Shavuot recipes

Ilana Zelkin’s vanilla cinnamon phyllo cake 

Photography by Ilan Ossendryver

Ingredients 

• 1 packet phyllo pastry 

• 500g butter 

• 250g flaked almonds 

• 2 tsp cinnamon and sugar 

• 2 packets vanilla instant pudding 

• 1 cup icing sugar and extra for dusting 

• 1 litre cream 

• Frozen berries for jam 

Method 

• Preheat oven to 200°C and line three same-size baking sheets. 

• Cut phyllo into long strips. Easiest to do this by leaving it rolled up while slicing. 

• Place loosely on tray and scrunch up. 

• Drizzle butter over lightly. I don’t use all the butter, just lightly drizzle over. 

• Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. 

• Sprinkle flaked almonds over. 

• Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, but watch carefully as it burns quickly. 

• Start beating cream with sugar. Beat in the vanilla pudding until soft and creamy. Don’t overbeat. 

• Add some extra vanilla extract or essence and the juice of one lemon. 

• Spread one layer with cream, then top with another layer of cream, another layer of pastry, and finally the final layer of pastry. 

• Dust with extra icing sugar. 

• Heat frozen berries with some sugar to the desired sweetness. 

• Cool and serve on the side. 

Variations 

You can mix lemon curd into your cream. 

Caramelise some apples and add with the cream. 

Chaya Esther Taback’s mini lemon cheesecakes 

Photography by Ilan Ossendryver

Makes 10-12 mini cheesecakes. 

Total time 75-90 minutes, including decorating. 

Ingredients 

Base 

• Orit’s Graham Crackers 

• 40-50g melted butter or margarine 

Filling 

• 500g creamed cottage cheese 

• ½ cup sugar 

• ½ cup cream 

• ½ packet vanilla pudding powder 

• 2 eggs 

• Zest of two lemons 

• 2½ tbsp fresh lemon juice 

• ½ tsp vanilla extract 

• Tiny pinch of salt 

Method 

• Preheat oven to 170°C. 

• Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. 

• Mix crushed biscuits with melted butter or margarine until combined. Press about 1 tbsp into the bottom of each liner. 

• In a bowl, mix together creamed cottage cheese, sugar, cream, pudding powder, lemon zest, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth. 

• Fill cupcake liners almost to the top. 

• Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges are set while the centres still have a slight wobble. Don’t overbake. 

• Let cheesecakes cool for 10 minutes. 

• Place in freezer for 15 minutes, then refrigerate while preparing decorations. 

Tracy Milner’s cheesecake with strawberry topping 

Photography by Ilan Ossendryver

Ingredients 

• 1 packet Marie or similar biscuits 

• 125g butter or margarine 

• 1kg smooth cream cheese 

• 375ml fresh cream (1½ tubs) 

• 1¼ tbsp custard powder 

• 1¼ tbsp flour 

• 4 eggs 

• 1 cup sugar 

• 1½ tsp vanilla 

Method 

• Beat eggs and sugar until white and thick. 

• Add cream cheese, vanilla, and cream. 

• Lastly, add flour and custard powder. 

• Keep beating until well blended. 

• Crush the biscuits and mix with the melted butter or margarine. 

• Put biscuit mixture in the base of a loose bottoms spring form tin. 

• Pour in the cheesecake mixture. 

• Bake at 180°C for 25 minutes. 

• Turn off the oven and leave for another hour. 

• Remove from oven and cool before serving or putting on topping and serve. 

Topping 

Ingredients 

• 125ml cream 

• 250ml vanilla yogurt 

• ¼ cup castor sugar 

Method 

• Mix ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. 

• Spread over cooled cheesecake and decorate with sliced strawberries, blueberries, or any fruit of your choice. 

Carol Bome’s cheesecake recipe 

Photography by Ilan Ossendryver

Ingredients 

• 1 packet Marie biscuits 

• 125g butter or margarine 

• 3 tubs (750g) smooth cream cheese 

• 1 cup sugar 

• 250ml fresh cream 

• 1 dessert spoon custard powder 

• 1 dessert spoon flour 

• 3 eggs (extra large) 

• 1 tsp vanilla 

Method 

• Beat eggs and sugar until thick. 

• Add cream cheese, vanilla, and cream. 

• Add sifted flour and custard powder. 

• Beat until well blended. 

• Crush Marie biscuits and mix with the melted butter or margarine. 

• Line an ovenproof dish with the biscuit mixture. 

• Pour in the cheesecake mixture. 

• Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes. 

• Turn off the oven and leave cake in for a further 20 minutes. 

Naomi Lichtenstein’s cheesecake 

Photography by Ilan Ossendryver

Ingredients 

• 1½ packets of biscuits 

• 125g butter or margarine 

• 2 tubs of cream cheese 

• 1 cup cream 

• ½ cup sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• ½ tbsp flour 

• 1 tbsp custard 

• 1 tsp vanilla 

Method 

• Crush biscuits. 

• Add a tablespoon of sugar. 

• Melt butter and mix with biscuits. 

• Pat into buttered dish. 

• Beat the rest of the ingredients. 

• Pour onto base. 

• Bake for 30-40 minutes. 

• Leave to set. 

• Garnish with blueberries and strawberries.