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Candle Cupcakes

Making your own menorah is one of the great pleasures of celebrating Hanukkah. Menorahs come in all different shapes, made from nearly any materials, as long as each candle is kept separate and distinct from the others and they are in one line with the shammas raised. These candle cakes can be arranged together in nearly any shape -- a circle, square,
straight line, or whatever you can imagine -- to form a different and deliciously edible menorah.

INGREDIENTS

14 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 pint chocolate ice cream, or frozen yogurt
fresh raspberries, for garnish

PREPARATION:

1. Equipment You Will Need:
food processor
saucepan
muffin tins
paper cupcake liners
large spoon
Hanukkah candles

2. Adult:

To make the crust, whirl 12 of the cookies in a food processor until ground very fine. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave and mix well with the cookies.

3. Child:

Put one paper cupcake liner in each muffin mold. Using your fingers, press some of the cookie-butter mixture along the bottom and up the sides of each mold. Try to get the cookie mixture pressed together as smoothly and evenly as you can.
Remove the ice cream or frozen yogurt from the freezer and let it soften slightly for a few minutes, then spoon it into the cookie molds, pressing down until smooth.

Fill the molds with the ice cream or frozen yogurt.

4. Adult:

Place the filled tins in the freezer until they hold together well, about 3 hours or until you're ready to use them.

5. Child:

Insert a Hanukkah candle into the center of each cupcake. Refreeze until very solid in the tins, and wrap well. (You can even do this a week ahead.) When ready to make your menorah, remove the tins from he freezer, then carefully remove each cupcake, with its liner, from the tins.

Arrange the menorah as you wish -- in a row or a circle, but make sure to elevate the shammas by placing it on the remaining two sandwich cookies. Then immediately light the candles and say the blessings. Of course, this doesn't take the place of the real menorah. Be sure to blow out the candles before the ice cream gets soft!

SOURCE: The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen,
authored by Joan Nathan.
Copyright by Schocken Books Inc.