It’s almost time for Shavuot – that amazing, perfect-for-kids holiday all about eating dairy, staying up late, and studying Torah!
Grab a stack of PJ Library books, a picnic blanket, and some of these super easy, no-bake, cheese cake pops to kick off your celebrations. This special recipe was created just for PJ Library families by Jennifer Stempel.
NOTE: This recipe makes use of an ingredient called “almond bark” – and while it may sound fancy, almond bark is actually a pretty common baking confection available at many grocery or big box stores. Almond bark is similar to candy melts or white chocolate but with a much much higher fat and vegetable oil content – that’s what makes it so great for holding together these cheesecake pops. (Also, check the label because despite the name, some brands of almond bark don’t actually contain any nuts).
Ingredients
1 eight ounce package of cream cheese, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt
1 cup freeze dried strawberries, pulverized in a food processor 1 sleeve (or 9 long) graham crackers, crushed
12-15 paper straws
8 ounces vanilla almond bark
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and all but two tablespoons of the pulverized strawberries.
- Set aside the remaining strawberries.
- Pour the crushed graham crackers into a separate bowl. Using a small scoop or spoon, drop 1-inch balls of the cream cheese mixture into the crushed graham crackers, using your hand to coat the outside of ball.
- Place your graham cracker coated cheese cake ball on to a wax paper-lined baking sheet, and then repeat the process until you have used up all of the cream cheese mixture.
- Refrigerate the graham-cracker covered cream cheese globes for one hour.
- Cut paper straws in half.
- Melt the almond bark per the package instructions.
- Remove the cream cheese balls from the fridge.
- Once the almond bark is melted according to package instructions, dip just the tip of the paper straw into the almond bark, and then stick that straw tip into the center of a cheesecake ball. Let set before continuing to next step.
- Using the straw as a handle, dip each ball halfway into the almond bark, leaving some of the graham cracker coating exposed.
- Let the excess almond bark drip off, and then sprinkle with remaining freeze dried strawberries.
- Gently place each pop into a short glass or bowl to harden and set. Continue with remaining cheesecake balls, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yields 12-15 cake pops total
About the Author
A Los Angeles native, Jennifer Stempel is a St. Louis-based storyteller, whose work has been featured by Woman's Day, Rachael Ray Everyday, POPSUGAR, NBC Latino, PJ Library, The Nosher, MyJewishLearning.com, Be'chol Lashon, Jewish Daily Forward, and Relativity Media's COIN.
May 26, 2022