The summer after I graduated from Yeshiva University, my parents decided to move back to Australia. They rented a beautiful old house in Rose Bay and enrolled my two younger brothers in school.

Life had an idyllic feel. Living a block away from the picturesque southern part of the Sydney Harbor meant that we spent weekday afternoons walking along the water, watching ferries, hydrofoil boats and yachts crisscross the harbor.

Shabbat meals were spent with my grandparents, as well as with the familes of my aunt Rebecca and my uncles David, Ben and Menashe. We had coffee dates in the old-school, European-style coffee shops of Double Bay—the Cosmopolitan, Twenty One, George’s and Vardi’s.

Sundays were spent in the surf at Bondi Beach or at Centennial Park, at the pier in Manly or at Watsons Bay.

While I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life, I got a job as a salesgirl at my very favorite clothing store, Sportsgirl. Hired to work at the flagship store on Pitt Street in the heart of the City (the central business district), I really enjoyed my job.

I enjoyed the train rides to and from work. I loved making friends with my colleagues. I loved merchandising and selling clothes. It was a special thrill to work on wardrobe for TV and movie productions. I even spent a day with Nicole Kidman, putting together a wardrobe for one of her upcoming roles.

On lunch breaks, I would walk to the outdoor food court at St Martin’s Place. I would eat sushi or Greek yogurt with tropical fruits. Other times I would order a salad sandwich. You’ve never tasted anything as good as an Aussie salad sandwich, piled high with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, shredded carrot, avocado and slices of sweet canned beetroot and pineapple.

Tucked away in a corner of the mall was a little bakery. They sold delicate butterfly cupcakes with buttercream frosting and finger buns with pink icing, custard tarts dusted with nutmeg and Lamingtons, a square of sponge cake doused in chocolate sauce and coconut. But my obsession was their chocolate coconut slice. Once a week, I would treat myself to a piece of this irresistible chocolatey goodness.

A classic Australian dessert chocolate coconut slice features a rich, dense, fudgy chocolate base packed with dried coconut, finished with a thick cocoa frosting and generously dusted with even more coconut.

Recently, I found myself dreaming about it and I was determined to bake it in honor of Tu b’Av, the Jewish day of love.

I gathered all the ingredients — butter, brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, coconut and flour. My daughter Alexandra patiently mixed and baked and frosted and sprinkled coconut. The slice melted in my mouth and was every bit as good as I remembered. Maybe better for conjuring such sweet memories.

This year Tu b’Av begins at nightfall on Tuesday July 28. We hope you bake this recipe for the people you love.

—Sharon

My mother loved telling the story that when I was very little I loved strawberries. I loved them so much that one day, I ate far too many and I broke out with an allergic reaction. My mother was so frightened that she banned me from eating strawberries.

As a teenager, I cautiously tasted a couple and nothing happened. Thankfully, my love affair with strawberries could continue.

One of the first desserts I learned to make was chocolate-covered strawberries (and one of the first desserts I taught my daughter Rebekah to make as well). I love their simplicity and elegance and that everyone’s eyes light up when they see them on the dessert table.

Whenever I’m serving a simple dessert, like sponge cake or cookies, I love adding a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries alongside it. They instantly elevate the table and make an everyday dessert feel like a celebration.

Keep them classic by dipping them in rich dark or creamy milk chocolate. Or have fun drizzling them with white chocolate like Sharon’s daughter Alexandra did here. You can also roll them in toasted chopped pistachios or almonds, or sprinkle them with colorful sprinkles or toasted coconut or a pinch of flaky sea salt. Always guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

Turns out that my granddaughter Raquel inherited the strawberry obsession. On Friday nights, while everyone is enjoying cake and cookies, she’s perfectly content with a big bowl of fresh strawberries. I haven’t introduced her to chocolate-covered strawberries just yet. We’ll save that special treat for a few more years.

This Tu b’Av, celebrate the sweetest holiday of love by sharing a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries with the people you love most.

—Rachel

Chocolate coconut slice

9 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of kosher salt

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

2 tsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder

3 Tbsp hot water

2 Tbsp desiccated coconut, to decorate

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a small baking tray with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and egg. Sift in the flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon and salt and mix well.

Fold in the coconut, then spread the mixture into the baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, softened butter and cocoa. Gradually pour in the hot water and stir to a smooth consistency.

Pour frosting over the chocolate coconut slice, then sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes.