This Week's Parsha
Shoftim
This Dessert:
Bikurim
Hashem commands us to bring a basket of the first fruits of the Shivas HaMinim to the Beis HaMikdash every year and give it to the Kohanim.
What You Need:
Ingredients
Mini vanilla cupcake
Taffy of all colors (red, purple, green, yellow, brown)
Things
Knife
How to Make It:
Carefully level off the top of the cupcake.
Flatten out a piece of yellow taffy into a circle the size of the top of your cupcake. If the taffy is too stiff, roll it in between the palm of your hands to warm it up and make it more workable.
Using the other color taffies make enough of each to cover most of the cupcake:
Purple grapes: many little taffy balls stuck together in the shape of a triangle to form a cluster.
Brown figs: a fig shaped piece of taffy
Red pomegranate: a taffy ball with an even smaller taffy circle stuck on top
Green olive: a taffy oval
Brown date: a slightly larger taffy oval
Place the yellow taffy circle over the cupcake.
Place the ‘fruit’ on top of the cupcake to cover most of the yellow circle top.
Make a yellow taffy rope long enough to act as a handle for the cupcake ‘basket’.
Bend the yellow rope over and attach to opposite ends of the cupcake.
Quickly place the entire basket in the fridge so it doesn’t melt.
Some Cupcake Recipes:
Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes about 30 cupcakes
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cold water
Directions
Heat the oven to 350℉.
In an extra large bowl sift together the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder.
Add the rest of the ingredients – canola oil,white vinegar, vanilla extract and cold water.
Mix well until fully combined.
Grease or line muffins tins. Fill each cup ⅔ of the way up.
Bake for about 18 minutes, until firm to the touch. For mini cupcakes, bake for about 10 minutes, until firm to the touch.
Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅓ cup canola oil
1 cup cold water
Directions
Heat the oven to 350℉.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Grease or line muffins tins. Fill each cup ⅔ of the way up.
Bake until the top springs back or it passes the toothpick test, about 15 minutes. For mini cupcakes, bake for about 8 minutes, until firm to the touch.
