Rosh Hashanah Tzimmes with Honey and Kneidlach

This traditional-style Rosh Hashanah tzimmes slow-cooks carrots with brown sugar, honey, optional prunes, and a savory flour-and-schmaltz kneidlach roll. Brisket or flanken can be tucked beneath the carrots for a hearty holiday main dish.

Oven: 400°F, then 320°F
Cook time: About 3 to 4 hours, plus optional overnight rest for the carrots

Carrot Tzimmes Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Weeks Honey Farm Georgia Wildflower Honey, to taste (the original recipe calls for “a squirt”)
• 4 to 5 prunes, optional
• Water, as needed

Kneidlach Roll Ingredients

• 1 pound flour; a mixture of white flour and coarse semolina is recommended
• 2 white onions, chopped
• 1 pound unrendered chicken fat (schmaltz), chopped, or 3 sticks margarine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Optional Meat

• 1 piece brisket or flanken
• 1 white onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make Rosh Hashanah Tzimmes

1. Sweeten the carrots. Place the sliced carrots in a bowl. Add the brown sugar and honey, stir well, cover, and refrigerate for at least a few hours or preferably overnight.
2. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the carrot mixture and any liquid it has released to a large casserole dish. Add the prunes if using.
3. Make the kneidlach roll. Combine the chopped onions and chopped schmaltz in a separate bowl. Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Mix first with a wooden spoon, then knead until the mixture forms a dough. Shape it into a thick sausage-like roll and place it in the center of the casserole dish.
4. Prepare the optional meat. Season the brisket or flanken with salt and pepper. Sauté the remaining onion in a pan, then sear the meat in the same pan. Nestle the meat beneath the carrots beside the kneidlach roll.
5. Add water. Pour in only enough water to cover the carrots, accounting for the liquid they have already released.
6. Begin baking. Cover the casserole and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
7. Slow-cook. Reduce the oven temperature to 320°F and cook, covered, for about 3 to 4 hours. Check periodically to make sure the casserole is simmering gently and not boiling over.
8. Serve. Carefully slice the kneidlach roll and meat, if included, and serve with the tender carrots and cooking juices.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Tzimmes can be prepared ahead and reheated. The original recipe also notes that it can be frozen. Cool leftovers promptly, store them covered, and reheat thoroughly before serving.

Why Wildflower Honey Works

Georgia Wildflower Honey adds floral sweetness to the slow-cooked carrots and fits the Rosh Hashanah tradition of welcoming a sweet new year.

Shop Georgia Wildflower Honey

Adapted from My Jewish Learning. Handle raw chicken fat and raw meat carefully, wash hands and surfaces thoroughly, and cook meat completely. Raw honey should not be given to infants under one year of age.