This Week's Parsha:
Matos-Masei
This Dessert:
The cities of Reuven and Gad
The Shevatim of Reuven and Gad came to Moshe to request that they stay on this side of the Yarden where there is better pasture for their sheep. Moshe agreed so they built their cities.
What you Need:
Ingredients
1 cake
2 cups green frosting
2 chocolate bars with score marks
25 mini marshmallows
Things
Offset spatula
Piping bag
scissors
Knife
How to Make It:
Spread a layer of green frosting over the entire cake..
Break your chocolate bars on the lines into 12 individual squares, 3 1x2 rectangles, 3 2x2 squares, 1 2x3 rectangle, and 1 2x4 rectangle.
Melt the remaining chocolate using your preferred method.
Transfer the melted chocolate into a piping bag. Twist the top closed and cut off a small piece of the tip of the bag.
Place one individual square of chocolate face down on your work surface.
Pipe a line of melted chocolate on both ends of the square of chocolate.
Immediately stand another individual square of chocolate upright on each line of melted chocolate. Hold them there until the chocolate sets.
Pipe another line of melted chocolate on top of each standing chocolate square. Immediately lay a fourth individual square of chocolate on top.
Let set.
Set this chocolate cube down with its open sides on the top and the bottom.
Pipe more melted chocolate on the entire top rim of the cube.
Immediately lay a 1x2 rectangle of chocolate on top with the chocolate hanging off the front a little.
Repeat steps 5-12 two more times with the remaining individual squares and 1x2 rectangles of chocolate.
Let the 3 boxes fully harden at room temperature or freeze to speed up the process.
Place the 2x3 rectangle of chocolate face down on your work surface.
Starting at the bottom of the piece, pipe a line of melted chocolate on both long ends of the piece of chocolate two-thirds of the way up.
Immediately stand a 2x2 square of chocolate upright on each line of melted chocolate. Hold them there until the chocolate sets.
Pipe another line of melted chocolate on top of each standing chocolate square. Immediately lay a fourth 2x2 square of chocolate on top.
Let set.
Set this chocolate cube down with its open sides on the top and the bottom.
Pipe more melted chocolate on the top rims of the cube.
Immediately lay the 2x4 rectangle of chocolate on top with the chocolate hanging off the upper end a little.
Let all the chocolate fully harden.
Cut the marshmallows in half.
Remove the boxes from the fridge and place them along one end of the cake with the roofed side up and the front facing in.These are your houses and a Bais Medrash.
Scatter the cut marshmallows around the cake in a few clusters of various sizes. These are your sheep.
Some Cake Recipes:
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
Directions
Heat the oven to 350℉.
In a medium bowl whisk together dry ingredients.
When combined whisk in wet ingredients.
Grease a 9x13 pan.
Fill with batter.
Bake for about 18 minutes until it passes the toothpick test.
Cool and enjoy.
If baking in a bowl: about 1 hr - 1:15 hr
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
½ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat the oven to 350℉.
In a small bowl dissolve cocoa powder and instant coffee in hot water.
When cool mix in the vanilla extract.
Cream the margarine in a large bowl.
Slowly sprinkle in the sugar while beating until the mixture is fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beat for a minute after each egg.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate small bowl.
Add the dry ingredients and cocoa mixture into the margarine mixture alternately in thirds while mixing on medium speed, adding the next set of thirds after the previous set is almost mixed in.
Mix about 15 seconds longer than necessary until satiny.
Split the batter between two well greased 8-inch round pans.
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.
Let cool in the pans for a few minutes before removing from the pans.
