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Make
Your
Own
Kiddush
.)

O

1--al

An easy step-by-step guide to making your simchah personal

and delicious.

Annabel Cohen I Food Columnist

hat's a Jewish celebration with-
out a Kiddush of sweets and
wine immediately following?
Unthinkable! As a kid, the only thing that
kept me chipper though long Shabbat ser-
vices was the thought of seven-layer cake
and cookies waiting in my synagogue's social
hall.
When I grew up, I found the extra-sweet
desserts still inviting, yet I learned to appreci-
ate the flavors and textures of homemade
goodies, which I felt were so much more per-
sonal and special. I always say that the best
desserts are those "pick-up" treats that your
favorite baker bakes.
As a caterer, I'm honored when I am called
upon to bake sweets for Kiddush celebra-
tions. It's always gratifying to think my
homemade sweet tables are part of weekly
celebrations and life-cycle events.
My favorite sweets are those we consider
traditional — rugelach and mandelbread,
strudel and cookies.
Buttery crescent-shaped rugelach, with
that hint of cream cheese in the dough
and laced with cinnamon, are always a hit.
Mandelbread, cookies and strudel — wheth-
er exploding with mini-chocolate chips, dried
fruits or crunchy with nuts — are ubiquitous.
I'm happy to say that even as our world
becomes more homogeneous and "cookie
cutter," it's heartening to know that home-
made desserts are back in vogue. Sisterhoods
are baking more and ordering from bakeries
less. With recipes that are easy to prepare
and freeze well, we all can become our own
caterers.
Before offering some of my favorite recipes
for a Kiddush, here are some tips for pre-
paring and serving your own Kiddush with
memorable and beautiful results:
A good "rule of thumb" is always appreci-
ated when it comes to how much to serve. I
suggest about three to four treats per person.
And make more of the most popular items.
Say you expect 100 Kiddush attendees.
The math counts out to 400 sweets. If you're
making four varieties of cookies and such, it
doesn't mean that you necessarily need 100
of each. Typically, anything with chocolate
is more popular. So if you're preparing, for
example, brownies, mandelbread, rugelach
and lemon cookies, consider making more of
the brownies than the lemon cookies.
On another note, Kiddush menus need not

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March 2013

be all baked. Chocolate-dipped dried
or fresh fruits are always appropriate.
Don't want to dip? Platters arranged
with dried fruits and nuts add texture
and healthy alternatives.
For even more variety, cheese,
cracker and fruit displays are also
ways to add to a Kiddush without
turning on the oven.

To prepare:
Make-ahead ensures less stress. Bake
and freeze, and you'll simply need to
transport your sweets to the Kiddush
location.
Divide and conquer! If you're a
baker, do it all yourself, and store
or freeze until you need it. If you're not a
baker, ask friends to help. While making 400
cookies can seem daunting, eight bakers can
make 50 items each (much more manage-
able). It's important to manage expectations
when depending upon other bakers. Be spe-
cific (detailing that you would like four-dozen
chocolate chip cookies is safer than simply
requesting cookies). Also, try to specify
cookie size; if possible, smaller is better than
bigger.

To buy:
Some baked goods are not easy to make. For
example, that seven-layer cake that every-
body craves? Not so easy to bake at home.
Buy it.
Wrapped chocolates and candy are an
easy way to add color and texture to a sweet
table. Scatter them around baked goods, or
fill an attractive container (or a few contain-
ers) with the sweets.
Fresh fruits, either whole (grapes, straw-
berries, tangerines and small apples, for
example) or cut, are healthy additions to any
Kiddush table.

To display:
Think of the table as a mountain with differ-
ent levels and planes. Arrange milk crates,
boxes or glass blocks on a table, and cover
with cloth napkins or tablecloths to create
levels. Place trays, baskets or attractive serv-
ing pieces on the levels for added visual
interest.
Group items tightly onto a table; this cre-
ates the illusion of abundance. For large
groups, consider two or more sweet tables.

RECIPES:

EASY COCOA BROWNIES
Bake these just until set. Do not over-bake, no matter
how tempting.
1 cup flour
2 /3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 /2 tsp. salt
1 /2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
11/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9- x 13-inch bak-
ing dish with parchment, and set aside.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking pow-
der in a bowl, and whisk well. Set aside.
Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, and
cook for 1 minute until melted. Stir in sugar and
vanilla with a spoon until incorporated. Add eggs,
one at a time, stirring with a spoon until incorpo-
rated. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth.
Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30
minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely before
cutting into bars or squares. Transfer to a container,
layering parchment or wax paper between the layers.
Freeze for up to one month. Makes 30-40 or more
brownies (depending on the size).

MANDELBREAD
3 /4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or mini chocolate
chips