Cookery

Another delicious recipe from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

Chocolate brownies of all description are always popular but the salted caramel addition to this recipe makes them extra special. Use for party desserts and as a family treat.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes plus 20 minutes cooling time Cooking Time: 1 house Serves: 8

Ingredients 100g split almonds 150g brown sugar 3 eggs 160g unsalted butter/ margarine 55g plain flour, sieved 55g cocoa powder 300g dark chocolate - chopped Caramel Topping 50g butter / margarine 50g brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons milk/ soya cream 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 100g icing sugar 30g plain dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons milk/ soya cream 1/4 teaspoon coarse/ flaky sea salt

Method - For the Base 1. Grease and line a 22 cm square baking tin with baking parchment paper. 2. Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F/Gas mark 6. 3. Place the almonds on an oven tray and roast for 10 minutes or until golden. 4. Lower the oven to 170°C/Gas mark 3. 5. Cream the sugar and eggs together. Melt the butter and stir this in with the flour and cocoa. 6. Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Make sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. 7. Add the melted chocolate and almonds to the egg mixture and stir in. 8. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. 9. Level the top and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. 10. To prepare the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and 1 ½ tablespoons milk/ soya cream; cook 2 minutes. 11.Remove from heat. Add the vanilla extract and icing sugar; stir with a whisk until smooth. 12. Spread mixture evenly over cooled brownies. Let stand 20 minutes or until set. 13.Combine 2 tablespoons milk/ soya cream and chocolate and melt over a pan of simmering water. Stir just until smooth; drizzle over caramel. 14.Sprinkle with sea salt; let stand until set. 15. Cut into small squares and dust with cocoa powder.

Tu B’Av may be your lucky day for love!

Having completed ‘the three weeks’ and mourning of Tisha B’Av, we come to Tu B’Av, the 15th Av, which falls on Shabbat 24 July this year. It is a joyous event, which has a focus on love for Hashem, the Torah, and one another.

Tu B’Av is the final Jewish holiday of the year before Rosh Hashanah and it has a slightly unusual history. According to the Talmud, during temple times, Tu B’Av marked the beginning of the grape harvest, whilst Yom Kippur marked the end of the harvest. It was also the day when the unmarried girls of Jerusalem dressed in white and danced in the vineyards. On this day, girls can approach young men and ask for their hand in marriage – a little like 29th February.

Nowadays, it is a popular day to get married on and in Israel it is customary to send a bouquet of red roses to the one you love. Romantic songs are played on the radio, love is in the air and parties are held all over the country. Going to parties for singles and matchmaking events are increasingly popular all over the world. However, it is still true that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach so here are some tips for a great dinner date.

Cooking dinner for someone takes effort so ensure you have the time to prepare and make something you are familiar with. Testing out new creations on a date night might be a disaster! Find out what your date likes to eat or drink and check whether they have any food allergies, so your meal is not interrupted by a visit to A&E! Also try to avoid extremely messy foods and ones that stick in your teeth, such as spinach, spaghetti or corn on the cob! If your date arrives early don’t be afraid to invite them into the kitchen to help with the final touches to the meal. Cooking together is a wonderful way of getting to know someone – it provides a distraction which can help you get to over any initial awkward moments.

If you are looking to find love, Date On A Plate, (events for Jewish singles) celebrates 20 years of dating success.

Presently working online using a format with Zoom; Sunday night is the place to meet someone special. (No cooking involved it is a speed dating style of event).

From age 25-70 with a 10-year age span, it’s an informal way to connect safely during these Covid times.