LAG B’OMER—UPSHERIN (HAIR CUTTING CEREMONY FOR 3-YEAR-OLD BOYS)

 LAG-B’OMER—UPSHERIN (HAIR CUTTING CEREMONY FOR 3-YEAR-OLD BOYS)

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

LESSON OBJECTIVES AND OUTLINE FOR TEACHERS

I. LESSON OBJECTIVES

A. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of proper cooking techniques by preparing the dough for the shortbread cookies, thereby demonstrating that they know how to:

    1. Cream butter and sugar to the proper consistency in the electric mixer.
    2. Sift dry ingredients.
    3. Crack eggs individually into a bowl before adding to batter to make sure the rules of kashrut are met.

    4. Roll out chilled dough on nonstick surface to a consistent and proper thickness.

    5. Cut the dough into shapes, close together, and remove to a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. 

    6. Fuse together and reroll scraps to repeat the process until all dough has been used.

B. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of how this recipe fits into the history and traditions of the Jewish community by completing the final Sample Test.

II. KITCHEN ORGANIZATION: TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

A. TIMING

1. This recipe can be completed in one class.

2. Baked cookies should be placed on a cooling rack so that they can be quickly glazed within the allowable time frame.

B. TECHNIQUES

1. Butter should be chilled to start so that the dough will be easier to work.

2. Rolling pin, cookie cutters and non-stick surface should be liberally floured to prevent dough from sticking. A stockinette cover for the rolling pin can be very useful.

3. Care should be taken to make sure the icing is the correct consistency for outlining and again for flooding.

III. FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A. Why is it necessary in kosher cooking to inspect each egg as it is added?

B. Why was the Lag B’Omer holiday chosen as the time for marriages, haircuts, outdoor activities, and general celebration ?

C. What does Lag B’Omer mean and why is it significant as an interruption in the solemnity of the counting of the Omer?

MATERIALS FOR SHORTBREAD COOKIES

• electric mixer
• upsherin cookie cutters
• rolling pin and possibly stockinette cover
• large non-stick silicone mat for rolling out dough (optional)
• spatula for picking up and transferring cookies to baking sheet
• baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpats
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• large mixing bowl
• sifter
• whisk
• wire cooling racks
• Color Flow icing mix
• food coloring
• rubber spatula
• disposable icing bags
• scissors
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• cornstarch
• kosher salt
• plastic wrap
• dish towels
• dish cloths
• dishwashing liquid
• pot holders

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FOR THE STUDENTS

The holiday of Lag B’Omer, or the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer (the Hebrew letters lamed gimmel equal 33, hence “Lag” when combined) marks a one-day, celebratory interruption to the solemn, semi-mourning nature of the period between the second day of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot which occurs on the fiftieth day of the counting period. Traditionally, in Israel, three-year old boys are taken to the city of Meron to receive their first haircut, known as upsherin. Three is the age at which it is deemed that a child will recognize that his sidelocks, or peyot were not cut completely in accordance with the Torah. Meron was the dwelling place of the great sage and mystic author of the Zohar (a fundamental text of Jewish mysticism) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. He is supposed to have died on Lag B’Omer and commanded his students to rejoice on this day rather than mourn for him. As part of the celebration, tens of thousands visit his gravesite there, light bonfires, sing, dance, parade, picnic, and shoot toy bow and arrows, as well as practice the custom of upsherin. These practices take place in Jewish communities all over the world. During the counting of the Omer, weddings are prohibited, except for this one day of exception.

In the Talmud, it is mentioned that during the counting of the Omer, Rabbi Akiva lost thousands of his students to a plague, which is attributed to their bad behavior in not showing proper respect for each other. On the 33rd day, the plague ceased and his students stopped perishing. Many of the traditions associated with this holiday date back to the fifteenth century.

LAG B’OMER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

For the cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For the icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Color Flow Icing Mix
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup cold water
• food coloring

Group 1

Cut the cold butter into 16 tablespoon size pieces and add to mixer bowl. Beat until light and creamy.

Gradually add sugar at lowest speed of mixer. When all has been incorporated, add vanilla, increase speed, and beat mixture until light and fluffy.

Group 2

In a separate bowl, measure out and whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt until well combined. 

Gradually add flour mixture to whipped butter in mixing bowl at lowest speed. When all has been mixed in, increase speed and beat for 30 seconds.

Turn contents out of bowl onto a well-floured, preferably non-stick surface (like parchment, waxed paper, or a large silicone mat) and form into a disc.

Group 3

Sift the 2 cups of powdered sugar for the icing with the Color Flow Mix into a mixer bowl.

Add 1/8 cup of cold water and beat at lowest speed for 5 minutes. Add additional drops of water slowly while beating until a piping consistency is reached.

Separate out a quantity of icing to be thinned and colored for flooding the cookies.

Load white icing into 3 piping bags. Cut a tiny bit off the end of the bags to allow the icing to be pressed to the end with the blunt side of a knife. Twist the top of the bag so that pressure will not cause the icing to squirt out the top.

Thin out separated icing slowly with droplets of water so that a thin line of dripped icing takes 10 seconds to disappear into the mixture. Then stir in any food coloring as desired.

Cover any exposed icing with a damp towel while working as it dries out very quickly. 

All Three Groups

Preheat over to 350°f.

Roll out dough evenly with a well-floured rolling pin to a thickness of about a quarter to a third of an inch.

Cut out cookies with cutters placed close together on the dough.

Press dough scraps together, reroll, and continue to cut out cookies until all dough scraps have been used.

Remove cookies to parchment or silicone-mat covered baking pans and bake for 12-15 minutes until light brown at the edges.

Cool cookies on baking racks until they are room temperature.

Pipe outlines on the cooled cookies.

While the outlines are setting, load additional piping bags with thinned icing.

Cut slightly larger holes from which the thinned icing can flow onto the cookie. 

If it is necessary to level the flooding icing or move it into tight corners, use a very thin toothpick or cake tester to push the icing around while it is still wet.

Allow to dry without disturbing for at least an hour.