Traditional Shavuot Recipes

Eating Dairy Products On Shavuot Is A Jewish Holiday Tradition

© Dorit Sasson

May 20, 2009

One of the Jewish Shavuot holiday traditions is to receive the Torah, which is compared to milk -- "honey and milk under your tongue" symbolic of the wonderful day at Mount Sinai when Moses received the ten commandments.

Two popular and beloved Jewish dairy products are cheesecakes and cream puffs.

New York Maple-Walnut Cheesecake

For the crust

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 t sugar
• 3 t butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir with a fork to combine.
3. Grease the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan and sprinkle it with the cracker mixture, shaking any excess back into the bowl.
4. Add the melted butter to the bowl and toss with a fork until the butter has moistened the crumb mixture.
5. Scatter the crumbs evenly over the pan bottom and press into it using the bottom of a straight-sided glass.
6. Base for 10 minutes and let cool. Raise the heat in the oven to 500.

For the filling

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs cream cheese
• 3T flour
• 11/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Mix the flour with the remaining sugar and add it and half the maple syrup to the cheese in thirds, mixing after each addition.
3. Add the eggs and yolk to the batter one by one, beating after each addition.
4. Add the cream and mix again.
5. Pour the batter and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Lower the oven to 200 degrees and bake for an hour more.
7. Turn off the oven, leave the door halfway open and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for a half-hour.
8. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hors and not more than 24.

For the glaze

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c maple syrup
• 1 t corn starch
• 4 oz walnut halves (about 1 cup)

Instructions:

• When ready to serve, heat the maple syrup over low heat in a small saucepan until it bubbles and let simmer gently for 1 minute until it has thickened slightly. Whisk in the cornstarch and turn off the flame. Add the walnuts and turn to coat. Let cool to room temperature and then spoon over the top of the cake. Serves 10.

Cream Puffs

Ingredients:

• 1 container heavy cream
• 1 package instant pudding
• 48 puff pastry squares
• confectionary sugar

Instructions:

1. Bake pastry squares at 350 for about 15 minutes
2. Cut squares in half hoizontally.
3. Beat heavy cream, milk, and instant pudding together until stiff.
4. Use this creamy mixture to fill the pastry squares.
5. Sprinkle with confectionary sugar.

Welcoming the minor Jewish holiday of Shavuot by symbolically eating dairy products is an ongoing Jewish tradition. Not only does cheesecake and cream puff represent the sweetness of Shavuot but also symbolically represents the sweetness of receiving the Torah and celebrating the knowledge that it brings.

Cheesecake On the Jewish Holiday of Shavuot

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