Flourless Desserts for Passover
by Kalyn Denny

Pavlova
Passover starts this weekend, and Mata has already shared her Passover memories and observations. After some coaching on Passover food restrictions, I realized last year that there was a natural connection between gluten-free cooking and Passover food restrictions, and found a great collection of Gluten Free Passover Recipes for BlogHer readers. This year I'm noticing that flourless desserts for Passover are showing up on a lot of my favorite food blogs.

First, Deb from Smitten Kitchen in New York City has 17 Flourless Dessert Ideas, including Chocolate Carmelized Matzo Candy, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and the gorgeous Pavlova with Strawberries featured in the photo above.

Ari at Baking and Books has some interesting comments about Passover food challenges, and spotlights an amazing-looking Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake for Passover. There are also sidebar links to Passover-friendly recipes in the sidebar of this blog.

Nic of Baking Bites has good dessert ideas for every holiday, and her list of Flourless Dessert Ideas for Passover look quite drool-worthy.

From Cupcake Project comes the Kosher for Passover Chocolate Cupcake Recipe. They look delicious, and there's a link to a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe to go with the cupcakes.

Nosh with Me shares her five favorite Passover Dessert Recipes, with a few tips for making sure the recipes are Passover approved.

Slashfood points us to three Passover desserts from cookbook author Aliza Green.

Elana's Pantry has a delicious looking version of Charoset, a traditional Passover dessert which features apples, walnuts, cinnamon and currants. Also don't miss her Passover Round-up with beautiful photos and links to seven passover dishes.

(edit) For vegetarians, I could not leave out the Peysekh Survival Guides (2006 and 2007 links and more to come for 2008) from The Chocolate Lady at In Mol Araan.

Finally, it's not just focused on desserts, but once again this year the list of Gluten Free Passover Links from Gluten-Free Bay is not to be missed, with sample menus and links for other lists of Gluten-Free Passover recipes.

BlogHer Food Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen.

Comments

 

Awesome

I just pulled my kosher for Passover Rocky Road brownie recipe out and also one from a Joan Nathan cookbook for caramel matzah crunch. There's also a recipe for Passover Popovers that my kids love - also in Joan Nathan I think.

The choices are getting to be so much better and more encompassing than when I was a child!

Thank you. :)  And Chag Sameach. 

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

 

You're welcome, and share your recipes!

You're very welcome, and if you feel like it, share your recipes here in the comments.  

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

 

Kosher for Passover Rocky Road Brownies that
are great all year

This recipe came from my now-teenager's pre-school mimeographed stapled together batch of Passover recipes - 11 years ago. I'm hesitant to write out the two others I mentioned because they are from books still on the market, but I'll give the citations - I'm sure they are on the internet - esp. the matzah crunch - I know I've seen it.

The margerine and marshmallows should be kosher for passover items if you keep kosher for Passover. We aren't that strict but this year, I did get the marshmallows that are kosher.

I make these without walnuts because no one in my family is huge
on nuts in their brownies but I'm sure they're just as outstanding with
the nuts.

ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES

Brownies

4oz (4 squares) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 lb (2 sticks) margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup matzah cake meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows, or large marshmallows, cut up (I usually use mini)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Topping

1 cup mini marshmallows, or large marshmallows, cut up
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Place oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 325degreesF.
Grease or spray with nonstick spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (glass or
metal - I use metal more often).

TO MAKE BROWNIES: In a large microwave-safe bowl,
melt chocolate and margarine on high (100%) for 1 to 2 minutes, or
until melted. Stir well. Stir in sugar and cool slightly. Whisk in
eggs, one at a time. Stir in cake meal and salt. Stir chocolate
chips, marshmallows, and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan. Spread
evenly.

TO BAKE: Bake for 30 mins., or until set.

TO TOP: After 30 minutes, sprinkle brownies with
marshmallows. Return to oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until puffed but
not browned. Remove from oven. Place chocolate chips in a small,
heavy plastic bag (I use regular Ziploc). Microwave on high (100%) for
60-90 seconds, or until melted and smooth when pressed with fingers.
Squeeze chocolate into one corner of bag. Cut a small tip off the
corner and drizzle chocolate over brownies. Sprinkle with nuts. Cool
completely. Cut with a serrated knife into 1 3/4 x 2 1/4 inch bars.
(Brownies may be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen.)

Prep time: 10 mins.
Baking time: 30-35 minutes

ENJOY!!!!!

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

 

Kosher for Passover Popovers - Martha Stewart
goofs!

I decided to try to find this recipe online because I didn't want to copy it out of the book - felt improper. So I did find it, on a site with Martha Stewart's name on it. But guess what!? She published it without one of the ingredients. Oy.

Here it is with the correct ingredients and a couple of other changes from Joan Nathan's book's version of the recipe. I copied it from here.

Makes about 12

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for baking sheet
  • 1 cup of water (this is what Martha left out!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup matzah meal
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
  • 4 eggs

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with oil; set aside.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring oil, 1 cup water, and salt to a boil
    over medium-high heat. Stir in matzah meal until sticky, remove from
    heat and let cool completely.
  3. Add sugar and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Fill a large bowl with water. Dip your hands in the water and
    then form dough into a ball about the size of a tennis ball. Place on
    prepared baking sheet. Repeat process until all dough has been used. Dip your hands in water before forming each popover.
  5. Transfer to oven and bake until popovers are puffy, about 15 to
    20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking until golden
    brown, about another 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

 

Last but not least, the caramel matzoh crunch

This is another one that is great year round - no, really! I have it from the book but here it is with attribution and everything on the Internet:

Ingredients:

4-6 unsalted matzohs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large (or two smaller) cookie sheet
completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking
parchment — on top of the foil. This is very important since the
mixture becomes sticky during baking.

Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces, as required, to fit any spaces.

In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter or margarine
and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until
the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes,
stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh,
covering completely.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to
350°. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the
mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove
the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325°, and replace the pan).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chopped
chocolate or chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread the melted
chocolate over the matzoh. While still warm, break into squares or odd
shapes. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set.

This makes a good gift.

Variation:
You can also use coarsely chopped white chocolate (or a combination of
white and dark), and chopped or slivered toasted almonds (sprinkled on
top as the chocolate sets). You can also omit the chocolate for a
caramel-alone buttercrunch. 

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

 

Fantastic!

All of these recipes look just wonderful.  I just found another great link for vegetarian Passover recipes which I'm adding to the post! 

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

 

I don't keep kosher, but...

these recipes sure make it tempting.  Although we don't strictly observe Passover, any holiday that involves a big family meal is a favorite for me.  (My husband always explains that he does not observe Yom Kippur because you don't in holidays that require the denial of food.  He thinks religion should make you feel loved, not hungry.) 

Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS)& Other Rants

 

Great line by husband!

Yeah - we don't keep kosher at all during the year and for Pesach, just my husband and oldest child observe - I even got the kosher pasta this year (VERY pasty! blech) but for the seder, we stay pretty kosher so...the desserts are etc.

These recipes are totally worth the time and they really don't take that long. :)  Have a great chag. 

 

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

 

Just a note...

Most of the recipes on the Baking Bites post are not suitable for Passover. She has recipes that contain peanuts, oat flour, baking soda, graham crackers, and other ingredients that are definitely NOT not kosher for Passover.

Hilary

 

Thanks for the info

Appreciate your clarifications on that. 

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen