Hi kids,

On Tu B'Shevat we celebrate the new year for trees by eating fruit, especially the seven fruits of Israel which include pomegranates, dates, figs and grapes.

I made these fun fruit plates to represent each season - summer, fall, winter and spring.

You can make them, too. Here's how:


Step 1: Ingredients

This makes enough for at least four plates. You'll need:

  • 1 box cornflakes
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 1 bunch green grapes
  • 1 box fresh figs
  • 1 box dried dates
  • 1 bag mini marshmallows
  • 1 container Duncan Hines (kosher) chocolate frosting
  • Sprinkles or mini white chocolate chips
  • 1 freezer-size Ziploc bag
  • Scissors
  • a knife
  • Chopstick or skewer or toothpick (or similar pointed utensil)
  • 4 plates (or one large rectangle platter)

Step 2: The Tree and Branches

To make the chocolate tree trunks, you'll need the frosting, Ziploc bag and scissors.

Spoon the frosting into the Ziploc. Push it down to one corner, squeeze the extra air out of the bag, and seal it.

Snip a small hole at the corner of the bag so you can squeeze the frosting out. Now squeeze gently and "draw" with the bag, shaping the trees and branches in whichever designs you prefer.

Use the skewer or toothpick to swirl the chocolate and give it the texture of a real tree trunk.

To add some detail to the trunk of the trees, slice a date in half and place it carefully on the trunk. This adds a nice touch and dimension.


Step 3: The Spring Tree

To make the spring tree, add pomegranate seeds to the branches and ground. Look! Now it looks like your tree is blossoming after a long cold winter.





Step 4: The Summer Tree

Palm trees remind me of warm summer days. Very carefully slice the figs and grapes into wedges. (You can ask an adult to help you with this.) Layer them to resemble the thick branches of a palm tree.





Step 5: The Fall Tree

To make the fall/autumn tree, carefully scatter cornflakes around the branches and on the “ground.” Then add a few more cornflakes to make it look like the leaves are falling.



Step 6: The Winter Tree

This tree should look bare, with some snow on it. Cut the mini marshmallows in half and place them on and around the branches. Leave some space between them so the tree looks empty and wintery.

You can also make a snowman alongside your winter tree. See if you can find two figs where one is noticeably bigger than the other. Cut them both in half. Use half of the bigger one for the body and half of the smaller one for the head. For the head, use the side of the fig that has the stem - that will be the nose. Draw the arms, mouth and eyes with the frosting. Stick a couple of white chocolate chips or white sprinkles in for the eyes. Voila - snowman!

Happy Tu B'Shevat!