Thanks for Thanksgivikkuh

I had an experience years ago that taught me that you can never be thankful enough; even when you think you have thanked people enough, you should thank them some more. 

There are so many things I am grateful for this year. First, my wonderful family, who support my work and love me even when I am on the road more than any mom should be allowed to be away, and still I retain the title.

I am grateful to all my fans for the overwhelming reception to The Holiday Kosher Baker. The books are selling quite well. I am grateful to my agents Sally and Lisa Ekus my editor at Sterling Publishing, Jennifer Williams; my photographer Michael Bennett Kress and my many interns, assistants and others who test recipes for me and helped make this book a success.

Thank you to all the writers and bloggers who give my book a voice and to the friends who help me arrange appearances all over the world. Thank you to all the new friends I have met on this book tour who invite me to lunch, house me when they have never met me before, schlepp me from airports to hotels, serve as my sous chefs, show me the highlights of their cities and welcome me whole-heartedly into their communities. I am starting to think that there are many places I could actually live in.

Finally, I am grateful to the lunar calendar that brought me Thanksgivikkuh.

Speaking, thinking, baking and writing about this once-in-a-lifetime holiday convergence has become a new career for me, albeit a short one. Lately, I wake up every morning dreaming of new ways to combine the key flavors of each holiday and for every interview I invent new ways to plan your savory menu and design your table to make both holidays feel special.  Most of all I seem to have become the expert on creating desserts that combine the best of both holidays. My children are definitely grateful for the results of the laboratory that now occupies our kitchen.

I will be posting new Thanksgivikkuh recipes all week as well as my favorite savory recipes for Thanksgiving, so check back here.

Easy Thanksgivikkuh Pumpkin Cake

This cake combines pumpkin, Thanksgiving’s star ingredient, with Chanukah’s revered olive oil to create a moist cake that also has no sugar and no white flour. This is my healthiest Thanksgivikkuh recipe. For some reason, it seems to taste better as it ages.

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup agave syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1¼ cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 cups white whole wheat flour, plus extra for dusting pan

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg 

½ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon salt

spray oil for greasing pan

½ teaspoon confectioner’s sugar for dusting, if desired

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Place the oil, agave, vanilla and eggs into a large bowl and beat for 30 seconds or until mixed. Add the pumpkin purée and mix well. Add the white whole wheat flour, baking power, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt and mix well. Scoop into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Lift the loaf pan two inches above the counter and drop down on the counter three times to remove any bubbles. 

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool ten minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired. Store at room temperature for up to five days or freeze for up to three months.