Passover recipe: Nut-free haroset

My kids' school is a no-nuts zone, so when my 7-year-old's class celebrated Passover last week I created this nut-free version of the traditional haroset. Haroset is one of the symbolic Passover foods, meant to resemble the mortar the Jewish slaves used to build the pyramids of their Egyptian masters.

An Ashkenazic haroset is normally made with chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon, sugar and sweet Passover wine. I substituted pumpkin seeds for the nuts to accommodate the school rules. I make my haroset in the food processor and prefer a finer texture, but if you like yours chunkier, by all means chop the ingredients by hand.

Nut-free haroset

• 4 apples, cored, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp sweet Passover wine

Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry nonstick pan over medium-high heat until seeds start to brown and pop, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool 10 minutes.

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is chopped and combined but still has a little texture. Let sit at least 1 hour, and up to 4 hours, to let flavors meld.