Best Shavuot Desserts

Shavuot sweetable, here we go!

Knafeh

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 pkg 400-500 g kadaif/kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), defrosted.
•  1 ¼ cups (2.5 sticks) butter, melted

Cheese mixture:

• ½ cup milk
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 pounds ricotta cheese
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Shira (sugar syrup):

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon rose water (available at Middle Eastern groceries. Sadaf brand is most popular.)
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰F.
2. Combine kadaif and butter. Press half the mixture into a Pyrex baking dish or your choice of oven-to-tableware. Reserve the other half.
3. Combine milk,  corn starch, heavy cream, ricotta, sugar and vanilla in a pot. Stir until everything comes together and starts to boil and thicken and then turn off the flame.
4. Pour the cheese mixture over the kadaif layer and then top with another layer of kadaif.
5. Bake for about an hour. I keep my Pyrex loosely covered for the first half-hour so it doesn’t get too brown. While the knafeh is still warm, pour cold Shira (see below) on top. I freeze this before I pour the Shira. Serve the knafeh warm.

Shira:

1. Combine sugar, water, rose water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook for 20-30 min on a low flame until the syrup coats the back of a spoon. Allow to cool before pouring over knafeh.

Author: Sophia Hassoun; BetweenCarpools Click here for more step by step instructions

Individual No-Bake Biscoff Lotus Cheesecake

YIELD 6 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 10 Lotus Biscoff cookies

Cheesecake Filling:

• 8 oz./225 g full-fat cream cheese , softened to room temperature
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ¼ cup Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter spread
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream

Lotus Filling:

• 5 Lotus cookies , coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter spread

Optional Toppings:

• Whipped cream
• Melted Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter spread , to drizzle
• Lotus cookies , coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Make the crust: Pulse cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Divide evenly between individual serving dishes (about 1 tablespoon per serving dish).
2. Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, Biscoff spread, and vanilla extract, and whisk well until combined and completely smooth (or beat with an electric mixer until smooth). Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the other half.
3. Make the Lotus filling: Melt Biscoff spread in the microwave for several seconds until melted.
4. Assembly: Evenly spoon (or pipe using a piping bag) half of the cheese filling into each serving dish, then spoon over crushed cookies, then the melted Biscoff spread. If the spread is very soft, place the cups in the freezer for several minutes so it’s easier to add the next layer. Top with the rest of the cheese filling. Top with cookie crumbs, whipped cream, or drizzle with melted Biscoff spread, if desired. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving, or up to 2-3 days.

Notes:

Biscoff brand products, including Lotus Cookies, that are made in Belgium and are imported and sold in the US and Europe do not have a hechsher (kosher certification). Biscoff brand products that are produced for Israeli distribution are kosher and do have a hechsher in many kosher food stores around the world as an import from Israel. Please check products carefully for kosher certification before purchase.

Recipe from PrettySimpleSweet

Mini Cheesecake That Works

Ingredients

Crust:

• Cookie crumbs of your choice mixed with melted butter (4 tablespoons butter for every 1 cup crumbs)

Batter:

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Grease your mini cheesecake pan very well. Mix the crumbs and butter and press into pan (if you want to be perfect you can measure and put the same amount of crumb in each cup).
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Pipe into pan.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes, until edges of cheesecake are beginning to turn golden at the top.
4. Let cool first on counter, then transfer to freezer. Be patient! Loosen edges with a knife and pop out of pan (pushing up from the bottom) once cheesecakes are firm and cold. Decorate as desired.

Author: Victoria Dwek, Click here for full recipe from Between Carpools