With Passover around the bend, we’re always on the lookout for healthy-ish things to eat, so why not do a dipped fruit-style dessert?

I’m not gonna lie: it’s not healthy, and if you’re prediabetic like me, it’ll definitely affect that blood sugar. But it’s delicious and a great choice for those who prefer to include a superfood with their desserts!

How to switch up chocolate blueberry clusters

This recipe calls for dark chocolate, and quality WILL matter! Because it’s one of the dominant flavors here, which chocolate you use will matter heavily. It sticks with dark chocolate and sea salt as a mature flavor profile with the blueberries, and as a lower-sugar content chocolate option (obviously depending on what you purchase).

However, this is one of those super duper easy recipes that you really don’t need a recipe for! So you can switch up your chocolates to:

• Peanut Butter (or other nut butter if you don’t eat peanuts on Passover and are making it for then) and chocolate mix OR drizzle melted nut butter on top
• Milk chocolate
• Even better – try it with a nutty Schmerling chocolate bar!
• White chocolate and decorative sprinkles to make it more kid-friendly

You can, of course, try it with any berry, nut, or filling. In fact, I’m not even positive you need a recipe for this – it’s more of a “here’s how to melt chocolate around ANYTHING for a tasty dessert” tutorial.

So enjoy 🙂

Storing chocolate blueberry clusters

Since you’re using fresh blueberries, you’ll want to keep these in the fridge. How long they’ll last will depend on how fresh the blueberries you use are.

The best way to store these is with a paper towl on top so that it can absorb any moisture from the blueberries. If the paper towel is damp, you can replace it so that it lasts even longer.

These dark chocolate blueberry clusters can be frozen for up to a month (you can still eat it afterward but it might deteriorate in quality).

Freeze them in an airtight container, or in a Ziploc bag. I recommend freezing them on a sheetpan and then transferring them already frozen to your chosen method of storage, to preserve the shape.

How to make chocolate blueberry clusters

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate
• 1 pint blueberries (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 Tablespoon flakey sea salt

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Place the dark chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30-second bursts, stirring well in between each reheating.

Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the blueberries until fully coated.

Set 1/4 cup clusters of the chocolate-coated blueberries onto the lined baking sheet.

Immediately sprinkle each chocolate-coated blueberry cluster with a bit of sea salt.

Allow the chocolate to set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 10 clusters.

Yield: 24 servings

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Cluster Recipe

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate
• 1 pint blueberries (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 Tablespoon flakey sea salt

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Place the dark chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30-second bursts, stirring well in between each reheating.

Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the blueberries until fully coated.

Set 1/4 cup clusters of the chocolate-coated blueberries onto the lined baking sheet.

Immediately sprinkle each chocolate-coated blueberry cluster with a bit of sea salt.

Allow the chocolate to set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

This is one of those super duper easy recipes that you really don't need a recipe for! So you can switch up your chocolates to:

- Peanut Butter (or other nut butter if you don't eat peanuts on Passover and are making it for then) and chocolate mix OR drizzle melted nut butter on top
- Milk chocolate
- Even better - try it with a nutty Schmerling chocolate bar!
- White chocolate and decorative sprinkles to make it more kid-friendly

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post Dark Chocolate Blueberry Clusters Recipe appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

I’m not gonna lie: making hamantaschen is not for the faint of heart. It is a slightly more intricate project that gets spread across the counter and takes an afternoon. Not quite your “dump mix ‘n bake” recipe.

But it’s a longstanding tradition – and one that just doesn’t yield the same results when you buy it. In fact, I never liked hamantaschen at all – until I tasted the homemade variety, and then started making my own.

Today I’m going to be going over the tradition of Hamantaschen on Purim, as well as tips and tricks for yielding perfect batches, where all your hamantaschen look fabulous and stay closed.

Hope this helps!

Why Eat Hamantaschen on Purim?

Haman’s hat or his ears?

Hamantaschen translates in Yiddish to “Haman pockets” and is said to be reminiscent of Haman, the main antagonist of the Purim story’s triangular hat. In fact, you’ll see that any time I illustrate a Purim craft, like Purim puppets or megillahs, I make Haman with a kind of cushioned triangular hat with a bump in the center.

However, in Hebrew, they’re called “oznei Haman” – or Haman’s ears. And just think about it: the evil guy with the sneaky face -and triangular cushioned ears. So which is it? And why would we labor (of love) over cookies that are the evil dude’s presumed hat – or ears?

Various storied origins

The truth is, there are a number reasons for this, and a fusion of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi exiles mixing with the Mizrahi. You’ll find European and Middle Eastern influences, just like in much of middle easter cuisine.

There are sources that point to Haman’s pockets filled with bribes.

The most common Ashkenazi sources share that it’s from the Yiddish word for poppy seeds – mohn. Hamantaschen were originally baked with poppy seeds inside – and sometimes still are.

There are those that say it refer’s to Esther’s youth (seeds, fertility…)

Chabad.org shares that it can refer to Hatach who may have been the prophet Daniel, who was Esther’s loyal servant that served as a go-between between Mordechai and herself. It is said that he ate seeds when in the King of the House of Babylon.

In fact, Esther presumably subsided on beans and seeds as her source of protein as she tried to keep kosher while essentially being held captive in the palace.

Or, it may have been a pastry already eaten, but because “mohn” sounds like “haman” people fused it into Purim cuisine.

So in a nutshell: the Ashkenazi iteration of Hamantaschen is literally seed pocket pastries and the seeds have loads of symbolism for Purim. Chabad.org shares more reasons – I do encourage you to look through it if you want more, deeper meanings to hamantaschen, however for me, explaining to the kids that the source may have been the seeds that Esther (and maybe Daniel too) ate in the palace is spot on.

But what about the Sephardic “Oznei Haman” – Haman’s ears? Those were quite different – they were twisted, fried pastries (sometimes filled with nuts, etc) in the shape of ears. Those were most likely referring to Haman’s defeated ears (picture him with head bent, ears down) when he learned that Mordechai will be honored by the king and not him.

A fusion of tradition

As exiled Jew meets exiled Jew from across the world, our traditions blend. There is so much overlap despite having been separated by so many years and miles (think of the tradition of slow-cooked Shabbat foods).

I think that there must have been an original source of a Haman-inspired pastry from before the exile, perhaps even eaten at the time of the Hanukkah story. And then it separated and gained influence based on the local diaspora flavors. But I don’t have a source for that…

Just think of how many different Hamantaschen recipes and styles there are today. We make pizza ‘taschen and taco ‘taschen – and many others influenced by diaspora flavors, a true testament to our survival, and our ability to work with the hand that we were given.

And of course, they tried to kill us, and we won, so we need SOMETHING to eat.

Top tips for How to Make Perfect Hamantaschen

Choosing your dough recipe

To make hamantaschen, you have two components: the dough and the filling. And they do NOT need to come from the same recipe!

Personally, I’ve chosen a dough and then worked with different fillings when making hamantaschen in the past. Especially when using premade fillings (more on that below) it’s not that hard to make a spread with variety.

Some doughs need refrigeration before cooking so keep that in mind when looking for a recipe. This makes sure it doesn’t expand too much and fall apart.

Bakery hamantaschen usually have a cakey outside – and that’s probably why I never liked them. I personally prefer a crunchier cookie dough. And while that might not look as “bakery perfect” it’s quite tasty and definitely something you should try!

For years, I made Tori Avey’s Parve (non-dairy) dough for my sweet hamantaschen (no refrigeration needed), and then this year I tried this recipe too.

For savory, I often use premade doughs. These savory veggie hamantaschen are fabulous with a wonton wrapper dough (just eat them super fresh, and make them right before you put them in the oven).

I often use pizza dough rounds as well. They are not as easy to keep folded but they’re so easy to use.

Filling Choices

Hamantaschen fillings are almost an “anything goes” scenario. You can use so many different things, but test them first to make sure they work. Some things will expand and spill over (for example, I’ve had that happen with peanut butter).

Hamantaschen fillings can be savory or sweet – we’ve done pulled beef, fried pastrami, veggies as shared above, pizza (cheese and sauce)….

For sweet fillings, I usually use a premade filling (besides for the brownie version shared at the start of this post).

Some more favorites include (note: I always check for Kosher symbols in product listings and reviews – but double check me!)

• Jelly bellies – this started as a joke when my son thought his Morah said that we put jelly beans inside instead of jelly. It’s not perfect but it works.
• Lotus butter – I can’t make these anymore because I eat them all myself…
• Nutella – or parve versions of the same.
• OR Hashachar Cocoa spread (I used this in the photos of the white dough hamantaschen shared here)
• Chocolate chips

Some more ideas that aren’t personal favorites but are common are:

• Poppy seed paste – of course, this is the classic/original
• Jam – I’m not a jam fan myself, but this is a pastry classic
• Pie filling – these can be runny so beware
• Lekvar (date/prune filling) is a traditional one

Putting it together

Start by choosing your favorite recipes for dough and then mixing it with a matching filling! You may not want to go full chocolate with a fruity filling, but it’ll be fabulous with Lotus.

You can use non-sweet doughs for sweet fillings to minimize the sweet a little, but be careful when choosing sweet doughs for savory fillings. It CAN work (think of a corned beef filling in a slightly sweet cakey dough). Just approach with caution.

Hamantaschen look like artisan pastries when you drizzle them or dip them. And they are much less effort than the hamantaschen themselves!

Try these:

• Drizzle melted chocolate chips
• Or mix in some peanut butter and drizzle that
• I don’t love just drizzled PB but sometimes for a two-tone finish, I’ll drizzle chocolate and peanut butter in separate lines.
• Dip one corner in chocolate – or chocolate with some peanut butter
• Dip in chocolate then nuts
• Dip in chocolate then cookie crumbs

The possibilities are truly endless.

Folding Styles – How to make sure they don’t unfold

The biggest question on how to make perfect hamantaschen is folding styles. You’ll spend a Sunday laboring over a big batch and half of them are hardly “pockets – more like pizzas!

The trick is simple: you want to do an overlap fold. You’re not pinching corners like many people do (and I used to). You want to fold it like you would the top of an open cardboard box: overlapping sides while alternating which one is on top.

However, with younger kids, especially less skilled ones, you’ll want to show them to pinch it. I recently made hamantaschen with my eight year old and his friends, as well as my four year old (don’t ask – I don’t recommend it…) and the best way was to show them to pinch it at the corners and let it hang half-open.

They felt that they made it themselves and that’s MUCH more important than making them perfect.

Another very important tip for making perfect hamantaschen is not to overfill the dough! This is probably the MOST common mistake. You want a marble size of filling – about half a heaping teaspoon (in that shape).

The Step by Step Tutorial for How to Make Perfect Hamantaschen

Note: the tutorial was recorded on a chocolate dough with brownie filling – the final hamantaschen is a vanilla dough with chocolate filling.

You’ll Need

• Your favorite dough recipe
• Your favorite filling
• A circle cutter about 3-4 inches in diameter (a standard drinking glass should work)
• A work surface (such as a baking mat)
• Flour
• A rolling pin
• An APRON – yes, wear an apron for this!!

Process

Flour your surface evenly.

Roll out your dough to about 1/4 inch thick give or take.

Cut out circles as close together as you can. You’ll rework the extras, but each time you’ll be adding flour to the dough so it’ll eventually get too dry and crumbly. So try to fit in as many as you can in the first few runs.

Take the extra, roll it out again, and cut more circles, until you can’t anymore. I usually take that last bit, roll it into a ball, and flatten it to make one last hamantasch.

Place a small dollop of filling as dead center as you can. Do not overfill. I find that about half a rounded teaspoon works best.

Start by folding one side that covers about 1/3 of the circumference of the circle over the filling.

Bring the second side (another 1/3) over the filling so that the corner overlaps with the first.

Repeat with the third, but tuck the part that meats your first fold under that first folded side.

Gently press on each corner not quite enough to make an indentation, but enough to fix them together.

Bake according to dough instructions. With this process I get a near 100% success rate – I hope it works as well for you!

You’ve successfully learned how to make perfect hamantaschen? Comment below if you have any questions, tips, suggestions, or filling/dough recommendations!

The post How to Make Perfect Hamantaschen appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

If you’re looking for a fun Hanukkah party activity, why not try some donut decorating? It’s a 2-in-1: a fun way to entertain kids at a party, and a sweet way to serve up some donuts.

We did this as an activity for young kids. You can also upgrade it and do it as a “donut board” with toppings served in a more classy style. But for now, I’ll share it as a kids activity.

What you’ll need for donut decorating at a Hanukkah party

The donuts

You can, of course, make your own donuts. But you can also just hit up your local bakery and ask for plain, unglazed donuts, which is what we did. You may need to order these in advance, so definitely ask.

The creamy stuff

You’ll want some sort of glaze for your donuts. You can pop open containers of cake frosting for this. Or, mix up a simple confectioner’s sugar glaze.

You can also get creative. I made this hot cocoa cookie dip for a cookie board at a party, and it would be incredible for a donut decorating party activity too.

Sprinkles and more toppings

The sprinkles are the most fun of all of this!

After kids spread their donuts with some sort of cream, they sprinkled on all sorts of Hanukkah-themed sprinkles. Of course, it doesn’t need to be blue and silver (that’s sort of made up for Hanukkah anyway) but you can have fun with shapes like silver stars, gold coin shapes, etc.

You can even put out chocolate coins cut into small chunks (or whole ones) to use as toppings.

More fun toppings include:

• Crushed nuts (if no one is allergic)
• Mini chocolate chips
• Chunky oreo crumbs
• Small chopped dried fruit (best if you’re doing this with adults…)
• Cereal like fruity pebbles
• Coconut flakes
• Flaked up halva (if no one is allergic to sesame)

You can also put out syrups like chocolate, caramel, etc in squeeze bottles – just make sure that the flow is slow enough that kids don’t just dump the whole thing out.

Setting up a donut decorating activity

As I mentioned, we did ours very informally. We simply laid out fun Hanukkah plates and placed all the ingredients in bowls.

We placed spoons on the table and called it a day.

If you’re doing this with a larger group (we just had a handful of kids) you may want to have an adult in charge of supervising the activity.

You can make it much prettier, even a focal point of the party with a donut wall, or even just a pretty high-walled rectangular tray to place them on. Lay out your ingredients in pretty ceramic dishes.

You can put out small bakery boxes for people to take home donuts if you want to make it more of a feature, or treat it more like a donut board – a “prep it and eat it” activity.

Got any other tips or ideas for a donut decorating Hanukkah party activity? Comment below

The post Donut Decorating Hanukkah Party Activity appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

If you ask me, in life, the more chocolate the better.

A few years ago, after jotting in my notes never ever to do hamantaschen again unless I have a death wish, I had a brilliant idea.

If I turned my favorite hamantaschen dough by Tori Avey into a chocolate variety, fill it with brownie batter, and then dip them into deeeliscious dark chocolate, maybe, just maybe, I SHOULD do hamantaschen again.

I tried it a couple of years ago, and while I didn’t have time to replicate it and photograph last year (blame soon-to-be Baby Jay), I made it happen this year and I’m excited to show you the results.

I’ve officially modified my recipe to say “don’t to hamantaschen again UNLESS there’s lots of chocolate involved, AND no kids are present, AND cup of coffee is close by.”

In all seriousness, dipping and coating these brownie filled chocolate hamantaschen opened up the creative side of baking (which I find sorely lacking creativity in general, and so I generally prefer cooking). I had fun drizzling peanut butter, dipping in crushed almonds, and both. I even quadrupled the chocolate factor by crushing some chocolate chips and dipping in that too…

So I present to you this brownie filled chocolate hamantaschen recipe with a dough adapted from Tori Avey’s recipe.

They are not only delicious, but they make a gorgeous Purim party centerpiece, as they present beautifully. Just spread them on your favorite wooden board.

The chocolate hamantaschen dough is a bit on the thicker/drier side of things, and needs to be used right away, but it has a fabulous texture. It’s more cookie than cake, and has a fabulous crunch.

And complete with the brownie filling, and the crunch of nuts and hardened chocolate, it’s fabulous.

Of course, just like any hamantaschen recipe, adapt it as you’d like. Use the chocolate hamantaschen dough with other fillings, or use the brownie filling hack with non-chocolatey dough…

And the best part? The recipe makes extra brownie batter! I got a bonus pan of (thin) brownies in for the same effort!

I didn’t pull out my Kitchen Aid for this, though I did use a hand mixer for the brownie batter.

Triple Chocolate Hamantaschen Recipe

Ingredients

Brownie Hamantaschen Filling

I used a box of Duncan Hines brownie mix to fill them, because why fix what isn’t broke? You can likely use any brownie batter for this, but if it’s too runny, it might not work as neatly.

• Box Duncan Hines brownie mix
• 1/3 C water
• 1 Egg
• 1/3 C oil (I used extra light olive oil, vegetable or canola oil work too)

Chocolate Hamantaschen Dough

• 2  Eggs
• 2/3 C Sugar
• 1/4 C oil (I used extra light olive oil, vegetable or canola oil work too)
• 1 t vanilla sugar
• 1 3/4 C flour
• 1 C Cocoa
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 T water
• Extra flour for dusting

For dipping

• 1 cup chocolate chips (I like Trader Joe’s gold package)
• Toasted almonds, chocolate chips crushed, peanut butter… or whatever you like!

Note: you can cut your circles with a round glass or with a cookie cutter. A cutter definitely makes cleaner cuts, but in a pinch, a glass works too! I showcased this recipe with a glass.

Process

1. Mix together brownie ingredients. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or a little more. It should be less flowy, and pretty much hold its shape when you spoon some onto a surface.

2. Preheat your oven to 350.

3. Mix together the eggs, sugar and oil.

4. Add the dry ingredients – vanilla sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, water (you can mix them together first if you want to do things properly – I skip that because I’m lazy.)

5. Mix them together. I used a spoon until all the wet was incorporated, and then went in with my hands. When it’s looking dry and crumbly, add the water.

6. When your dough looks workable – not breaking apart, but not sticky either, roll it out on a clean, floured surface.

Roll it to a good, consistent thickness using a floured rolling pin. I went as thin as I could without it breaking, but it can depend on your preference.

7. Cut out circles of dough using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, or a glass in a similar size. I used plastic wrap for some – it helps form a neater cut – but ditched it halfway through. Did I mention I’m lazy? Take the scraps, smush them together (add a bit of water if it’s too dry) and roll them out again. Keep going until your dough is used up or too hard to work with.

8. Arrange your circles on 2 baking sheets. Place a teaspoon of brownie batter on each. It should roughly hold its shape. You many want to test one hamantasch for batter quanity before doing the rest. Do NOT overfill.

9. Assemble your hamantaschen pinwheel style, if you like it when they stay shut. Fold over one side, then the other overlapping the first at the corner, and then the last side, overlapping the previous side at the corner, and tucking the other corner under the first fold.

10. Pinch together to keep it shut.

Note: on later hamantaschen, you may find that some of the flour is sitting at the surface. Since these are chocolate hamantaschen, it’ll show more than on non-chocolate. You can wipe those off, or gently went those sides after you’ve assembled these.

You may have extra brownie batter at this point! Simply bake yourself some brownies. I spread it in a 9×13 because I like my brownies thinner, and topped it with slivered almonds.

11. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownie center comes out clean.

12. Chill in the fridge overnight.

13. Place your chocolate chips into a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until it’s smooth and melted. Meanwhile, prepare your toppings. I crushed some toasted almond slivers by placing them in a ziploc bag and hammering them with a meat tenderizer.

14. Dip a corner of your hamantaschen into the chocolate and then into the topping. If using peanut butter, place in a glass and microwave for 30 seconds, drizzle over your chocolate hamantaschen.

Tip: if you have a corner that’s not as nice, dip that one!

Allow to cool completely (I recommend placing your baking sheets in the fridge for a few hours). Store in an airtight container, or freeze. This chocolate hamantaschen recipe is incredible when served frozen too!

Enjoy your brownie filled triple chocolate hamantaschen recipe!

Yield: 24-30

Brownie Hamantaschen with Chocolate Dough

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Make these chocolate-lover's dream hamantaschen, starting with the rich cookie-textured dough, complete with a delicious brownie filling, and then dip it into your favorite chocolate and toppings. Dough is adapted from Tori Avey's dairy free hamantaschen dough.

Print

Ingredients

Brownie Hamantaschen Filling

Toggle ingredient group

• Box Duncan Hines brownie mix (see notes)
• 1/3 C water
• 1 Egg
• 1/3 C oil (I used extra light olive oil, vegetable or canola oil work too)

Chocolate Hamantaschen Dough

Toggle ingredient group

• 2  Eggs
• 2/3 C Sugar
• 1/4 C oil (I used extra light olive oil, vegetable or canola oil work too)
• 1 t vanilla sugar
• 1 3/4 C flour
• 1 C Cocoa
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 T water
• Extra flour for dusting

For dipping

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup chocolate chips (I like Trader Joe's gold package)
• Toasted almonds, chocolate chips crushed, peanut butter... or whatever you like!

Instructions

1. Mix together brownie ingredients. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or a little more. It should be less flowy, and pretty much hold its shape when you spoon some onto a surface.
2. Preheat your oven to 350.
3. Mix together the eggs, sugar and oil.
4. Add the dry ingredients - vanilla sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, water (you can mix them together first if you want to do things properly - I skip that because I'm lazy.)
5. Mix them together. I used a spoon until all the wet was incorporated, and then went in with my hands. When it's looking dry and crumbly, add the water.
6. When your dough looks workable - not breaking apart, but not sticky either, roll it out on a clean, floured surface.
7. Roll it to a good, consistent thickness using a floured rolling pin. I went as thin as I could without it breaking, but it can depend on your preference.
8. Cut out circles of dough using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, or a glass in a similar size. I used plastic wrap for some - it helps form a neater cut - but ditched it halfway through. Did I mention I'm lazy? Take the scraps, smush them together (add a bit of water if it's too dry) and roll them out again. Keep going until your dough is used up or too hard to work with.
9. Arrange your circles on 2 baking sheets. Place a teaspoon of brownie batter on each. It should roughly hold its shape. You many want to test one hamantasch for batter quantity before doing the rest. Do NOT overfill.
10. Assemble your hamantaschen pinwheel style, if you like it when they stay shut. Fold over one side, then the other overlapping the first at the corner, and then the last side, overlapping the previous side at the corner, and tucking the other corner under the first fold.
11. Pinch together to keep it shut.
12. Note: on later hamantaschen, you may find that some of the flour is sitting at the surface. Since these are chocolate hamantaschen, it'll show more than on non-chocolate. You can wipe those off, or gently went those sides after you've assembled these.
13. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownie center comes out clean.
14. Chill in the fridge overnight.
15. Place your chocolate chips into a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until it's smooth and melted. Meanwhile, prepare your toppings. I crushed some toasted almond slivers by placing them in a ziploc bag and hammering them with a meat tenderizer.
16. Dip a corner of your hamantaschen into the chocolate and then into the topping. If using peanut butter, place in a glass and microwave for 30 seconds, drizzle over your chocolate hamantaschen.
17. Allow to cool completely (I recommend placing your baking sheets in the fridge for a few hours). Store in an airtight container, or freeze. This chocolate hamantaschen recipe is incredible when served frozen too!

Notes

If you have a corner that's not as nice, dip that one!

I used a box of Duncan Hines brownie mix as the filling because why fix what isn't broke? You can likely use any brownie batter for this, but if it's too runny, it might not work as neatly.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post Brownie Filled Triple Chocolate Hamantaschen Recipe appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

There is almost nothing as decadent as fresh donuts for dessert on Chanukah… but we all know how challenging it can be to make!

I knew I had to whittle down the process to a few minute, and my go-to was obviously going to be pizza dough! It’s a versatile dough that is inexpensive and ready to use… so why not give it a go with donuts?

The result is kind of like zeppole or beignet – but the point is to eat fried foods and these are incredible. You CAN frost it, but we prefer to pile it high with powdered sugar or to roll in cinnamon sugar. Since the dough isn’t sweet on its own, you definitely want to do this.

The downside is that donuts from pizza dough MUST be eaten fresh. They’re really not good the next day. But that’s kind of the point: a quick treat to eat immediately.

Donuts from Pizza Dough can be doughy – here’s how to fix it

One of the biggest issues I encountered is that the donuts can be totally cooked – even beginning to over-fry – on the outside, but still raw and doughy inside.

To make sure this doesn’t happen:

1. Fully defrost it if frozen and allow it to rise to double the size.
2. Keep them small. If shaping into donuts, make sure you leave a large open hole. We prefer to keep them as donut holes.
3. Don’t use too high a flame.

Ultimately, you want to be able to keep them in the oil for 2-3 minutes without burning them.

How to Make Donuts from Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• Frozen pizza dough
• Oil – about 2 inches, I used extra light olive oil but any high smoke point oil will work
• Confectioners sugar or cinnamon sugar

Process:

Allow dough to defrost and rise to double. Don’t skip this. You don’t want doughy centers.

Heat oil.

Form open rings OR small balls. You don’t want more than an inch mass of dough or it can be doughy. If forming rings, they must be open enough to retain the hole.

Deep fry in batches for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Keep the flame low-ish to prevent it from cooking too quickly on the outside and remaining raw on the inside.

Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar or roll in cinnamon sugar once it’s cool enough to handle.

Serve fresh.

Easiest Donuts (Sufganiyot) from Pizza Dough

Print

Ingredients

• Frozen pizza dough
• Oil - about 2 inches, I used extra light olive oil but any high smoke point oil will work
• Confectioners sugar or cinnamon sugar

Instructions

Allow dough to defrost and rise to double. Don't skip this. You don't want doughy centers.

Heat oil.

Form open rings OR small balls. You don't want more than an inch mass of dough or it can be doughy. If forming rings, they must be open enough to retain the hole.

Deep fry in batches for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Keep the flame low-ish to prevent it from cooking too quickly on the outside and remaining raw on the inside.

Notes

One of the biggest issues I encountered is that the donuts can be totally cooked - even beginning to over-fry - on the outside, but still raw and doughy inside.

To make sure this doesn't happen:

Fully defrost it if frozen and allow it to rise to double the size.
Keep them small. If shaping into donuts, make sure you leave a large open hole. We prefer to keep them as donut holes.
Don't use too high a flame.
Ultimately, you want to be able to keep them in the oil for 2-3 minutes without burning them.

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A few years ago, I first tried a pomegranate lemonade recipe for Rosh Hashanah and it was a big hit. But I found that I did not stick to the original. I tweaked it and adjusted until we liked it.

Last year, I made even more batches. Each time I put it out, the adults polished it off, and the kids loved it too. And it’s so easy to make – you can even make it on the holiday itself!

Eventually, I wrote down the recipe how we liked it best: not too sweet, a little tart, but not so tart that it makes you pucker up.

This pomegranate lemonade recipe is now a Rosh Hashanah staple in our home!

How to make pomegranate lemonade to your taste.

Start with my recipe and then decide if you want more of the pomegranate juice or less coming through. We like ours more pomegranate with the lemon flavor enhancing it.

I used sugar, but you can try it with honey or other sweeteners as well, if sugar isn’t your vibe. It’ll just make it more Rosh Hashanah ready!

We love drinking this with seltzer to add a sparkling touch. To accommodate that, I make it a bit more intense than planned and add the seltzer fresh. You can also do something in the middle, and add ice. You’ll want to account for some ice melting, but not all of it.

How to serve the pomegranate lemonade

You can make up a huge batch and keep it in a pitcher with a spigot, make some up fresh and place it in a larger, more decorative punch canister with a spigot to serve, or just make it in pitchers and serve it like that. I tend to reuse our huge Costco grape juice containers to store a double batch and serve it in pitchers on the table.

It adds so much if you decide to garnish it! I used lemon slices and pomegranate seeds. You can also use mint leaves to add some color. But it’s totally an optional extra.

Pomegranate Lemonade Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed or bottled)
• 2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice (such as Pom)
• 1 cup sugar
• 6-8 cups water, see notes

Equipment

• Measuring cup
• Empty (repurposed) bottle with lid for mixing
• Pitcher for serving

Instructions

Mix up your juices and sugar in a bottle with a secure lid (I repurpose a juice bottle). Shake it up well until the sugar dissolves. (You can also dissolve it on the stovetop in some water if you prefer).

Add your water and mix well.

Optional: Garnish w lemon slices, pomegranate seeds

Notes & Tips

I like to add ice and/or Seltzer fresh. When I do, I use less water (about 4 cups) to account for melting ice or seltzer.

It’s a bit tart – so you can sweeten it more for the kids, but the adults love it like this.

You can add mint for a more complex flavor and fresh touch.

Of course, you can spike it for the grown-ups in the room! Try white rum or vodka – about 1 oz. per cup of liquid.

Pomegranate Lemonade Recipe

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed or bottled)
• 2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice (such as Pom or Galil)
• 1 cup sugar
• 6-8 cups water, see notes

Instructions

1. Mix up your juices and sugar in a bottle with a secure lid (I repurpose a juice bottle). Shake it up well until the sugar dissolves. (You can also dissolve it on the stovetop in some water if you prefer).
2. Add your water and mix well.
3. Optional: Garnish w lemon slices, pomegranate seeds

Notes

I like to add ice and/or Seltzer fresh. When I do, I use less water (about 4 cups) to account for melting ice or seltzer.

It's a bit tart - so you can sweeten it more for the kids, but the adults love it like this.

You can add mint for a more complex flavor and fresh touch.

Of course, you can spike it for the grown-ups in the room! Try white rum or vodka - about 1 oz. per cup of liquid.

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The post Pomegranate Lemonade Recipe appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Do you have a favorite Shavuot cheesecake recipe? Many people look forward to celebrating the Shavuot holiday with dairy treats.

This is a delicious new take that is just perfect whether you’re looking for a change from the traditional cheesecake or something extra to serve alongside it.

The cream cheese filling makes these cookies rich and delightful like cheesecake, but with plenty of cookie all around it to keep it neat and clean. The strawberries also add a perfect complement, keeping it refreshing and fruity.

Consider setting aside a couple of fresh strawberries to garnish your serving plate and add a pop of color to your presentation. I’m also thinking of adding a little drizzle of glaze or icing – the cookies look and taste great on their own, but a simple glaze can easily take it up a level for an extra-special occasion.

Some people think of cheesecake as a more complicated project, and your guests will certainly be wowed by the filled cookie concept, but these cheesecake-inspired cookies are actually quite easy to make. They require some time in the fridge before baking, but not too much, so you can still pull it off if you’re a bit of a last-minute person.

You can tell I’m excited about these, so let’s stop talking and get baking!

Ingredients

Cookie:

• 1 cup butter
• ¾ cup granulated white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup frozen or fresh strawberries

Filling:

• ¾ cup cream cheese
• ¼ cup powdered or confectioner’s sugar

Assembling your strawberry cheesecake cookies

1. First, we’re going to prepare the filling. 

Line a pan or baking sheet with cling wrap or parchment paper.

Mix cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth – it may help to use a beater. 

Use a teaspoon to place 10-12 pats of the mixture onto the prepared pan or sheet.

Place the pan with the spoons full of filling into the freezer until they are almost completely frozen – about two hours (it’s fine if you let them freeze longer.)

2. Next, we’ll make the cookie dough.

In a bowl, beat the sugar, egg, egg yolk, butter, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, and add to the bowl of other ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

Cut the strawberries into little pieces. Add them to the dough and fold in.

3. To assemble the cookies:

Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Using about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie, form balls and place them on the baking sheet.

Use a teaspoon to lightly press down the center of each ball.

Remove the chilled pats of cream cheese mixture from the freezer. Place one into each cookie’s center cavity.

Place another tablespoon or so of dough on the top of each cookie to cover the filling. Pinch the edges closed.

Put the cookies in the fridge to chill.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Once chilled, bake for 13-17 minutes until the edges are light golden-brown and the tops are set. Cool on a wire rack.

Aren’t these strawberry cheesecake cookies delish? Now give it a try with another flavor!

Yield: 12 Cookies

Strawberry Cookies with Cheesecake Filling

Do you have a favorite Shavuot cheesecake recipe? Many people look forward to celebrating the Shavuot holiday with dairy treats. This is a delicious new take that is just perfect whether you’re looking for a change from the traditional cheesecake or something extra to serve alongside it.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup frozen or fresh strawberries
• ¾ cup cream cheese
• ¼ cup powdered or confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

Filling:

1. Line a pan or baking sheet with cling wrap or parchment paper. Mix cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth - it may help to use a beater. 

2. Use a teaspoon to place 10-12 pats of the mixture onto the prepared pan or sheet.

3. Place the pan with the spoonfuls of filling into the freezer until they are almost completely frozen - about two hours.

Cookies:

1. In a bowl, beat the sugar, egg, egg yolk, butter, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

2. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, and add to the bowl of other ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

3. Cut the strawberries into little pieces. Add them to the dough and mix very gently.

4. On a covered baking sheet, use about about a tablespoon of dough and form balls and place them on the baking sheet. Use a tablespoon to lightly press down the center of each ball.

5. Remove the chilled pats of cream cheese mixture from the freezer. Place one into each cookie’s center cavity.

6. Place another tablespoon or so of dough on the top of each cookie to cover the filling. Pinch the edges closed. Put the cookies in the fridge to chill.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake for 13-17 minutes until the edges are light golden-brown and the tops are set. Cool on a wire rack.

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The post Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipe appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

With Rosh Hashanah around the bend, I’ll be sharing a few delicious pomegranate recipes. The first is this versatile pomegranate molasses recipe that makes a fabulous staple ingredient for various Rosh Hashanah dishes.

I’ll be sharing a recipe (or two) that uses it as well, so make sure to print the recipe card at the end of this post!

Pomegranate molasses, or pomegranate syrup, is a reduced pomegranate juice with some sugar and lemon added. Molasses refers to the very thick consistency. Syrup is a bit thinner. You can make it by leaving it at a syrup consistency, rather then reducing it to molasses.

You may prefer molasses if you’re using it as a glaze, and syrup for drinks, but it doesn’t really matter. Just use whatever the recipe you’re creating calls for.

What pomegranate molasses can be used for

You may be reading this pomegranate molasses recipe because you’re making something that calls for it as an ingredient. But if you’re just scrolling and stopped by because it’s interesting, or if you are making a specific recipe and have left over, here are some ideas for how it can be used:

• Use as an ingredient in vinaigrette dressing
• Use it to make a pomegranate relish
• Add it to marinades for your meats or chickens
• Use it as a glaze for your Rosh Hashanah poultry
• Make in drinks and cocktails using the pomegranate molasses
• Mix it into iced tea or seltzer to upgrade it for Rosh Hashanah
• Make a Simanim salad with a pomegranate flavored dressing.
• Drizzle it over some vanilla ice cream and garnish with a few arils for a delicious, festive dessert

Pomegranate Molasses Recipe and Process

Ingredients:

• 4 cups pomegranate juice
• ½ cup sugar
• Juice of one large lemon (about 1/4 cup) for a tangy syrup (add a little less for a sweeter syrup)

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan heat pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice on medium high until the sugar has dissolved and the juice simmers.

2. Reduce to a simmer.

3. Simmer for about an hour or a little more, until the juice has a syrupy consistency, and has reduced to 1 cup. Watch it and stir it occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot so the sugar doesn’t settle and burn.

If it’s reduced but a bit thinner than you’d like it, it’s ready. It does thicken a bit as it cools.

Store for up to six months in an airtight jar in the fridge.

Use as an ingredient in vinaigrette dressings, marinades, as a glaze, in drinks, and more! Mix it into iced tea or seltzer for Rosh Hashanah or glaze your favorite holiday poultry dish with it. Make a Simanim salad with a pomegranate flavored dressing.

What will you be doing with this pomegranate molasses recipe? Are you making it for Rosh Hashanah or another occasion? Comment below!

Pomegranate Molasses Recipe

Print

Ingredients

• 4 cups pomegranate juice
• ½ cup sugar
• Juice of one large lemon (about 1/4 cup) for a tangy syrup (add a little less for a sweeter syrup)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan heat pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice on medium high until the sugar has dissolved and the juice simmers.

2. Reduce to a simmer.

3. Simmer for about an hour or a little more, until the juice has a syrupy consistency, and has reduced to 1 cup. Watch it and stir it occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot so the sugar doesn't settle and burn.

Notes

If it's reduced but a bit thinner than you'd like it, it's ready. It does thicken a bit as it cools.

Store for up to six months in an airtight jar in the fridge.

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The post Pomegranate Molasses Recipe appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Shavuot can feature some pretty hot weather – especially if you’re in a warmer climate.

So why not feature a fun, frozen variation on traditional cheesecake? These cheesecake popsicles are heavenly cold treats on a sweltering late Spring day.

While these cheesecake popsicles were made with blueberries, you can try it in other flavors too! The blueberries, of course, have an incredible, rich color, but others will look – and taste- fabulous too!

The obvious choice would be to try making a strawberry cheesecake popsicle. You can try other berries, and even switch out the fruit completely!

And if you mix blueberries and strawberries, and make the swirl variety (more on that soon) you’ll have a patriotic Fourth of July dessert too!

The best part about making these: they come together literally in minutes (minus the cleanup)! Yes, you don’t need more than ten minutes to make this, so if you remember half an hour before Shavuot that you flaked on tomorrow’s dessert, you’re covered! Yes, this has actually happened to me. I plan a complex menu and forget the desserts… Our Shavuot menu planner can actually help with that.

Note: You’ll still need eight hours for it to freeze.

Tips for making cheesecake popsicles

You can play around with the amount of sugar in these, if you want to reduce your intake. However, a lot will depend on the sweetness of your berries.

One way to allow for less sugar is to avoid tart berries. You can even use slightly overripe ones. You can also add in overripe bananas, but don’t put too much or the flavor will come through strongly.

The gorgeous marbled effect on this cheesecake popsicle recipe is totally optional, and yes, it does make the process into much more of an operation. But it’s optional! This is one of those recipes that you can literally just dump, blend, and freeze.

Skip the lemon zest if that’s beyond your scope of easy recipes! It definitely adds a lot, but it’s not necessary. You can replace it with two additional tablespoons of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of lemon extract, or another citrus fruit’s zest.

If you’re making cheesecake popsicles for young children, you can make them as freeze pops instead! Just use these disposable ice pop bags, or these reusable silicone ones. We’ve been using the disposable ones for years to make juice pops for the summer and my kids love them! They won’t look as pretty and classy, but they’ll be a hit among the littles!

What you need to make the cheesecake popsicle recipe

• Yield: 10 pops
• Prep: 8 min
• Freeze time: 8 hours

Equipment needed

• Popsicle molds
• Popsicle sticks – food grade (you can get reusable ones too)
• Blender
• Measuring Cups
• Optional: lemon zester
• Optional: Saucepan if making the pretty marbled version
• Recommended: hand or stand mixer if making the pretty marbled version
• Optional: piping bags if making the pretty marbled version

Ingredients to make blueberry cheesecake popsicles

Note: While I do my best to link appropriately, I can’t take responsibility for the Kosher status of any of these ingredients. Please double check according to your standards!

• 1 cup frozen blueberries 
• 1/3+1/3 cup of granulated sugar (separated if you’re making the marbled version)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest (or an additional 2 tsp lemon juice)
• Optional: Milk (if you feel you need additional liquid to enhance the texture)

There are two ways to make blueberry cheesecake popsicles

As you can see here, these cheesecake popsicles feature a gorgeous swirl. But that’s optional. I’m going to show you how to make it both ways – the easy way and the pretty way!

If you’re hosting a classy Shavuot meal and making this for dessert, you may prefer to put in the extra effort and go all-in with the pretty way.

If you’re simply making these as a summer treat, are short on time, or don’t care about how it looks, definitely go with the “dump, blend, and freeze” version!

How to make them the pretty way

First, combine the frozen blueberries, 1/3 cup of sugar, and lemon zest in a small saucepan.

Heat it until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Keep an eye on it – you don’t want to leave it at this point.

Pour the blueberry and sugar mixture into a blender and blend it until you get a smooth consistency.

Mix your cream cheese, the second 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice together. Mix until smooth

You may need to add a little milk to your cream cheese mixture if it’s chunky. That’ll loosen things up and help you get a smooth consistency.

Add roughly 1/3 cup of the blueberry mixture to the cream cheese and fold it in gently.

Optional: if you want you can work with piping bags, if you have good control with them and want to be more specific with where you place your two shades of mixture.

Start by adding some cream cheese mixture to the popsicle mold. Then add some blueberry mixture. Keep rotating. This is what gives it a two-toned, gorgeous marbled effect.

You can use a skewer, knife, or toothpick to swirl it gently if you want, but don’t overdo this as you’ll be mixing the colors together if you do. This will also help to pop air bubbles, if there are any.

The cool thing about marbling your blueberry cheesecake popsicles is that each one will be totally unique!

Cover if your mold comes with it, and then add add a popsicle stick to each mold.

Freeze for 8 hours or overnight and then enjoy!

How to make these the easy way

Short on time, don’t care how it looks, and want to save time? Simply dump all your ingredients into a blender, blend it, and pour it into a mold. Freeze it for at least eight hours and enjoy! These will be a solid color and won’t have the gorgeous marbled effect featured here.

Which occasion will you be making this cheesecake popsicle recipe for? Comment below!

Yield: 10 Pops

Frozen Berry Cheesecake Pops

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Additional Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 minutes

These decadent blueberry cheesecake popsicles can be made in any berry flavor! Make these as a delicious Shavuot dessert, and mix berries for patriotic July 4th treats. There are two ways to make these: marble two tones of mixture for a beautiful, elegant look, or blend, dump, and freeze for a 5 minute treat!

Print

Ingredients

Equipment

Toggle ingredient group

• Popsicle molds
• Popsicle sticks - food grade
• Blender
• Measuring Cups
• Optional: lemon zester
• Optional: Saucepan if making the pretty marbled version
• Recommended: mixer if making the pretty marbled version
• Optional: piping bags if making the pretty marbled version

Ingredients:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/3+1/3 cup of granulated sugar (separated if you're making the marbled version)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest (or an additional 2 tsp lemon juice)
• Optional: Milk (if you feel you need additional liquid to enhance the texture)

Instructions

The pretty way:

1. First, combine the frozen blueberries, 1/3 cup of sugar, and lemon zest in a small saucepan.
   
2. Heat it until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Keep an eye on it - you don't want to leave it at this point.
   
3. Pour the blueberry and sugar mixture into a blender and blend it until you get a smooth consistency.
   
4. Mix your cream cheese, the second 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice together. Mix until smooth
   
5. You may need to add a little milk to your cream cheese mixture if it's chunky. That'll loosen things up and help you get a smooth consistency.
   
6. Add roughly 1/3 cup of the blueberry mixture to the cream cheese and fold it in gently.
   
7. Optional: if you want you can work with piping bags, if you have good control with them and want to be more specific with where you place your two shades of mixture.
   
8. Start by adding some cream cheese mixture to the popsicle mold. Then add some blueberry mixture. Keep rotating. This is what gives it a two-toned, gorgeous marbled effect.
   
9. You can use a skewer, knife, or toothpick to swirl it gently if you want, but don't overdo this as you'll be mixing the colors together if you do. This will also help to pop air bubbles, if there are any.
   
10. The cool thing about marbling your blueberry cheesecake popsicles is that each one will be totally unique!
    
11. Cover if your mold comes with it, and then add add a popsicle stick to each mold.
    
12. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight and then enjoy!
    

The easy way

1. Short on time, don't care how it looks, and want to save time? Simply dump all your ingredients into a blender, blend it, and pour it into a mold.
2. Freeze it for at least eight hours and enjoy! These will be a solid color and won't have the gorgeous marbled effect featured here.

Notes

You can substitute 2 tsp lemon juice for the zest.

To reduce added sugar, use sweeter berries.

You can make these in freeze pop sleeves too - ideally for young kids.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Popsicle Molds Set
• 
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• 
  Jewish Recipe Binder Organizer for Jewish Holiday | Etsy

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Whether you’re looking for a pretty dessert for Shavuot dinner, something to put out for Kiddush, or the perfect dish to celebrate a new baby girl, these white chocolate covered pretzels hit the spot!

Dainty little roses are made using a mold, adding the perfect touch with no advanced candy-making skills required!

Chocolate covered pretzels are a crowd please and an easy fool-proof snake for those of us who might not be great at cake or cookie decorating (yes, I speak of myself, queen of cake fails!) They can be prepped in advance, so you’re not messing up your kitchen at the last minute.

Customizing white chocolate covered pretzels for any occasions

One of my favorite thing about making this white chocolate covered pretzel recipe is that it is so easy to personalize and turn into something that’ll match any event! I made something along these lines in aqua colored using this pearl powder for Princess A’s first birthday party.

You can use dark chocolate or kosher white baking chocolate if you want to keep it parve. Dark chocolate with a white drizzle and gold accents could be gorgeous for a Bar Mitzvah. Pink and purple is gorgeous for a baby girl.

Teal is neutral and pretty, and try baby blues and silver for a baby boy, Shalom Zachar…

For Shavuot, of course, we want florals, so these pink and purple white chocolate covered pretzels with little roses are spot on.

Tips for making this white chocolate covered pretzel recipe successfully

Making white chocolate covered pretzels is quite an easy task, and totally beginner friendly. But in case you’re worried, here are some tips for getting it right the first time:

• The type of pretzel is super important. They can be found on amazon and target if you are unable to find them locally.

• If you use too much luster dust, it will be difficult to add them to bags if using as a treat bag item. You can omit it, although it does add a beautiful finishing touch.

• You don’t have to do the flowers, of course, but they add a beautiful touch, especially for Shavuot. You can buy all sorts of candy shapes to add if you’re intimidated with making your own.

• Microwave your chocolate in short increments to get a smooth melt.

• Rods aren’t as pretty but they’re easier to dip.

White chocolate covered pretzel recipe

Servings: 8 | Prep time: 5 mins | Active time: 10 mins | Dry time: 20 mins Total: 35 mins

Equipment

• Parchment paper
• Microwave Safe Bowls
• 12-inch piping bags
• Flower Mold
• Clean, dry Paintbrush

Ingredients

• Sourdough Hard Pretzels
• 5 oz Almond bark (or white candy melts)
• 2 oz Pink and Purple Candy melts
• White Fondant (a pea sized amount)
• Pearl Luster Dust
• Sprinkles

How to make white chocolate covered pretzels

Melt almond bark or candy melts, first on HIGH for 45 seconds, then for 30 seconds at a time stirring in between.

Once melted fully, dip the front of the pretzel into the chocolate.

Allow it to set for 15 mins.

While it sets, prepare the fondant roses. To do this, start with a pea-sized amount of white fondant.

Roll it in your hand to “knead” it and then press it into the mold.

After 2-3 seconds, peel the rose out and set it aside to stiffen slightly.

If you can still see the top of the pretzel through the chocolate, dip it in again. Once it’s fully coated, melt the pink and/or purple candy melts by placing them inside a piping bag. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Prepare your sprinkles and have your roses ready.

Squish the bag to soften the chocolate, and return to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Once it’s fully melted, cut a small hole in the bottom of the piping bag and drizzle a zigzag on one end of the pretzel. Immediately add sprinkles and roses.

Let set fully (15-20 mins) then use a very small amount of luster dust to add some sparkle and shine.  (a little goes a LONG way). Wait about an hour before bagging to reduce risk of smudging.

You have completed the white chocolate covered pretzel recipe! Aren’t they just so easy and pretty?!

Yield: 8

Floral Chocolate Pretzels

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

These fabulous Springy chocolate covered pretzels feature flower accents, making them perfect for Shavuot, bridal showers, baby girls, or any festive and feminine affair! Chocolate covered pretzels are the perfect blend of salty and sweet, and a decorative dessert and snack that can highlight any occasion. Make these to fit into a theme by switching out the mold - just make sure to get small enough molds!

Print

Ingredients

Equipment

Toggle ingredient group

• Parchment paper
• Microwave Safe Bowls
• 12-inch piping bags
• Flower Mold
• Clean, dry Paintbrush

Ingredients:

Toggle ingredient group

• Sourdough Hard Pretzels
• 5 oz Almond bark (or white candy melts)
• 2 oz Pink and Purple Candy melts
• White Fondant (a pea sized amount)
• Pearl Luster Dust
• Sprinkles

Instructions

1. Melt almond bark or candy melts, first on HIGH for 45 seconds, then for 30 seconds at a time stirring in between.
2. Once melted fully, dip the front of the pretzel into the chocolate.
3. Allow it to set for 15 minutes. While it sets, prepare the fondant roses. To do this, start with a pea-sized amount of white fondant. Roll it in your hand to "knead" it and then press it into the mold. After 2-3 seconds, peel the rose out and set it aside to stiffen slightly.
4. If you can still see the top of the pretzel through the chocolate, dip it in again.
5. Once it's fully coated, melt the pink and/or purple candy melts by placing them inside a piping bag. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Carefully squish the bag to soften the chocolate, and return to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Once it's fully melted, cut a small hole in the bottom of the piping bag and drizzle a zigzag on one end of the pretzel. Immediately add sprinkles.
6. Let set fully (15-20 mins) then use a very small amount of luster dust to add some sparkle and shine.  (a little goes a LONG way). Wait about an hour before bagging to reduce risk of smudging.

Notes

• The type of pretzel you use is super important to getting good results.
• If you use too much luster dust, it will b e difficult to add them to bags if using as a treat bag item. Use just a bit to add some shine.
• Try these in any color scheme to match your event. Pink is fabulous for a baby girl celebration, blue for a boy, teal or yellow is neutral. Go black and white (including a dark chocolate coating) for a Bar Mitzvah.
• Play around with your sprinkles mixes for different results.
• Store these in the freezer if you're in a warmer or humid climate.
• Make these parve using dark chocolate or Kosher Parve white baking chocolate. The pretzels are also dairy so you may need to switch to a Kosher brand if you can find a Parve version.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Floral Place Cards Printable Flower Napkin Wraps Holders and | Etsy
• Shavuot Coloring Puppets Ruth and Naomi Stick Puppets Book | Etsy
• 
  Jewish Recipe Binder Organizer for Jewish Holiday | Etsy

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The post White Chocolate Covered Pretzel Recipe – Shavuot Dessert! appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.