Parshas Lech Lecha

Hashem promises Avram that his descendants will be as many as the stars and the the sand.
For this I made star shaped doughnuts and coated them with a sugar and cinnamon mixture as sand. 

This is such an easy fail proof recipe, and it tastes great!!

enjoy!

Star Shaped Doughnuts

1 package dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water or milk

3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour

1/2 cup sugarr

1  tsp. salt

sugar and cinnamon mixture (for coating)

 canola oil (for frying)

Dissolve yeast in 1 1/2 cup warm water.  Do not mix, allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Mix in 1 cup flour then sugar and salt.  Mix in remaining flour until you have a smooth, non-sticky dough.  Knead on lightly floured surface.  Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough is doubled in warm, turned off oven (about 2 hours).  

Turn out dough onto floured surface.  Divide into 8 balls and roll out with a rolling pin.  the thickness depends on what you preffer.  i made both really thin and slightly thicker(1cm thickness) and both were great!
Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat (not too hot or they burn on the outside and stay raw on the inside) and fry for a minute or two on each side.
When ready, roll in sugar cinnamon mixture and enjoy!

Parshas Noach

Parshas Noach is all about the great flood that destroyed the entire world excepting Noah, his family and all the animals they saved with them in the ark.

I really struggled with these arks and some of them look like submarines... but they are cute non-the-less.

Let's start with the meringue ark.

The basic recipe for meringues is

1. preheat oven to 130 C (260F)

2.  For every egg white you use add 1/4 cup castor sugar and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar(or lemon juice)

3.  Beat the egg whites adding the castor sugar 1 tbls at a time making sure to mix the sugar in properly.

4.  When its all well incorporated add cocoa for a darker colour (not to mention the most delicious chocolate flavour)

5.  Using a piping bag shape the bottom boat-

And then the next two layers- 

6.  Bake in the oven for about 1 and a half hours. Allow them to cool in the oven (turned off)  with the door open.

7.  Fill in between the layers with whipped (parev)cream.

Brownie Ark

1.  Double any recipe for a brownie that you have and bake as usual.  

2.  Allow to cool properly.

3.  Using an oval cookie cutter cut out the bottom layer of the boat.

4.  Cut little squares for the top bit.

5.  Ice using Whipped parev cream.  use some of the left over cake to make little windows.

Rainbow cupcakes

Bake vanilla flavour cupcakes and decorate using whipped (parev) cream.  use a belt 'sour' sweet as the rainbow.

Wishing you all a wonderful Shabbos!

Orit

xxx

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Parshas Vezos Habracha-Simchas Torah!

Vesoz Habracha! The last parsha in the Torah! We read this parsha on Simchas Torah.

For the occasion I made brandy snap 'Torahs'!  

These are usually great with a filling down the sides but I didnt fill mine as I'm going to be serving them with ice cream.

Brandy Snap Recipe:

Ingredients:

180 grams margarine

180 grams sugar

120 ml syrup

10 grams ginger

180 grams flour

Method:

1.  In a sauce pan melt the margarine, sugar and syrup.  Allow to boil and stir to disolve the sugar.

2.  Pour the mixture into a bowl.  Sift the flour and ginger into it.

3.  Mix and mix until all lumps are gone and its a smooth batter.

4.  Refrigerate for about an hour to allow the batter to stiffen a bit.

5.  Preheat oven to 180C (350F)

6.  Take about a tablespoon of the batter and roll into a sausage.

7.  Only make 4 at a time.  Leave a lot of space between them as the spread a lot.

8.  Place in oven for 6-8 minutes.  You will know they are ready when the whole cookie bubbles and starts turning a golden colour.

9.  Let them cool for a minute or two.

10.  Roll the sides of the cookie up onto the back of a wooden spoon (i cut the end off my wooden spoon to make it easier to use.)

11.  Pull the wooden spoon out and allow to set of cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Wishing you a Chag Sameach!

Orit

XXX

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Parshas Haazinu

The Day that Moshe turned 120 years old was his last day on earth. Almost the entire parsha of Haazinu is a song which Moshe sang to Bnei Yisrael on that day. (the little midrash says) these are meringues shaped into musical notes.

Meringues Recipe:

3 egg whites

3/4 cup castor sugar (fine sugar- if you cant find any, put 3/4 cup regular sugar in food processor and grind for about a minute)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar (or a pinch of salt)

Method:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 90C (200F)

1.  Beat the egg whites for a few seconds just to get them a  little bubbly.

2.  Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.

3.  While beating on medium high add the sugar a tablespoon at a time.  

4.  Beat until stiff peaks form and all the sugar is dissolved ( you can test for this by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your fingers- it should be smooth.  If its grainy carry on beating for a bit longer)

5.  Using a piping bag, pipe out musical notes 

6.  Put in oven for about an hour (or until crunchy on the outside).  When done, turn oven off and leave door open and allow them to cool slowly that way.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos!

Orit

XXX

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Parshas Vayelech

In This weeks parsha we learn the last mitzvah in the Torah... that is the mitzvah of every Jew writting their own sefer Torah!

So of course I made...puff pastry torah scrolls!

Roll out the dough and cut into strips.

Fill the ends with a mixture made of 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tbls cocoa

Roll

Egg wash...

And bake!  See how puffy they are?

Using the back of a spoon press the middle down.

walla!

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos!

Orit

XXX

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Parshas Nitzavim

In this weeks parsha, we learn that we must keep the Torah and its mitzvos from the heart.  

I made heart shaped cookies and filled them with parlinutta chocolate spread.  

Cookie Dough Recipe:

4 cups flour

2 tsp cream of tar tar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup liquid (I used rice milk)

Method:

1. In a bowl mix the flour, cream of tart tar and baking soda.

2.  In the bowl of an electric beater cream the margarine and sugar.  

3.  Add the egg and vanilla essence.

4.  Add the 1/2 cup liquid and the flour mixture alternating until all in.

5.  Beat on high until well combined.

6.  Divide into 4 and form discs.  Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a few hours or over night.

When rolling out dough i found it very sticky so first covered the whole thing in flour and then rolled it out.  

7.  Cut out heart shapes and fill the bottom one with chocolate spread.

8.  Dipping your finger in water wet the top half and place over bottom one.

9.  Using a fork, press the ends together.

10.  Prick holes with a tooth pick for the steam to escape.

Bake in oven preheated to 180C (360 F) for 10-15 minutes or until starts turning golden.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos

Orit

XXX

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Parshas Ki Savo

In this weeks parsha we learn about the bikurim.  Every year, in the time of the Beis Hamikdash, the first of the crops were taken as bikurim to the beis hamikdash as gifts to Hashem.

These are 'wheat' shaped pretzels, dipped in sugar and cinnamon.  They are dangerously good!

Pretzel recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups soya milk(or any parev milk)

2 pkts dry yeast

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp salt

1/3 cup bicarbonate of soda

3 cups warm water

Koshering salt (optional)

melted margarine

sugar and cinnamon mixture (1 cup sugar 1 Tbls cinnamon)

Method:

1. Warm up the soya milk either in sauce pan on stove or microwave.  Either way be careful not to over heat.  This is for proofing the yeast and if its to hot it will kill the yeast.  

2. Once warm add the yeast.   

3.  When starts bubbling, pour into mixer bowl and add sugar and oil.

4.  Using dough hook start mixing and add 1 cup of flour at a time.

5.  Add salt now and carry on mixing till all incorporated

6.  kneed for 10 minutes.

7.  Place the dough in a well greased dish - grease hands as well so the dough doesnt stick to them.  

8. Cover with cling wrap and place in a warm place for 1 hour.  

9.  The dough should almost triple in size.

10.  Pre-heat oven to Maximum

11.  Punch dough down and divide into 24.  

12. Mix the warm water and bicarb together.

13.  Roll out the 24 pieces into log shapes.

14.  Cut slits into the dough at an angle.  Cut about 3/4 of way through.

15.  Turn the pieces in opposite direction creating a wheat like shape

16.  Dip in the bi carb solution and place on greased baking tray.

17.  bake in oven preheated to 180 C (360F) for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

18.  Dip them in melted margarine and then into cinnamon sugar mixture.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!!

Orit

XXX

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