Comfort food

Some of my favorite cakes and cookies

With the world in unchartered territory and changing so quickly, it’s comforting to know that some foods stay deliciously the same. Moreover, now that some of my children have flown the coop, most of my cooking and baking efforts are focused on the weekends, when we all gather together around the table. At the beginning of the week, I begin musing about what food I’d like to prepare for Shabbat. I also start preparing for my photo shoots of new dishes that will appear in my weekly column. I use the beginning of the week for trying out new recipes and experimentation.

For Shabbat, however, I only prepare dishes that I know my kids love and look forward to eating together with the family. I must admit, though, that I sometimes sneak in something new to check out their reaction – especially when it comes to desserts. I’ve tried just about every type of cake possible: cream-filled, chocolate ganache, peanut butter, caramel – the list goes on and on. And yet, they always seem to prefer a simple, basic chocolate cake.

Whenever I get a message from one of my boys that he is on his way home from the army base, I immediately begin gathering all the ingredients on the counter so I can prepare his favorite cake. This chocolate cake comes out perfect – especially if it’s made with love!

It’s such a pleasure making this cake because it’s so simple and easy. Just add the ingredients, mix and pour into a pan.

Another favorite in my home is chocolate chip cookies with chocolate candies. You can use spelt flour if you prefer them to be healthier, and oil in place of butter to make them pareve.

One of my all-time favorite desserts is apple strudel. It’s crucial that the dough be stretched super thin. If I’m in a hurry, sometimes I’ll use frozen filo dough sheets instead.