The Mimuna was wonderful, with 150 people stopping by and celebrating this great day with us.

We are not Moroccan, but this tradition is so wonderful that I had to adopt it 3 years ago. What intrigued me was the  open heart and generosity in this tradition. The idea of opening your home, inviting  people to stop by and share time with you while tasting a variety of sweets. All this to wish them all success and prosperity. How beautiful is that?!

Filling the table was the fun part. I do have to admit, the table was international in itself. It had our favorites from nuts and sesame in caramel, to cookies and sweets from my grandmother’s house, my wonderful Nona and from my husbands grandmother Esther.

My husband made hid unbelievable jams cherry tomato, carrot and grapefruit peels. In Israel, in Morocco and other places turning vegetables into jams is very common. Every year, exposing people from around the world to this concept is incredible. At first, the skeptic faces, then tasting, eyes opening and you see how delicious it all is.

Then we had the colorful meringue my kids love, the wonderful Danish cream balls (Flodeboller, Krembo) and the extras – chocolate pudding, Israeli Malabi, rice pudding….

Two days of work, busy kitchen, 4 eager tasters at home approving everything, it is after all a family event.

Colorful Meringue:

4 egg whites

200 gram sugar (7 oz)

Food coloring

Piping bag

Place the egg whites and sugar in a sauce pan. Warm over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  stir consistently.

Move the egg mix into a mixing bowl and mix on high-speed until you get a very hard white foam. I use big 16″ piping bags. I color thin strips with food coloring gel – use only a bit of coloring very thin strips on the inside of the bag.  Then fill the bag with the meringue foam and start designing the sizes and shapes you like.

Bake in 200F oven (100C) for about 2 hours.                                   

Cherry Tomato Jam:

450 gram (1 LB)  cherry tomatoes

450 gram (1 LB) sugar

1/3 cup water

Spices:

Cardamom

English pepper

Wash the tomatoes well. Place the tomatoes, sugar and water in a bowl with the lid on it, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, add cardamom and English pepper and cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the fluid is thick and sticky. Cool and store in a clean container, best to place in glass container.

Baby Carrot Jam:

800 gram (28 oz) baby carrots

1/2 kg (1.1 lb) sugar

Lemon juice from 1 lemon

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup water

* optional – add a bit anise, cardamom or cloves.

Wash the baby carrots well. Place the sugar and water in a bowl and bring to a boil, turn the heat down and continue cooking for about 25 minutes.  Add the carrots and place the lid. Continue cooking for 40 minutes. Add lemon and cinnamon and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the fluid is thick and sticky. Cool and store in a clean container, best to place in glass container.

Caramel Covered Peanuts:

6 cups peanuts

3 cups sugar

1/3  cup water

Juice from a 1/2 lemon

Place the peanuts on a pan with baking paper, and roast them for about an hour in low heat.

Place sugar, water and lemon juice in a wide pan over low heat until it becomes golden brown (light) that means the caramel is ready. Quickly add the peanuts and mix well. You might not need all the peanuts.

Place the caramel peanuts on a well oiled cutting board, flatten them out and let cook. If you’d like shaped peanut squares, cut them before they completely cool and harden or you can break them after they cool completely.

You can add flavors to the caramel – I love cinnamon, cocoa and sesame.

You can also add just sesame to the caramel for caramel covered sesame.

Enjoy,

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