via My Jewish Learning
Seven weeks after Passover ends, it’s time to celebrate Shavuot. This holiday marks the biblical story of receiving the Ten Commandments and the Torah at Mt. Sinai. While many families don’t regularly celebrate Shavuot, it’s a holiday that’s totally made for kids –a perfect excuse for sleepovers, flower picking, ice cream socials, and lots of other fun activities.
One very delicious and fun Shavuot tradition is eating dairy. Some people say that the reason to consume dairy treats on Shavuot is because not eating meat makes everyone feel lighter, physically—a good reminder about the spiritual light that comes with receiving the Torah. Some popular Shavuot treats include blintzes, bourekas—a cheese stuffed pastry from Israel, and of course, cheesecake.
If your kids are interested in cooking on their own, check out these easy recipes for Shavuot. Most can be made with very little help from a grownup.
Shortcut Cheese Blintzes
image via Allrecipes.com
Make your own cheese blintzes with a loaf of bread, a rolling pin, and some cream-cheese. There are variations on this recipe all over the internet—try this super easy take from Allrecipes.com – just be sure to have a grown-up supervise the baking.
Ice Cream in a Bag
image via Growing a Jeweled Rose
A science experiment and recipe all in one! This recipe is perfect for an outdoor celebration or a rainy day and it’s appropriate for toddlers to tweens. To make this ice cream you just need a few simple ingredients, a sturdy bag, and space to move around.
Chocolate Avocado Mousse
image via Joy of Kosher
Your family can whip up an incredibly rich dessert with only five ingredients and a blender. Although this particular dessert has a yummy, creamy, texture, it’s actually dairy free – a perfect treat to enjoy with a Shavuot barbecue.
Peanut Butter French Toast Rollup
image via Tasty Junior
This recipe is like a blintz but kicked up several notches. Allergic to peanuts? Swap in school-safe sunflower or soy butter instead or try using a brown-rice butter (it tastes like marshmallows) for another variation. The recipe for these roll-ups is the second one down on this post.
Froyo Granola Cups
via Tasty Junior
This lighter recipe features all the sweet decadence of traditional Shavuot fair but with a healthy twist. If your family enjoys this recipe, here are five similar, treats that are just as easy to make.
Cheese Toast
Also known as “fancy toast” or an “open-faced grilled cheese,” cheese toast is simply just cheese on top of toast. In some parts of the United States, melting cheese on bread in the toaster oven is a breakfast staple—and luckily, it’s also an easy, kid-friendly recipe that’s easy to customize and change up. Your kids can use preshredded cheese or get creative with cream cheese and different toppings. Still hanging on to leftover matzah from Passover? Try a ricotta crisp for Shavuot.
Rugelach
Gooey, sweet, rugelach looks so complex, but the recipes can be shockingly simple. For Shavuot, mix up your very own cheese and raspberry batch to share with your family. Try one of these five easy rugelach recipes.
Want to learn more about Shavuot? Visit PJ Library’s Holiday Page.
April 16, 2018