Today’s creative mishloach manot idea comes from Rochel Robbins, whose beautiful garden theme is sure to get all of us in the mood for spring!
I guess by the time Purim comes around, I am ready for spring. I have used this gardening themes many times, adapting it from a basic idea I read in a Martha Stewart article many years ago.
What I love about this idea is that you can bake right in the unglazed flower pot, which I buy at the garden store or larger home goods store with a garden center for relatively inexpensive – and it’s the only container needed. Just give it a good washing first.
I usually put a piece of parchment paper on the bottom to cover the drain hole but I would think a mini-marshmallow would work great also. (My hubby is allergic to fish and kosher marshmallows are made with fish gelatin so I haven’t tried that trick).
For my “plants,” I bake a chocolate cake directly in the pot. Then I layer on chocolate frosting with some cake crumbs to give it a “dirt” effect. Then I “plant” a bit of mint garnish for the seedling. In order to have a second food, I use a gummy worm on top. In the past, I have also given a small package of sunflower seeds with the plant.
I do recognize that some people hate baking but I love to so I really enjoy making Mishloach Manos. I also keep it in line by setting a number limited based on what I know I can make in a reasonable time and, as the contributor of the Under the Sea mishloach manot idea said, I don’t keep score on who gives and who receives.
Rochel Robbins lives in Milwaukee, WI with her husband and their four and six-year old daughters. In her free time, she enjoys playing her oboe, canning and baking. Her current project is to figure out how to create Purim Kallah costumes to the liking of her little girls – on a budget.
walmart has white tulle for 97 cents per yard. cant beat that for an easy skirt. and veil. then wear it with a white shirt.
Can you post instructions for baking the chocolate cake?
Me too! This is the awesome-ist shalach manos idea I’ve seen yet.
You could also add rock candy!
DS – It should really work for any cake recipe you have. If you one that you really like I would use that. I fill the pots about 2/3rds full so that the cake has room to rise; ideally you want it to come close to the top. I bake them on a cookie sheet just in case some batter leaks out of the bottom at 350 degrees. I wish I could give you an exact time but it really depends on how big your pots are and what recipe you use. In the past I have used Hersey’s chocolate cake recipe with success. Its on the back of its cocoa powder containers. I hope that helps.
Chaya – rock candy would be very cute! Thanks
I forgot to mention about the cake recipe. I like to keep it parve so with the Hersey’s recipe I substitute either rice or soy milk for the milk and it works just fine. Enjoy!
they are very yummy! thanks rochel looking forward to what u come up with this year! good luck on the costumes!
Can you please tell me how much the pots were?
Large garden centers or home improvement chains have the best prices for the pots. I used the 4 inch pots and if I remember correctly, they were around $.80 each.
Do I need to season the pots before baking the cake in them in the oven? Will the pots crack if I don’t season them? Thanks!
Talya – I am trying to remember if I did anything to the pots before hand except for giving them a good wash. I really don’t think I did season them but the most I would have done is give them a spray of PAM (or some brand like that). I have never had any pots crack on me.
Thank you! I will try it by just spraying the pots and not trying to season them – too much work!
I made them this week and I just put them straight in the oven. Isn’t clay baked at much higher temperatures originally? So a 350 degree oven shouldn’t make a difference.