Desserts

This recipe is from Levana Kirschenbaum’s new cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen.
I developed this wonderful recipe to accommodate kosher diners after a meat meal as well as dairy intolerant diners. Although it is delicious as is, feel free to substitute dairy ice cream for the sorbet, keeping the color scheme monochromatic: vanilla, coffee, chocolate. I tried with a red layer (berry) and found it disrupted the earthy color and flavor theme.
 

Who needs to slave away at a hot stove this summer? This no-bake strawberry treat is a favorite for "little hands" to prepare and eat!

Serves 8.
 

Makes 3 loaves or one 9x13 pan.

The honey cake served at my childhood home was generally brick-like, left untouched by children, and gobbled up by the older generations. This cake is sweet, light and fluffy, with a delicious honey coating, and my kids gobbled a loaf of it in a single sitting. Wrapped tightly, it freezes very well.

If you love blueberries, you know it's hard to resist a freshly baked blueberry muffin. By filling the muffin cup to the top, causing the muffin to overflow, and sprinkling a streusel topping, your friends and family will never guess that you baked these instead of buying them. 

In our house, we’ve got two summer rituals that bookend the summer: the first official ice cream of the summer (on my daughter’s birthday, May 26th) and the last official ice cream of the summer (on my husband’s birthday, August 30th). All ice creams in between are simply celebrating summer months. But recently I decided why limit all that goodness to the summer so, following my friend’s guidance, I made ice cream cone cake! 

With so much zucchini in my refrigerator, I decided to try something a little different. This cake is so rich and moist! And the best part? It yields 3 loaves! One for now, one to share with a friend, and one to freeze for another time! 

It’s the perfect storm of flavor: chocolate and cheesecake. This easy crowd-pleaser should be on everyone’s Shavuot menu plan.

Cookies. Cream. Pie. Yum! This recipe is so easy my four year old can makes this pie by herself!

Hot chocolate is a tried and true way to brave a cold winter day!

Serves 8

Here's a sweet (and colorful!!!) way to toast the New Year!

This variation on a favorite adds just a little twist to the classic angel food cake.

So light and airy it's thought to be the food of angels. This simple angel food cake is virtually guilt-free! (It's also perfect for this Shabbat where the Torah makes mention of Jacob wrestling with an angel.)

Yield 21-24 mini donuts.

These donuts are so basic and delicious. When I made these with my kids, before the next batch was done, the first batch was gobbled up. And that was before these donuts were sprinkled with powdered sugar! Note, the first time I played with my donut maker, I made these and the color was very uneven. The trick when making this particular recipe is to unplug the donut maker as you're refilling the donut spaces. If you do that, then you, and the donuts, are golden!

Yield: 21 mini donuts

While I myself am the queen of kitchen gadgets, I’m not one to send anyone else to run out and buy the latest knick-knack. BUT if you’re going to splurge on something to make this Chanukah a little more special, I highly recommend picking up a donut maker (akin to the sandwich maker – only it makes donuts). The one I have makes 7 mini donuts at a time – and they are baked, not fried. From start to end (including clean up time) it took me about 12 minutes to turn out 21 mini donuts. Don’t ask how long it took for these delightful minis to get eaten!

My husband prides himself on being an apple pie aficionado. Over the course of the years of our marriage, I’ve tried EVERY apple pie recipe with the crust being the toughest challenge to master. Homemade crust or store bought? Use butter or margarine? Refrigerate or prepare at room temperature? I tried just about every recipe I could put my hands on – to no avail. Enter Judy into our lives. Judy makes the perfect apple pie week after week – with a crust so easy, you’ll wonder why people try to make it any other way. Judy has given me permission to share her recipe with all of you. Thanks Judy!

Yields 36 cookies

Your house is suddenly filled with unexpected guests. You check your freezer, but you're all out of your back-up desserts. Baking a cake would take too long, and you just realized that you're out of some of the major ingredients you'll need to whip up a batch of cookies. What to do?

Yields 1 9 x 13 pan.

Looking to share a little love in your kid’s lunch box? These rice crispy squares are a nice surprise snack. Easy enough to make with your kids one afternoon, this unique twist on a standard favorite guarantees you a happy kid.

Makes 12 giant cookies.

Giant Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies are a perfect dessert this weekend!

Few drinks are as comforting and warming as hot chocolate. This dairy dessert drink, with its adult twist, is best shared with a friend. The Little Hands around the table will be tempted to take a sip, so make sure you have enough regular hot chocolate for everyone!

Makes 1 drink

For those who live in colder climates, one of Sukkot’s bigger challenges is to overcome the chilliness that comes with outdoor eating. This Hot Apple Toddy serves double duty – it will simultaneously warm your hands and your insides.

When it comes to bananas, I never know how many is enough/too many to buy. Sometimes they're gobbled up in a couple of days, and others times... well you know what happens to a neglected banana. Once they turn brown, my kids won't touch them (and frankly, neither will I). Instead of tossing them out, I bag these over-ripened bananas in 3s and freeze them for this recipe. The riper (read: mushier) the banana, the better (read: more moist) this cake will be.

There are certain desserts that automatically elicit that gasp from the crowd. Pomegranate Chocolate Mousse Tart is a holiday-friendly, gorgeous showstopper. Sprinkling pomegranate seeds across the top of the tart, makes it perfect for Rosh HaShana.

Serves 8.

Apples, apples everywhere! Here’s another way to toast the New Year and to enjoy apples – without getting honey all over your tablecloth! Note: even though this drink’s color is right out of your crayon box, it is NOT for little hands.

Serves 8

Who says pomegranates are just for eating? One of these days I hope to become a certified mixologist. Still, I'm pretty good with putting together delicious cocktails. Here's one that's sure to please your adult crowd on Rosh HaShanah (and all year round)! 

Makes 24 muffins.

I decided to play around with a couple of my muffin/kugel recipes and came up with this delicious side dish. Your kids can help with this recipe: the big kids and measure and mix and the little ones can line the muffin tins with cupcake liners. Wrapped tightly, these muffins freeze well.

The debate rages on: Is apple cobbler a side dish or a dessert? I grew up in a home where sweet dishes were strictly for dessert. If you're saving this apple cobbler for the end of your meal, consider serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But why not serve it as a side dish? Either way, this apple cobbler is the perfect complement to your Rosh HaShana meal.

Nothing shouts childhood louder than a S’more.

This dessert is a sophisticated turn on a standard apple crisp.

A seasonal dessert using fresh fruit.

A warm apple crisp gives the meal a soothing end.

Serves 6.

A refreshing dessert or palate cleanser.

Serves 6.

A refreshing dessert or palate cleanser.

Yields: 2 pies

Add mint and chocolate chips to your cheesecake this year!

No electricity today? No problem. We're hooking you up with a few non-bake recipes to keep your children busy and fed! (Here's hoping your stove top is gas and not electric!) 

Work with your kids to make this special treat!

Trying to escape the heat? Then our spotlight on ice pops is just the thing for you! Made with loads of fresh fruit, ice pops give you a refreshing break in the middle of a hot summer day.

This recipe is easy, delicious and totally adorable!

Even little kids can help make this simple and delicious cake!

Serves 8 - 12

It's a craft! It's a snack! It'll keep your kids entertained (and well-fed!)

A great twist on the standard cheesecake recipe. The cream cheese in the batter gives this cake lots of moisture!

This easy and savory pear dish is a fabulous end to a rustic meal!

Makes 4 cups.

Peanut Butter. Chocolate.

Chilly outside? Here's how to make apple cider the perfect drink for an indoor day!

Oreos and pretzels help make up an excellent pie crust on this delicious dessert.

This cake has been receiving rave reviews from our readers!

Pineapple juice is the secret ingredient to this moist and delicious cake!

Super Sweet Dessert for a Super Sweet New Year.

There is very little that can go wrong when chocolate and peanut butter are ingredients!

A no fail cake is the way to go when you are cooking for a crowd.

Serves a crowd

While most people defer to brownie mixes these days, these brownies make us remember why homemade is always the best.

While olim often bemoan the lack of American ingredients in Israel, this cheesecake recipe will make them happy to be living in Israel!

Serves 12

Usually I feel that if a dessert doesn’t have chocolate, it isn’t worth it. But this recipe, from my grandmother’s recipe box, has been a staple in our family’s homes for generations.

Serves 10

Nothing says summer better than fresh blueberries baked in a pie.

This is a simple yet elegant way to serve any stone fruit. You can also try nectarines, plums, apricots or cherries.

This is the French answer to cheesecake. No base, no baking, the minimum amount of work for the maximum amount of impact.

Makes 45

These mini donuts make the perfect party treat!

End your Purim seuda with a bang!