On Shavuot it is customary to eat dairy foods. Though no one knows for certain where this tradition came from, many believe it is derived from the biblical assurance that the land of Israel is a land “flowing with milk and honey.” Sephardic communities, some of which refer to Shavuot as the Festival of Roses, also have a tradition of eating dishes made with rosewater. Therefore, there’s no shortage of delicious options to spice up your holiday table. Here are some options:
Everything Bagel Bourekas: Classic New York bagel meets Israeli bourekas.
Cuban Tres Leches Cake: If milk is good, three milks is better.
Malabi: A traditional, Middle Eastern milk-based pudding flavored with rosewater.
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Unicorn Cheesecake: How to turn cheesecake into a whimsical masterpiece.
Israeli Couscous Mac & Cheese: An American classic gets a Middle Eastern makeover.
Tres Leches Cake: A traditional Cuban dessert made with three kinds of milk.
Pull-Apart Challah With Cheese and Guava: A little tropical flair for this traditional Sabbath bread.
Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread Babka: A savory mash-up that’s totally addictive.
Sour Cherry Soup: This Hungarian favorite is probably a Shavuot staple because the holiday often coincides with Hungary’s prolific sour cherry harvest.
Blintzes: Blintzes come with lots of fillings, but this cheese-stuffed version is a Shavuot classic.
Strawberry Rhubarb Blintzes: Another seasonal variation, rhubarb is often available just as Shavuot arrives.
Cheesecake: Joan Nathan’s take on this desert classic.
Cheese Lokshen Kugel: This creamy noodle dish can be made savory or sweet.
Rhubarb Rugelach: A tangy take on a Jewish classic.
Macaron Cheesecake Bites: A mashup of two beloved desserts.
Savory Cheese and Zucchini Blintzes: These blintzes are a nice change from the more sugary options.
Chocolate-Dipped Cheesecake On A Stick: What doesn’t taste better on a stick?
Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Blintzes: Italian, Jewish and delicious.
Cheese and Herb Rugelac: Because rugelach doesn’t always have to be sweet!
Black & White Cookie Cheesecake: This marriage of two desserts is quintessentially New York.
Gluten free blintzes: All the dairy, none of the gluten.
Challah baked brie: Cheese your challah.
Shavuot
Pronounced: shah-voo-OTE (oo as in boot), also shah-VOO-us, Origin: Hebrew, the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, falls in the Hebrew month Sivan, which usually coincides with May or June.
