circles.
7. Coat in egg wash and cover in cinnamon sugar. Let rest 10 minutes.
8. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until golden.
Directions for Honey Jar Bases:
1. Roll each 1.5-ounce piece of dough into a rope approximately 15 inches long.
2. Surround each ramekin with the rope. (You can spray the ramekins with cooking spray before covering with the dough, but it will be much harder to get the dough to stay put!)
3. Place each ramekin, upside down, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
4. Cover in egg wash. Coat in cinnamon sugar. Let rest 10 minutes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until golden.
