Some people make New Year’s resolutions. I make summer resolutions. This year’s list? Avoid dairy, sodium and carbs—basically, anything that tastes good. So yes, I’ll be enjoying Shavuot from a respectful, slightly envious distance. But that doesn’t mean you have to.
Why dairy? Theories abound, but the most poetic says it’s a nod to the “land flowing with milk and honey” promised to us at Sinai. Cue the cheesecake.
Which brings us to the second annual “Connections, Commandments and Cheesecake”—a joint Shavuot celebration hosted by Temple Emanuel, in partnership with Congregation Shaare Emeth, United Hebrew and Congregation Temple Israel. The event returns this Sunday, June 1 at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanuel.
You’ll start with a dessert buffet (Israeli wines, cheesecakes, fruit—the works), then choose your own learning adventure with sessions led by Cantor Shirel Richman, Rabbi Amy Feder, Rabbi Rachel Bearman and Cantor Seth Warner. The night wraps with joyful prayers and song.
It’s free, it’s festive and it’s a chance to savor one of Judaism’s most overlooked holidays in delicious style.
Shavuot: Connections, Commandments and Cheesecake
Date: Sunday, June 1
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Rd.
Cost: Free
RSVP by May 29: sestl.co/shavuot25
The cheesecake gospel, according to my bubbe
Some people inherit jewelry or family recipes. I inherited a belief system: All things are possible if you start with a good basic batter.
I told you about my my bubbe’s cheesecake a year ago. It was legendary—dense, creamy, just the right amount of tang—and the secret was “keep it simple, Jordan.” She had one batter she swore by and from that she could make all sorts of desserts without breaking a sweat.
Turns out, she wasn’t alone in her gospel. Jewish food writer Ronnie Fein swears by the same approach. Her basic cheesecake batter is endlessly adaptable and shockingly easy to make once you understand the balance.
“Long ago I created a basic batter that works for almost any type of cheesecake, but sometimes I make a slight change to lighten it up. I use 1 cup of ricotta cheese to replace 8 ounces of the cream cheese in my recipe. I usually include sour cream or unflavored Greek yogurt. But if I don’t have either of those in my fridge, I substitute with an additional ½ cup of cream and add a tablespoon of flour to better bind the batter together,” wrote Fein for the Jewish Light in 2016.
Fein said her basic batter is amazingly versatile. Here are some of her favorite adaptations:
- Chocolate cheesecake: Add 10 oz. melted semisweet chocolate to the mix.
- Half-and-half: Swirl 5 oz. melted chocolate into half the batter for a two-tone effect.
- Pumpkin cheesecake: Swap sour cream for ¾ cup mashed pumpkin, use brown sugar and stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and orange zest.
- Berry-topped: Just pile fresh berries on the cooled cake and brush with melted apricot jam.
- Turtle: Make a graham crust, top the cooled cake with ganache and chopped nuts and go full caramel-drizzle if you’re feeling bold.
| RELATED: Cookbook rockstar Jake Cohen shares ideas for a perfect Shavout brunch
