I love Shavuot — which begins this year on the evening of Sunday, May 16 — especially the tradition to eat dairy during this Jewish holiday that celebrates the Torah. I love making blintzes and cheesecake from scratch, but this year, due to the unending exhaustion of pandemic parenting, I simply don’t have the energy to make these elaborate desserts.
Fortunately, Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder has come to our rescue! Rabbi Ruth is always full of wisdom and advice for how to bring Jewish meaning and fun into our children’s lives (she even taught us how to make matzah for Passover this year).
Now, for Shavuot, she’s shared with the Kveller crowd the easiest Shavuot blintz hack ever — one that does not require any special ingredients from your already strained pandemic pantry. It’s also easy to make, family-friendly, and, yes, super delicious.
The secret? White bread! Yes, really! True, it’s not a very Jewish ingredient (shout out to my fellow pumpernickel peeps!) but many minority cultures, including Jews, have adapted this American staple into their cooking. (Check out these white bread spring rolls, which I just may make next.)
Here’s what you do: Simply cut off the crust on a slice of bread and roll it with a rolling pin (or bottle of vino). Fill it with a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and whatever else you want (like blueberries, if you’re feeling fancy). Roll it in melted butter, dip it in sugar and cinnamon, and bake it.
And there you have it: a French toast-meets-blintz delight! Sure, they’re not the same as your bubbe’s blintzes, but they’re very tasty nonetheless.
You can find the full measurements and instructions in this Blitz Mock Blintz recipe on Cooks.com. (PSA: Rabbi Ruth suggests adding an extra tablespoon of sugar.)
Rabbi Ruth demonstrated this delightful recipe on our Facebook live. Watch it so see the process and the finished results, and get some sagacious advice, too:
And if this recipe still seems like too much hassle, Rabbi Ruth has got you covered: She shared some other great tips for how to celebrate Shavuot with your kids in a fun, easy, and meaningful way:
