Text and styling by Esther Ottensoser
Photography by Sina Mizrahi

Whether you enjoy baking, crafting, or plating, there’s a flower here for everyone. Enjoy this assortment of ideas to enhance your Yom Tov.

Chocolate-Filled Roses

Paper flowers seem to be blooming in the design world. They’re being used to create beautiful centerpieces, backdrops, and more. This sophisticated flower craft makes a gorgeous table centerpiece or seating cards and can even be used as a special homemade gift, with the surprise treat in the center!

I made these roses out of crepe paper, which creates really beautiful flowers. The paper can be easily shaped into realistic petal shapes. You can use as many petals as you want for each flower. The flowers featured here are made out of one to seven petals. The more petals you use, the fuller and more open the rose will look.

You will need:

• chocolate truffle (you can also use lollipops)
• sticks for the stems (I used chopsticks)
• crepe paper rolls (green and pink, or any colors you’d like)
• scissors
• floral tape
• leaves and white marker (optional)

Insert the sticks into the bottom of the truffles.

Place the pink crepe paper on your work surface with the lines of the crepe paper going vertically. Cut a 4-inch square from the crepe paper for the first layer and 3-inch-wide by 4-inch-long pieces of crepe paper for additional petals. Prepare as many petals as you would like to create your flower.

Fold the pieces so that the lines in the crepe paper are long and vertical. Cut out the upper corners of the openings, in a round shape. Gently stretch the petals and set aside.

Place the green crepe paper on your surface with the lines of the crepe paper in a vertical direction. Cut a 2¹⁄₂-inch-long by 3¹⁄₂-inch-wide piece of crepe paper.

Cut a deep zigzag across the length so you have two identical pieces. This will be enough for two flowers. Gently stretch and twist each point of the zigzag to resemble thorns. Set aside.

Place the truffle in the center of the largest petal, pulling the two sides over each other so they overlap a little. Twist the bottom of the petal around the stick. Continue adding as many petals as you would like.

Starting from right below the truffle, start wrapping the floral tape around the stick to secure the petals. (If you’re doing a lot of petals, you may need to add some tape between the layers as well.) Floral tape only gets sticky as you stretch the tape, so remember to stretch as you wrap the tape around the stick.

Wrap the thorns around the bottom of the rose and secure with additional tape.

If desired, add a personalized leaf.

Note: Dimensions for petals can be adjusted to your liking.

Flower Ices

This silicone flower mold always makes a beautiful dessert. Here’s another exciting way to use it, as a nice way to start off your Yom Tov meal.

You will need:

• rose silicone mold (available at baking supplies store or Amazon)
• fruit juice (I used orange juice and cranberry juice)
• champagne glasses
• champagne or any soda or punch

Freeze juices in molds.

Place frozen roses into your drink.

Mini Har Sinai Cakes

These modest mini Har Sinais are so cute on a platter or added to a dessert plate!

You will need:

• cake baked in a Wilton Brownie Pop Mold
• icing
• green sugar crystals
• flower-shaped sprinkles

Dip a cake pop into icing and then into the sugar crystals.

Use a drop of icing to add the flower sprinkles.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 843)