Cooking with Faigy

Rosh Hashana Edition

For me, it’s always the honey. Rosh Hashana comes, and suddenly the world feels sticky-sweet, in the very best way. Not just in taste, but in heart. In memory. In longing. In return.

I think of my Bobby Ibi, my grandmother of Hungarian descent, with her regal poise and a voice full of charm. She’d look at me, eyes twinkling, and say in that unforgettable accent: “Suggahhh.” She’d stretch the word out like it deserved a runway. Lips puckered. Smile glowing. Ahhh, sugar.

Her honey cookies were famous. We all know the song, “Dip the apple in the honey…” We all set our tables with simanim, whispering and singing and reading aloud their heartfelt meanings. And I’ll be honest — I love a full simanim seder. I want the leeks and the beets and the pomegranate and the fish head and the carrots. If there’s a pun to be made, I’m putting it on my plate.

But let’s pause for a second. The simanim aren’t just a cute custom. They’re not a Pinterest moment or a charming tradition from the shtetl. They’re a powerful avodah. The Arizal teaches that these foods — and the intentions we have while eating them — have the power to actually shape and sweeten the entire year ahead. When we set that table, we’re not playing pretend. We’re not laying out our prayers. We’re presenting a vision. We’re saying to Hashem:

This is the year I want.
To be the head, not the tail.
To rise above our enemies.
To be fruitful. To increase.
To live sweet. To love deep.
To walk through the judgments of Tishrei and come out the other side dripping in honey.

Every bite is a declaration. Every food is a form of tefillah. And the simanim, as whimsical as they may seem, are a serious spiritual toolkit for transformation.

Now back to the honey. There’s something mystical about it. In Chassidus, honey isn’t just sweet — it’s transformative.

The word devash (דבש) has the gematria of Av HaRachaman — the Merciful Father. The same Father we turn to on Rosh Hashana, trembling yet trusting, praying not just to be judged, but to be understood. Loved. Wrapped in compassion.

That honey is kosher, even though it comes from a bee — an animal that’s not kosher at all. A sting, followed by sweetness.

This is what Chassidus teaches us: sometimes, the most divine sweetness comes from the places that sting. The honey is the paradox — gevurah she’b’chesed — strictness wrapped in kindness. Judgement softened by compassion.

Even if we’ve had a year that felt more like a bee sting than a honey dip… even if we’ve stumbled, even if we feel unworthy — we daven that our words, our songs, our tefillos… will be received like honey: pure, sweet, real.

So here I am, sitting with Bobby Ibi’s handwritten recipe in front of me, the page smudged with time and batter and love. So I took her honey cookie recipe… and gave it a Rosh Hashana makeover.

So this year, when you dip your apple in honey, or take that first bite of your honey scone, remember:
The bee stings — but it also gives us honey.
The year may sting — but it too can turn sweet.

Let the judgment be sweetened. Let the scones rise. And let our tefillos — our table, our food, our words — reach the Merciful Father, Av HaRachaman, just as we are.

Wishing you a kesiva v’chasima tova, sweetness, softness, and lots of sugahhh.

With love,
♡ Faigy

Turning the Sting into Sweetness:

HONEY SCONES À LA BOBBY IBI
(With a Faigy Twist)

Servings: 24 scones | Prepping Time: 15 min | Cooking Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch cinnamon

Directions:

Mix the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients: flour, eggs, sugar, honey, oil, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix until fully incorporated.

Chill
Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up. This helps with scooping and baking evenly.

Preheat & Prepare
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop & Shape
Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out portions of the chilled dough and place them evenly spaced on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges.

Cool
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving.