Most Jewish Americans grew up eating and drinking Manischewitz products. From grape wine to gefilte fish, Manischewitz has been an integral part of the Jewish holidays for over a century. You might be surprised to learn that it all started with matzo. In March of 1888, Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz turned to his wife and said “I’m going to bake matzos this year.” Previously matzo had been baked in synagogues, but times were changing. The Jewish community in the United States was growing steadily, and the timing was right for independent matzo bakers to set up shops of their own. Rabbi Manischewitz’s hope when opening a small bakery in Cincinnati, Ohio was to provide his close friends and family with unleavened bread during Passover. Word spread quickly, and soon he was selling to many more Jews throughout the city. The bakery achieved success early on. While Rabbi Manischewitz was certainly innovative, he always remained dedicated to the spiritual needs of his customers.
By the end of the 1800s, the high demand for Rabbi Manischewitz’s matzo required that he begin using gas-fired ovens in lieu of the coal-powered ovens used by most Jewish bakers. The new gas ovens allowed him to carefully control baking speeds, which in turn provided him with an opportunity to ensure that the quality of his product was consistent. By March of 1907, the small Manischewitz bakery became a 37,000 square foot factory that produced 20,000 pounds of matzo every day. The company was also the first to package matzo for shipment, which made it possible to send them well beyond Cincinnati to exotic overseas destinations like Japan, France and New Zealand. Rabbi Manischewitz’s operation became a model for kosher bakeries around the world.
After his passing in 1914, Rabbi Manischewitz’s son Jacob took over operations as the new president of the The B. Manischewitz Company. He introduced many significant developments to the matzo-making process, including a very expensive piece of machinery in 1920 that pushed out 12.5 million matzos per day. These machine-produced matzos were identical in their square shape, texture and appearance, making them easily distinguishable as a Manischewitz matzo. In 1932 a second Manischewitz factory was built in Jersey City, New Jersey. This proved to be a smart move, considering its proximity to a much larger Jewish population. Distribution to east coast grocery stores and delis became more efficient and an even larger customer base grew. The success of the new factory made it possible to shut down the Cincinnati factory altogether.
Manischewitz began venturing beyond matzos in 1940 when the Tam-Tam cracker was introduced. In 1954, when the company purchased a processing plant in Vineland, New Jersey, the line of products grew further. Hand-packed favorites like borscht, chicken soup and gefilte fish could now be widely distributed under the Manischewitz name. Today the Manischewitz Company produces hundreds of kosher products and remains the top matzo producer in the world.
Manischewitz started with matzo, so it seems fitting that my second “Thanksgivukah” recipe for the company be made with their famous matzo meal (ground matzo squares). Who says you need to wait for Passover to enjoy matzo? It’s a great substitute for breadcrumbs year-round, and I recently discovered it makes a delicious topping for a fruit crisp. This simple and crave-worthy recipe for Matzo Crisp with Pear, Apple and Cranberries can be made dairy or pareve. It’s so easy to put together, a seasonal and scrumptious option for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or just because. Who can resist the power of a warm, freshly baked fruit crisp? Add a scoop of ice cream and prepare to swoon!
Meanwhile, check out these fabulous Thanksgivukah links from Manischewitz:
Hilarious Thanksgiving-Hanukkah Rap Battle
This post was sponsored by Manischewitz. Thank you for supporting my sponsors, they help me to share more free recipes and food history with you!
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Matzo Crisp with Pear, Apple and Cranberries
Ingredients
Filing Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds pears, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 1/2 pounds Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 12 ounces cranberries- fresh or frozen (1 bag)
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons minute tapioca
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
Topping Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Manischewitz matzo meal
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts
- 8 tbsp chilled unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated margarine cut into 1-inch pieces (use margarine to make vegan)
- Vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche for serving, if desired (use a dairy free ice cream to keep this dessert pareve)
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss together all filling ingredients and stir gently till combined. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the first 7 topping ingredients - matzo meal, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Pulse a few times till ingredients are blended.
- Add nuts and unsalted butter or margarine pieces to the processor. Continue to pulse till the mixture is combined and crumbly. Do not over-process-- you want some texture to the nuts and bits of butter in the mix. If you don't have a processor, you can instead mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the butter mixture with your fingers or a pastry blender. Work the butter into the mixture till a crumbly texture forms.
- Grease the baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Pour filling mixture into your baking dish and spread it in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the fruit filling. Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet - this will catch any overflow of fruit juice in the oven.Put the crisp and cookie sheet in the oven and let it bake for 50-60 minutes, turning once during baking, till the crisp topping is lightly browned.
- Remove the crisp from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve the crisp warm topped with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche, if desired.Store any leftover crisp in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Research Sources:
“History.” Manischewitz 120. The Manischewitz Company, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
“Our History.” Manischewitz. The Manischewitz Company, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Sarna, Jonathan D. “How Matzah Became Square: Manischewitz and the Development of Machine-Made Matzah in the United States.” Brandeis University. Graduate School Of Jewish Studies Touro College, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
I made this for dessert for Christmas and it was a big hit. The tartness of the cranberries makes it much less sickly sweet than a typical fruit pie or crisp. Delicious!
Great to hear that Jessica! I agree the cranberries give it a nice balance of flavors.
what a fantastic dish! easy to prepare, and came out delicious! Most amazing (for me) is that my home-made version looked like the picture of yours. A huge accomplishment!
Fabulous Batya!
Tori I just love stopping in here. I always come away with a new perspective on life, I learn things I didn’t know and I get to stare at gorgeous photos of food. You amaze girl. Happy Thanksgivukkh! xx
Pinned this, because it sounds heavenly. To make this kosher l’pesach, couldn’t you use potato starch instead of the tapioca?
Hi Beth! I have never used potato starch as a fruit thickener in a dessert like this, so I’m not sure how that would work. You should never boil potato starch because it becomes goopy, so I would worry that as the filling gets very hot during baking and starts to bubble, it might have an adverse effect on the filling texture. If you test it out, please let us know the results!
The recipe sounds yummy! I think I will try it. I will not, however use any Manischewitz products. I sent them an email recently asking why they have downsized some of their products like noodles. My old tried and true recipes from my mom no longer work. Their answer was rude and snippy. The person actually lied and said they have never downsized. I don’t like to be lied to and don’t feel valued as a customer. The person could have at least been honest and polite. Anyhoo – sorry I am venting right now. Ok – I am done. I will try the recipe using a different brand of matzo meal. All of your recipes I have tried are so delicious. Happy Thanksgivukkah! 🙂
Hi Tori, I was wondering if you could add some pumpkin to this recipe?
Yum!
good for Passover
You stole my husbands choice of word for our next holiday. Happy Thanksgivukkh!!!
Let’s do it for thanksgivingukkah!!!! Heather
Oh Andrew Hickerson…pumpkin challah and sweet potato latkes sound like heaven to me!!
Making this for Christmas !!!
Gobbletov, and if a fight breaks out over this yummy dessert…squabbletov.
Gobbletov – LOVE IT!!!
Aleks, I agree I can’t stomach their wine!
When my son was in kindergarten, his public elementary school had a “Just Say No” (to alcohol and drugs) drive. The children were to show a pledge to their parents, then sign it. I never saw the pledge, but learned about it from his amused teacher. She reported that my son had refused, saying “I’m Jewish, so we’re all drinkers in my family —but only Manischewitz — on Shabbat.”
So cute! 😀
I’m saving this one for sure!
This is definitely going to be a Chanukah dessert!! Yum!
I’m pinning this for pesach!
I was thinking the same thing Devorah! It would be a great Passover dessert too.
yes post this for Pesach.
I am so going to be making this. It looks so yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
Tori, I have a question for you… How will having Hanukkah and Thanksgiving overlap change your traditional holiday menus? 🙂
Jeannie Hill Keim I’m doing foods that are inspired by both holidays like pumpkin challah and sweet potato latkes. You can find my combined holiday recipe ideas here: http://theshiksa.com/in-the-kitchen/recipes/thanksgivukah/
looks fab..