Happy Passover! If you've been invited to a seder this year, you still have time to whip up a batch of these super easy (and delightful) Italian almond macaroons to bring with you. They're a nice change from the usual coconut macaroons that are often served at seders (not that I'm putting those down, they're good if you like coconut). Although I do prefer the lovely almond flavor and crunchiness of these little gems.

AMARETTI COOKIES

Yield: 4 ½ to 5 dozen

3 cups blanched slivered almonds (or 362 grams almond flour)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon almond extract

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1.      Preheat oven to 300º F. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.      In a food processor, grind the slivered almonds into a fine meal (if using almond flour, simply place it in). Add the sugar and continue process for another 15 seconds. Add egg whites and almond extract, continue to process until a smooth dough forms around the blade.

3.      Roll the dough into balls (about 1 heaping teaspoon each). Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

4.      Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Cookies should be golden. Allow cookies to cool completely on the paper before removing. Store in a dry place in an airtight container.

barely adapted from allrecipes.com (submitted by Kevin Ryan)

Bob's Red Mill almond flour

adding egg whites & almond extract to almond flour/sugar

dough

dough rolled into balls

baked

amaretti cookies

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Flourless Chocolate Cake with Coconut Lime Sorbet and Raspberry Coulis

This cake is a chocoholic's dream come true. Unless your dream is to live in a world made of chocolate houses, streets and cars, like on the Hershey's commercials. It can't really compete with that. But it is very rich and fudgy (a little goes a long way). And because it's flourless, it's good for gluten-free diets and great for Passover. I actually did make the coconut lime sorbet, but I never managed to snap a photo of the finished product (I was little off my game - I guess because I was in my sister's kitchen and not on my home turf). It doesn't take much for me to feel discombobulated. The other day I forgot to wear deodorant and I just felt off all day. Or maybe it was because I forgot to take my meds. It could go either way.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH

COCONUT LIME SORBET AND RASPBERRY COULIS

Yield: one (10-inch) cake (at least 12 servings)

Coconut Lime Sorbet:

1 (15 oz.) can cream of coconut (preferably Coco Lopez)

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Raspberry Coulis:

1 (10 oz.) package frozen raspberries, defrosted for 1 hour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Flourless Chocolate Cake:

8 oz. fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 sticks unsalted butter (or Passover margarine)

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons coffee liquor (such as Kahlua) or vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus additional for sprinkling)

Coconut Lime Sorbet:

Whisk together ingredients. Freeze mixture in an ice-cream maker. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for several hours to harden. Make ahead.

Raspberry Coulis:

Purée raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids. Can be made up to 3 days ahead (keep chilled).

Flourless Chocolate Cake:

1.      Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter a 10-inch springform pan.  Line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.

2.      In a double boiler, melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth.  Remove bowl from heat and whisk in sugar. Add eggs and liquor; whisk well. Sift 1 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.

3.      Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust.  Transfer pan to a rack. When cool, run a knife around the outside of the cake and carefully remove the outer ring.

4.      Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet and raspberry coulis. Cake keeps, after being cooled completely (in an airtight container) for up to 1 week.

adapted from Gourmet Magazine, November 1997
(with many suggestions from fsilverman of Brooklyn, NY)

limes

juicing a lime

cream of coconut (the thick cream rises to
the top, just like with regular coconut milk)

cream of coconut in a bowl

whisked with lime juice and water

As I mentioned earlier, I forgot to take photos of the frozen sorbet.
I loved the coconut-lime flavors, but I did think it was a little too
sweet. I think next time I would try making it again with plain
coconut milk and add sugar (or another sweetener) to taste.

squeezing lemon juice over the raspberries

adding sugar

pureed

straining out the seeds

raspberry coulis

butter and chocolate (I used Callebaut bittersweet)

adding sugar

whisking in the eggs and kahlua

adding cocoa
(it was a little lumpy, I probably should have sifted it in)

batter in the pan

baked

cooled and ring removed

I used a squeeze bottle for the raspberry coulis,
but you can just drizzle some with a spoon.

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Walnut & Dried Fruit Charoset

Unless you've been to a Passover seder, chances are you have no idea what charoset is (I've never seen it at the supermarket or on the menu at the diner). It's a sweet condiment eaten during the seder ceremony (and believe me, when you're an hour into a seder and waiting for dinner to start, it tastes like heaven on a matzo). I'm a big fan of the Ashkenazi charoset, usually made of walnuts and chopped apples. But I thought for a change, I would try a Sephardic version made with dried fruit instead. And I have to say, while it was really delicious, I did miss the apples a little. Maybe just because that's what I'm used to. Maybe next year I'll really go nuts and make a pistachio version. It might be nice to brighten up the seder plate with some green glop, instead of the usual brown glop.

WALNUT & DRIED FRUIT CHAROSET

Makes about 3 cups

The Passover meal typically includes charoset, which symbolizes the mortar used by Israelite slaves in Egypt. Recipes can vary greatly, depending on the country of origin. Charoset is used as a condiment — almost like a chutney — and would be good with many kinds of roasted meat or poultry. This spicy version is based on a recipe from Yemen.

1 1/3 cups (4 oz) walnuts, toasted and cooled

2/3 cup (6 oz) dried Mission figs, stems cut off

2/3 cup (6 oz) dried apricots

1/3 cup (4 oz) pitted dates

1/4 cup sweet red wine (such as Manischewitz Extra Heavy Malaga)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1.      Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium-large bowl and set aside.

2.      Pulse together figs, apricots, and dates until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the walnuts.

3.      Stir in the wine. Sprinkle spices evenly over mixture and stir until combined well. Can be made 3 days ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

from Gourmet, April 2003

walnuts

chopped walnuts

dried fruit

chopped dried fruit

chopped walnuts and dried fruit mixed together

adding the sickeningly sweet wine

adding cinnamon

all spices added

walnut & dried fruit charoset

charoset "sandwich" on matzo

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Apple Matzo Kugel

When I was away last week (visiting my sister in New Orleans), we threw our own seder (a first for both of us). Needless to say, it was extremely casual and much quicker than most seders I've attended. We basically hit the highlights and were eating in about 20 minutes. It was one of those times when I was glad to be a grown up and relished the fact that I have more control now than when I was a kid (I didn't think I was going to make it through some of my grandparents' marathon seders). If there hadn't been wine that tastes like grape juice there to sedate us kids, I probably wouldn't have.

Anyway, about the kugel. I love a good kugel. But I never thought I would like a matzo kugel because I've had some truly awful ones. Plus I'm a freak for noodle kugel with cream cheese - it's just pure comfort food. So I had fairly low expectations of this recipe. But I was pleasantly surprised. It obviously wasn't creamy and cheesy, but it was sweet and delicious and had a nice texture (slightly reminiscent of bread pudding).

APPLE MATZO KUGEL

Makes 12 servings

4 large apples, Granny Smith or any tart apple, cored and cut into medium dice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

6 plain matzos

8 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick unsalted butter or margarine, melted

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup dried apricots, medium, chopped

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into small pieces, for casserole topping

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.      Toss the apples with the brown sugar and orange juice, set aside in a medium bowl.

3.      Break the matzo into 2- to 3-inch pieces and soak in 1 cup of warm water until soft but not mushy. Set aside.

4.      While the matzo soaks, beat the eggs with a wire whisk in a large bowl until blended. Add the salt, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, raisins, and apricots.

5.      Squeeze the liquid from the softened matzo and add the matzo to the egg mixture with the apples. Stir the kugel well and pour into a lightly greased 2 1/2-quart casserole dish or a 10- x 14-inch pan. Dot the top of the kugel with the 4 tablespoons of butter.

6.      Bake the kugel for 1 hour. Cover the top with foil if the top begins to become too brown early in the baking. Remove the kugel from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Kugel can be made 2 days ahead, cooled, and refrigerated, covered. Bring to room temperature and reheat in a 350° F. oven.

from Epicurious, April 2001 by Abigail Kirsch

Granny Smith apples

squeezing orange juice on apples/brown sugar

apple mixture

matzo

matzo pieces soaking

eggs

mixing eggs, salt, sugar, cinnamon, butter, raisins & apricots

adding the soaked matzo

I think I let mine soak a little too long. It was
a little mushy. But the kugel was still great.

everything mixed

in the pan, with butter on top

baked

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Carrot Cups

The following quote is directly from Gourmet Magazine (I didn't think I could say it any better): "These delightful orange pudding cups are a simple and supreme side with a mellow carrot flavor and a citrus note. They're a great addition to any Passover menu."

I will add that they're not exactly pudding-like. They seem more like a cross between pudding and a souffle. But they are definitely delightful.

CARROT CUPS

Makes 12 side-dish servings

1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine (5 1/3 tbsp.), melted & cooled (plus more for greasing)

2 lb. carrots (peeled), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (5 cups)
1/4 cup matzo cake meal (if you can’t find, finely grind regular matzo meal in a blender)

1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated fresh orange zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1.     Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350° F. Generously brush the 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with margarine or butter (or approx. 35 mini muffin cups).

2.     Cook carrots in boiling salted water, uncovered, until very tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain carrots in a colander and purée in a food processor until very smooth, about 1 minute.

3.      Whisk together matzo cake meal, potato starch, and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

4.     In a large bowl, beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks.  Set aside in fridge.

5.     In a separate large bowl, beat together egg yolks, sugar, zest, and vanilla at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix in cake-meal mixture until just combined. Add carrot purée and 1/3 cup margarine and mix until just combined. 

6.     Fold one third of the whites into the carrot mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

7.     Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each cup completely (they don’t rise). Rap tin once or twice on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles. Bake until browned on edges and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a carrot cup comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes (or about 35 minutes for mini size). Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then run a knife around edges of carrot cups and turn out onto a serving dish. Serve warm.

Cooks' note:

Carrot cups can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then chilled in an airtight container. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350° F. oven until hot, 5 to 10 minutes.

barely adapted from Gourmet Magazine, April 2006.

cooked carrots in food processor

carrot puree

matzo cake meal is ground so finely, it's powdery like flour

egg whites beaten to stiff peaks

egg yolks mixed with sugar, zest and vanilla extract

matzo cake meal mixture added

carrot puree added

folding in the egg whites

everything mixed

filling the muffin cups
Do butter the muffin tin, even if it's non-stick.
I made these once before and skipped that step (and regretted it)

cups filled before baking (they don't rise, so fill right to the top)

baked (mine didn't get much brown on top,
but I could tell they were done from the toothpick test)

When you butter the muffin tin, they pop out easily.

I've only ever made these mini sized. They're just so cute.
Come to think of it, maybe the larger muffin cups turn out
more pudding-like (it would make sense).

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