Parshas Bamidbar

Parshas Bamidbar.... The first parsha of the forth book of Chumash.  It chronicles the Jews time in the Desert - Its literal translation- In The Desert.  

I wanted to make a cake that looks like a desert, and then to decorate it with sweets to show where the Jews were camped around the Mishkan.  I didn't get to do the sweets.  But the cake really does resemble a desert.  

So what is this cake?  

Its a 3 layer Halva cake.  

Layers of sponge cake, chocolate ganache and shredded Halva.  

Then using a sharp knife cutting off the edges to neaten it up.

For the top, I first rubbed some of the left over sponge cake together and sifted to a fine 'flour'.  And added some more shredded Halva on top of that.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos!

Orit

XXX

http://www.facebook.com/ParshaDessert

Parshas Bechukosai

The Last Mitzvah in the book of Vayikra is that every farmer that owns cows, sheep or goats has to give a tenth of them to Hashem as a mizbeach.  The way this is done, by making all the animals come through a fence.  Every tenth animal that walks through the gate is marked with a stick that is dipped in red paint.  These are then taken to Yerushalayim and the Kohein slaughters them and burns the insides on the Mizbeach.  The meat is given back to the farmer to eat- but he can only eat this in Yerushalayim.

Sheep Cookies

Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

60 ml oil

30 ml water

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cocoa

Method:

1. Beat the egg and sugar for 2 minutes

2.  Add oil while still beating

3.  Add water and vanilla

4.   gradually add flour

Beat till you get a cookie dough consistency.

5.  Remove 3/4 of the dough and place in a dish.

6.  Add cocoa to the rest of the dough and beat till well incorporated.  If you find its too try add a drop of water.  

7.  Place in another dish.

8.  Cover the doughs and place in fridge for half an hour- an hour.

To make the sheep.

Pre heat oven to 18- degrees C (360 degrees F)

 1.  Roll about 10 little balls and place in an oval

2.  Press down a little...

3.  From the brown dough add legs and head.  You may want to add a brown little tail...I made mine white, although I think a little brown tail might have been cuter... 

4.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes- until starts turning golden brown.

Decorate the sheep with any icing you choose.  I mixed a bit of icing sugar with a drop of water and food colouring.  Using a food paint brush (a paint brush I use only for food) I painted the number ten.  

For the eyes I once again mixed icing sugar and water without food colouring...

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos

Orit

XXX

Click here to get to my Face book Page.

Parshas Behar

On Rosh Hashana of every seventh year starts the 'shmitta' year.  For this entire year, farmers cant plant sow, plow or work the lands in Eretz Yisrael.  The only work he can do is water the plants enough that they dont die.  

Fruit trees grow fruit anyhow.  The farmers are not allowed to sell these fruit.  They have to declare the trees 'Hefker' -public property.  This means that anyone can come and pick the fruit off these trees.  The farmer has to keep the gates to his farm open so anyone can come and pick fruit if they wish.  He may pick enough for himself to consume that day.

This Cake shows apple trees with a sign saying 'hefker' in Hebrew.  The vegetable patch is empty as one cannot plant vegetables during this year.

To make the apple trees:

Stick a marshmallow on top of a pretzel stick.  Dip the marshmallow in water and then roll in sugar that is mixed with green food colouring...

to make the apples...

Mix a bit of icing sugar and a tiny drop of water.  add red food colouring and mix.  you can use a paint brush to paint the apples or even an ear bud would do the trick!

To make the sign...

Melt about 2 tbls white chocolate in the microwave.  Pour over wax paper and using the back of a tsp spread to make rectangle.

Once dried, use a knife to straighten the edges by trimming...

using the same 'paint' used for apples, write 'hefker'.  Again, I used a paint brush but an ear bud would work just as well...

To make vegetable patch, I just used something with a zigzag edging and just pulled across the area...

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos!

Orit

XXX

Click here to get to my facebook page.

Parshas Emor 2

In Parshas Emor we learn about all the chaggim...

Lets start with Rosh Hashana.... 

Rosh Hashana

One of the symbol for Rosh Hashana has become the apple dipped in honey.  

Cut the top of the an big red apple off.  Scoop about half way in.  Don't make it too deep as the deeper you scoop the more honey you will have to use.  Serve with apple slices.

Sukkos

For Sukkos, off course we would want a sukkah!  This apple pie in the apple looks so much like a sukkah.  you can find directions for how to make it here.  Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream....mmmmm!

Pesach

Whats more Pesach than Matzha? These are puff pastry circles, jabbed with a fork to stop them from rising (just like Matzah).  Brush using a pastry brush with water and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Bake on 180 degres C(350 degrees F) until golden brown.

Shavuos

For Shavuos make a fruit platter with all the fruit in season.  In South Africa, its the end of the summer fruit season, but in the northern hemisphere you can get all the wonderful fruit of spring and summer by now...

Wishing you a wonderful Blessed Shabbos

Orit

XXX

http://www.facebook.com/ParshaDessert

Parshas Emor

'Besukoot Teshevu Shivaat Yamim' In this weeks parsha we learn about the Chaggim. This Passuk reffers to Sukkos- where we shall dwell for seven days. These are apple pies in the apple to look like a sukka.

To Make these Pies

Ingredients:

4 apples

pie dough/ puff pastry

sugar and cinamon

Method:

1.  Cut the top off the apples and scoop out the inside and sprinkle with lemon juice.

2.  Using the apple center that you have scooped out and adding another 2 apples, chop and mix with sugar and cinnamon.

3.  Fill apples with the chopped apples.

4. Make pie dough, or use puff pastry.  Roll out dough, cut into strips and make weave to make the top.

5.  Bake in preheated oven (160 degrees C) for about 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

have a wonderful Shabbos

Orit

XXX

http://www.facebook.com/ParshaDessert

Parshas Kedoshim

IIn this Parsha we learn about how to be a holy nation. One of the points mentioned is that we should always be honest when weighning with scales

Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups parev whip

1 cup sugar (dont add if using Riches Whip as it is very sweet on its own)

220 grams chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a double boiler, heat 1 cup parev whip.

2.  Add chocolate chips and sugar and keep stirring till all melted and sugar is disolved.

Allow chocolate mixture to cool off in fridge for 5 minutes

3.  In the meantime, in a mixer, put the other 2 cups parev whip and whip till form peaks.

4. While still beating, pour in now slightly cooled off chocolate mixture and keep beating till once again, the mixture is firm.

Freeze.

To make the scales, print the template bellow and place under wax paper, using a piping bag, trace the scales with the chocolate.  I decorated mine with a bit of food glitter. 

Serve the scale in the ice cream.

Moznaim template.  Cut and paste into word and enlarge to fit A4

Wishing you all a Wonderful Shabbos

Orit

XXX

http://www.facebook.com/ParshaDessert

Parshas Acharei Mot

The kohein Gadol stands in the courtyard with 2 goats. One will be dedicated to Hashem and the other will be sent to 'azazel'

Goat Cake Pops

Pops Cake recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup water

3/4 cup oil

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1.  Beat egg and sugar for a few minutes till fluffy

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

3. Pour into greased cake pan 

4. Bake in preheated oven (180 degrees C/360 degrees F) for about 35 minutes or until a knife insterted comes out clean.

To make the Cake pops

Ingredients:

220 grams parev chocolate broken into small pieces

1 cup parev whip

cheerios

almond slices

White chocolate

Method:

1.  In a double boiler, heat up the parev whip.

2.  Add the chocolate and stir until melted.

Allow the mixture to cool.

3.  Im a mixer, place the cooled cake and using a k beater (paddle attachment) crumble.  Keep going until all you have is a bowl full of crumbs.

4. While still beating, pour the chocolate mixture in. Make sure its mixed in properly.

5. Form balls and place in fridge to harden for at least 1 hour.

6.  Melt some white chocolate.

7. Using the white chocolate as glue, insert the cheerios and almond slices as shown bellow.  Cheerios cut in half as ears and the almonds as horns and goatee.

8. Insert the sweet stick the same way, first dipping in chocolate and then into the ball.

9.  Dip pop into white chocolate.

10. The best way to allow the pops to dry is sticking them through a piece of polystyrene.

11.  When dry, melt some brown chocolate and using a food brush or an ear bud, paint the horns, goatee and face.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos

Orit

xxx

http://www.facebook.com/ParshaDessert