It is customary on Rosh Hashana to eat foods symbolizing sweetness, blessings, and abundance. 

We dip the challah in honey; and afterwards, on the first night, we eat a piece of apple dipped in honey.

After the appropriate blessing on the apple, we add: "May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year." Other customs include eating the head of a fish, pomegranates and carrots.

• Honey Cake

Traditionally served on Rosh Hashana and Erev Yom Kippur are foods symbolic of our wishes for a sweet year.

3 eggs                        3 tbsps. margarine
1 pound honey (1-1/3 cups)    1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/3 cups sugar              4 cups flour
1 cup strong coffee           1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsps. baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.

Beat eggs and honey together. Add sugar and mix again. Mix coffee with baking powder, and then add with margarine to the egg mixture. Add baking soda, flour, cinnamon and beat together well.

Bake in greased 9x13-inch pan at 325~ for 55 minutes to 1 hr.

• Traditional Challah

For an unusually smooth taste and texture to enhance your Shabbat and Yom Tov meals.

5 pounds flour               2 tbsps. salt
2 ounces fresh yeast and     1-1/2 cups sugar
1 package dry yeast          5 eggs
2 cups warm water            GLAZE
1-1/2 sticks margarine       1 egg, beaten
2-1/3 cups boiling water     Poppy seeds

Dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water, in a small bowl, until it bubbles.

In a large bowl, place margarine and pour boiling water over it and stir until margarine is melted.

Add salt and sugar.

Let cool for a few minutes and beat in eggs. Add the bubbling yeast.

Gradually add flour. Knead for 10 minutes. If dough is too moist add a little more flour.

When ready to rise, smear top of dough with oil, cover and let rise 1 hour.

(When the dough has risen, while still covered, separate - tear off - a small portion of dough known as "challah" from the whole dough. Make the blessing:

Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ho-olom A-sher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sov Vi-tzi-vo-nu Le-hafrish Cha-lah.

This piece of dough is put in the oven to bake away until it is inedible.

Shape and let rise another hour. Brush with beaten egg to glaze. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour for large challahs, 1/2 hour for smaller challahs and rolls.