If you read my blog, you know that I love planning and preparing for holidays, especially holidays that are about special treats.
One of my favorite holidays is Purim, a serious and silly festival that honors the brave and beautiful Esther for protecting the Jewish people from evil Haman’s hope to destroy them. On Purim, it is a good deed to hear the Megillah, or Book of Esther, read aloud. The Megillah tells how King Achashverosh gathered all the young women of Persia so he could select a wife, and how he chose Esther, a young Jewish woman. As the new Queen of Persia, Esther hid her religious beliefs, fearing for her own safety. After a series of events, King Achashverosh’s general Haman called for the deaths of all Jewish people in Persia. Courageously revealing her Judaism, Esther asked King Achashverosh to spare the lives of her people, the Jews. When the Megillah is read in synagogue, listeners boo for Haman and cheer for Esther--a rowdy and fun experience.
Sharing good fortune is important on Purim, as it is good deed to give gifts of food to friends and neighbors. These gifts, called mishloach manot, must consist of at least two different kinds of foods which are ready to eat. Popular foods to include in mishloach manot are fruit, candies, cookies, raisins and nuts. Baked good, especially hamantaschen cookies, are also popular. I especially like to make fun and memorable mishloach manot each year, collecting potential ideas all year long.
This year, I am making Surprise Cupcake Cones as my mishloach manot. Unlike cupcakes baked in the cones, these are a bit different. Candy is placed in the cone and a baked cupcake is placed on top, creating a “surprise” that will delight everyone. The cupcake (and a mini cupcake) on top are frosted to look like a soft-serve ice cream cone. I plan to package these individually in small cake boxes and to decorate the boxes with fabric ribbon and colorful plastic noisemakers.
BettyCrocker.com even includes a how-to video on making these treats. I think these would be great for Valentine's Day, too!
Purim begins at sundown on March 10 this year.