PASSOVER RECIPES, AT YOUR SERVICE
Some of my favorite recipes just so you have them!
I collected some favorites from my Instagram, cookbooks and other sources do you have more to choose from as you plan your menus for the upcoming Passover holiday. I wish you peace, quiet and meaningful connection to yourself and others through delicious cooking.
Matzo Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
Vegetarian Chopped Liver
Classic Chopped Liver
French Onion Matza Ball Soup
Classic Matza Ball Soup
Bubbe’s Extra Crispy Potato Kugel
Crispy Quinoa Salad
Passover Chicken Picatta
Steffi’s Classic Brisket
Springy Schug-a-Churri Brisket
Box-Mix Upside Down Haroset Cake
Passover Marshmallow Brownies
Burnt Honey-Pistachio Matzo Toffee
Passover Dubai Chocolates
Matzo Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
That’s right–the best cereal in the world, made for Passover with matzo!
When I started playing around with this recipe I honestly didn’t know what the outcome would be, but now I sound like a commercial: it really stays crispy in milk! And SO incredibly delicious.The combination of crunchy sugar, butter, and cinnamon broils up golden and shatteringly crispy crunchy! If you’re not into cereal, just break it up and snack on it.
Makes 1 bowl (recipe can be multiplied)
1 matzo board
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar (Sugar In The Raw), or regular sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven (about 6-8 inches from the broiler) and preheat the broiler. Place the matzo on a small baking sheet.
Gently spread butter all over the matzo, then sprinkle the sugar evenly over the matzah. Dust the cinnamon over the matzo, sprinkle salt on top, and broil until the sugar bubbles and the top turns a deep mahogany color (checking on it often as it can burn fast!), 3-4 minutes.
Let cool completely, then break into small pieces. Serve in a bowl with milk.
Vegetarian Chopped Liver
Don’t get me wrong– I LOVE real-deal chopped liver. But I have to say, this veggie version has the richness, texture, and nostalgia-factor of the original without the meat. My mom used to make a Moosewood-y version back in the day, and the one I developed for the Shabbat cookbook pays homage to that by adding lentils. But here, for Passover, I omitted the legumes and just went full-force on pecans and mushrooms for maximum “meatiness” and umami. Use it for seder, then snag any leftovers for an ideal lunch or snack shmeared onto a piece of matzah.
Makes 2 1/2 cups
1 cup raw pecans
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 jumbo onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (1 pound sliced)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
Place the pecans in a bowl, cover with very hot water, and let sit for 15 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden and slightly charred around the edges, 10-11 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. In batches add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until they release their water and are deeply golden in color, 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and transfer to a food processor. Add the pecans, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Process until chunky/smooth, making sure not to overprocess, 20-25 pulses, Add the eggs and pulse an additional 5-10 times. Season with more salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Classic Chopped Liver
One of the things I love about Israel is the ubiquity of chopped liver. It’s not something confined to holidays or Ashkenazi homes; you’ll see it on a table amid the pantheon of other salatim, served at different points in a meal— or as a meal itself. You’re either a chopped liver person or you’re not, and I’m a huge fan of this sweet, earthy, rich spread that was a major delicacy for me growing up. Enriched with tons of onions and shot through with chopped egg and schmaltz (of course, you can use another oil!), I can’t help but think of it as the poor man’s foie gras. You could use a food processor here, but I love the chunky texture that results from chopping all of the ingredients by hand.
Makes 3 cups
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
8 tablespoons Schmaltz or vegetable oil
1 3/4 pounds chicken livers, cleaned*
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
3 large onions, thinly sliced (61/2 to 7 cups)
3 hard- boiled eggs,** very finely chopped
Challah and gribenes, for serving
If you’re using a skillet larger than 10 inches in diameter, heat 6 tablespoons of the schmaltz over medium- high heat in the skillet; if not, work in two batches, using half of the livers and 3 tablespoons of the schmaltz per batch. Season the livers with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and cook until they are browned on the outside and just barely blushing pink on the inside, 3 minutes per side. Remove the livers from the pan, leaving any oil and juices in the pan, then add the onions, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the onions are charred and softened, 13 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and chop (somewhere between roughly and finely) the livers, then the onions, then the eggs.
Transfer everything to a bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons schmaltz, stir gently to combine,
and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Serve with challah and gribenes. Chopped liver can be refrigerated in an
airtight container for 4 days.
*To clean the livers, pull out any stringy parts of the livers; this is not fun work, but it will result
in the smoothest and most delicious liver- eating experience. You can also buy precooked livers at many stores; if you do, 1 1/2 pounds is a good amount.
**For perfect hard- boiled eggs , fill a medium bowl with 3 cups ice and add 3 cups cold water. Place the eggs in a large saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium- low and simmer until the eggs are cooked through, 9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice water, deliberately cracking them slightly so some water permeates the shell. Chill for 5 minutes, dry them off, then peel under cold running water.French Onion
French Onion Matza Ball Soup
Serves 6 to 8
I developed this rich onion soup recipe–bolstered with white wine, beef stock, and balsamic–which I highly recommend either for a slightly unconventional seder night, or during Passover week to serve with leftover matza balls. The secret ingredient here is time; let those onions get meltingly soft and sweet over low heat; get those podcasts on, call your best friend, or organize your kitchen so you can stay nearby and stir. (If you have homemade beef stock you’re batting 100!) The rest is truly simple, and one of the best soups you’ll ever taste.
⅓ cup olive oil, schmaltz or beef fat
4 pounds yellow onions, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups beef stock
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly minced chives or parsley, for garnish
In a large, wide pot, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown slightly in parts, 9 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the onions have reduced to about 1 ½ cups, 1 ½ to 2 hours (it’s worth it).During caramelizing, if the bottom of the pan appears to darken too much, add 1 tablespoon water, scrape up browned bits, and continue cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed into the onions, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, and vinegar, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the soup thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and season with more salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and add a matzo ball to each bowl. Garnish with chives or parsley.
Classic Matza Ball Soup
Serves 8 to 10
Don’t mess with the best. I am all for Passover innovation, but this rich soup and fluffy Matza balls have stood the test of time. Make them, cherish them, love them.
For the Matza balls:
5 tablespoons vegetable oil or Schmaltz
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cold plain seltzer or club soda
1 cup Matza meal
⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
For the soup:
One whole 4-pound chicken, giblets removed
2 pounds chicken wings
8 medium carrots, trimmed
3 large celery stalks, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled
2 medium or 1 jumbo onion, peeled but left whole
4 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for the Matza ball water
Parsley or celery leaves, for garnish
Mix the Matza ball batter: In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the oil, eggs, salt, and pepper until the color lightens, 30 seconds. Pour in the seltzer, followed by the Matza meal and parsley, and stir with a wooden spoon until the Matza meal is fully moistened and no clumps remain. (The mixture will be a thick pancake-batter consistency and will continue to thicken as it rests.) Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the mixture and chill in the fridge while you make the soup, at least 3 hours and up to 24.
Make the soup: Wrap and seal the wings inside a double layer of cheesecloth ,While the Matza ball mix is chilling, place the chicken, carrots, celery, parsnip, onion, and garlic in a large (at least 10-quart) pot, cover with water almost to the top (about 3 1/2 quarts), add the salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, 10 to 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the soup deepens in color and the broth is flavorful and rich, about 3 hours. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, fill a large, wide, lidded pot halfway with water and season it very generously with salt. (I like to add 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt per quart of water. So if you fill an 8-quart pot halfway, add 2 tablespoons salt.) Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Remove the Matza ball mix from the fridge. Fill a small bowl with water. Dip a tablespoon into the water, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the batter, use moistened hands to form a walnut-sized ball, and set it on a plate. Continue to make the balls; you should have about 16. Lower the balls into the boiling water, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the Matza balls are fluffy, tender, and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.
Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered. (You can also make these a few hours early and leave them hanging out in the pot and liquid until you’re ready to use them, then reheat over medium-low until just heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.)
To assemble the soup, remove and discard the cloth-wrapped wings. Gently break the vegetables in the soup into pieces using tongs. Ladle some of the hot soup and vegetables into a bowl, then add 2 or 3 Matza balls and some shredded chicken. (You can also shred the dark meat from the whole chicken if you like dark-meat chicken better.) Garnish with parsley or celery leaves.
Bubbe’s Extra Crispy Potato Kugel
Serves 12
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Whenever she came to visit us in Palo Alto, my grandma Mildred would make her incredibly delicious potato kugel. It served as a powerful magnet for my friends, who were on “kugel alert,” especially on Fridays, when she would make a fresh batch. My dear friend Heather Henriksen had a particularly close relationship with my grandmother, who would summon her to our house with just a few words: “Heather, I made kugel, come over, I saved you a corner.” The two of them would sometimes sit in the backyard kibitzing for hours, and later Heather would recount stories that some of us in the family had never heard ourselves.
8 medium russet potatoes (4½ pounds), peeled
2 large onions, halved
6 large eggs
⅔ cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)
¼ cup all-purpose flour or potato starch
1½ tablespoons kosher salt, plus more if needed
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Grate the potatoes and onions on the large holes of a box grater or using the large shredding disc of a food processor. Place the grated potatoes and onions on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl and mix with the eggs, 1/3 cup of the oil, the flour, salt, and pepper, ensuring the potatoes are evenly coated. If you don’t mind tasting raw egg, taste the batter to make sure the salt level is to your liking. Place a 9 × 13-inch or 10 × 14-inch ceramic or metal baking dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Add the remaining 1/3 cup oil to the baking dish, place it in the oven, and heat until the oil is very hot, 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, stir the batter, gently spoon the batter into the dish, and spread it out evenly, making sure not to splash the hot oil. If some of the oil comes up the sides, use a spoon to carefully spread the hot oil over the top of the kugel. Return the kugel to the oven and bake until the exterior is very crisp and deep golden brown, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. (It might seem like it’s taking forever for the top to brown, but it will!) Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and sprinkle with more salt, if desired. Serve hot, warm, or cold out of the fridge the next day, when it might remind you slightly of a piece of Spanish tortilla española.
Crispy Quinoa Salad
Like its rice-based cousin, you may just find yourself topping every salad with crispy quinoa from now on–Passover or not. Springy asparagus, creamy avocado, & purple cabbage blend with a bright basil dressing you’re going to want to make in batches.
1 ¾ c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed, or (5 ¼ c. cooked quinoa)
3 large lemons
3/4 c. olive oil, divided
1 tsp.kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
¼ tsp. cayenne, or spicy paprika
4 c. packed basil leaves
1 large bunch thin asparagus, trimmed, cut into ½- inch pieces (2 cups)
1 clove garlic
5 c. thinly shredded red cabbage
2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 small avocados, diced
1 TB finely diced seeded jalapeño
Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, add quinoa & cook until the white squiggle appears, 13 to 15 min. Drain well using a fine-mesh strainer; spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Zest & juice one lemon directly onto it along with ¼ c. olive oil, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper & the cayenne. Stir to incorporate. Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned around the edges & partially crisped, 35 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce temperature to 300°F, stir, & return to the oven until dry & crisp, 10 min. (Quinoa will crisp more as it cools.)
Refill pot halfway with salted water; bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Line a baking sheet with a clean towel. Add asparagus to boiling water; cook until bright green & crisp, 1 to 2 min. Transfer to ice bath for 1 to 2 min., then to the towel-lined baking sheet to dry. Add basil to boiling water until wilted, 10 to 15 seconds; transfer briefly to ice bath. Lift out, squeeze out excess liquid & transfer to a bullet-style blender. Add juice of remaining 2 lemons, remaining ½ c. oil, garlic clove, & remaining ½ tsp. salt & ¼ tsp. pepper; blend until bright green & smooth, 30 seconds. Add cabbage, tomatoes, asparagus, avocado & jalapeño to a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top, add a generous amount (or all) of crispy quinoa, & toss to coat.
Passover Chicken Picatta
Serves 4
Juicy pan-fried chicken cutlets in a tart, velvety lemon-caper sauce served over a bed of simply crumbled and toasted matzo farfel. It’s fancy enough for seder, but easy enough for aby night of Passover (and beyond). Coating the chicken in egg first, then potato starch, creates that signature puffy-crispy texture you know and love from your favorite Italian restaurant. Wait until the last minute to set the chicken and sauce over the matzo. Yummmmm.
Ingredients:
4 matzos (GF, if you like!), crumbled
½ cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
4 thin-cut chicken breasts
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup capers, drained
¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange matzo on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden, 15 minutes.
In a large Ziploc bag combine potato starch, paprika, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
In a wide bowl, beat eggs with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. 1 piece at a time, add chicken to bag and shake, making sure to coat well. Remove, shake off excess (reserve remaining starch), and dip into egg, coating both sides; let excess drip off.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large (9- or 10-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add 2 or 3 cutlets and cook, flipping once, until golden, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil and cutlets.
Whisk 1 tablespoon leftover potato starch in the chicken broth. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then add garlic and cook until lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Add the broth, lemon juice and capers and stir, scraping up any brown bits in the skillet. Bring to a boil and let the mixture thicken, 1 minute. Add the cutlets, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture thickens more, 4-5 minutes.
Arrange the matzo on a platter. Set chicken on top, pour the sauce over chicken, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley.
Steffi’s Classic Brisket
Serves 10
My late mom’s classic brisket. Steffi loved loved LOVED Pesach, and I actively miss our 25-person seders (yep, two of them) where this brisket always appeared…then disappeared. It’st all about the right balance of sweet and savory, properly sealing before a long, slow cook, and–if you have time–chilling the brisket overnight before slicing and gently heating (if you don’t it will still be delish, I promise!). Please DM me all your brisket questions and I will do my best to get to them all!
4 1/2 to 5-pound brisket, with a good amount of fat
2 TB kosher salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil
6 medium carrots, peeled
3 medium onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic
3 TB tomato paste
2 TB potato starch
1 c. dry red wine
2 c. beef broth
two 14-ounce cans diced crushed tomatoes
¼ c. dark brown sugar
2 TB red wine vinegar
Herb sprigs
1 bay leaf
6 small potatoes
Season meat generously with 1 TB salt. Heat oil over medium-high heat in Dutch oven. Add brisket; sear 6- 7 min. Per side.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Remove brisket to a baking sheet. Reduce heat to medium-low, add carrots to pot and sear, turning, 5 to 6 min. Transfer to baking sheet with brisket. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onions slightly softened, 6-7 min. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring,1-2 min. Add potato starch and cook, stirring, 1 min. Add wine. Bring to a boil; cook until mostly evaporated, 2-3 min. Add broth, tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, remaining TB salt, pepper, & bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer sauce thickens 10 min.
Return brisket & any juices to pot, nestle in carrots, potatoes & garlic head,, spoon sauce over top, top with herbs, cover with parchment, seal with foil, cover and cook until brisket is tender, 5 to 5 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, uncover, cool 1 hour, re-cover & refrigerate for at least 5 hours & up to 24.
To serve, preheat oven to 300°F (also reheats well on heating plate). Remove brisket from sauce to a cutting board. Slice brisket against the grain to your desired thickness. Remove & discard hardened fat from sauce; remove bay leaf. Arrange sliced meat, carrots, potatoes & garlic in an oven-safe dish & pour sauce over top & in between slices. Cover with parchment, seal with foil, and cook until brisket is warmed through, 40-45 minutes (or keep warm in very low oven or on heating plate).
Springy Schug-a-Churri Brisket
Serves 10 to 12
A new take on the classic. Savory. Herby. Lighter. Happy seder menu planning!
12 cloves garlic
10 shallots, halved
4 jalapeños (seeded), coarsely chopped
1 c. tightly packed parsley leaves & tender stems
1 c. tightly packed cilantro leaves & tender stems
4 TB olive oil
1 1/2 TB red wine vinegar
finely grated zest & juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 TB + 1 tsp kosher salt
5 ½ - 6 lb. (2nd cut) brisket
¼ c. tomato paste
1 750 ml bottle dry white wine
2 TB honey, + more for drizzling
3 c. beef stock
4 medium potatoes, peeled & quartered
2 large parsnips, peeled & cut into large chunks
3 celery ribs
Make schug-a-churri:
Process garlic in food processor until finely minced, 20 seconds. Add jalapeños & 4 halved shallots; pulse until finely minced, 30 pulses. Empty into a bowl; pulse parsley & cilantro until finely chopped, 20-25 pulses. Add to bowl; stir in 2 TB olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest & juice, 1 tsp salt & ½ tsp black pepper.
Make brisket:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Season brisket w/ 1 TB salt & ½ tsp pepper. Heat a large, wide Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 TB oil; sear brisket until deeply golden, 5-6 min per side. Remove brisket to a sheetpan. Add tomato paste & wine, whisk, bring to a boil & reduce 2 minutes. Add stock, 1 cup schug-a-churri & honey; return the brisket to the pot. Nestle remaining shallots, potatoes, parsnips & celery, bring to a boil, top with ⅓ c. schug-a-churri. Cover w/ parchment, close lid & cook until tender, 5-6 hours. Remove from oven, season sauce with salt, spoon some sauce on the top, cool 30 minutes, cover & chill unsliced 5 hours & up to 24 (if you have time). To serve, preheat oven to 300°F. Remove brisket to cutting board; slice against the grain. Remove & discard hardened fat from sauce. Arrange sliced meat & vegetables in oven-safe dish; pour sauce over top & in between slices. Seal with parchment, then foil. Warm 30-45 min. (or keep warm on hotplate or low oven). Drizzle with honey. Serve with more schug-a-churri.
Passover Marshmallow Brownies
Makes 16 small or 12 large brownies
Been making my beloved sister Sharon’s pesach brownies since forever, and many of you have, too. Here they are again, with an extra tablespoon of potato starch added for better structure. Thank you all for the incredible enthusiasm around my recipes this year; it warms my heart and I feel the love and community more than ever. I don’t take any of it for granted. But I am feeling bitter as I grate horseradish or my seder plate and we close down Pesach prep, knowing that 133 of my people are being held in dark tunnels in Gaza, their fate completely unknown. It’s not a Happy Passover. It’s Passover with a hope for happy when the hostages come. Until then, hold those you love close and remember the meaning of this holiday, more relevant than ever. #bringthemhomenow
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, plus more for greasing the pan
2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder (or espresso), dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water
½ cup matzah cake meal*
3 tablespoons potato starch (or more matza cake meal)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup mini marshmallows
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment, grease with butter, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the chocolate chips and butter (or margarine) in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth when stirred, 60 to 90 seconds total; set aside to cool slightly. Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and coffee in a medium bowl. In another bowl whisk together the cake meal, potato starch, and salt. Whisk the egg mixture into the dry mixture until incorporated, then fold in the melted chocolate mixture until incorporated. Fold in the marshmallows and nuts until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is slightly cracked and shiny but the center is still slightly soft, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.
*If you don’t have matzah cake meal, blend regular matzah meal in the processor or blender until very fine. Works like a charm.
Box-Mix Upside Down Haroset Cake
Serves 8-10
Looking for a last-minute seder desert or Passover friendly-snacking cake? This is the one. It uses the base ingredients for Haroset (I always have leftover nuts, apples, and wine after seder prep) to form a simple, delicious topper for an upside-down cake. My mom always used boxed cake mixes on Passover, so I gave a vanilla/yellow mix a whirl and it worked like a charm. I used a local Israeli brand, but your local version should work well, too). Of course, you can use a from-scratch cake recipe as well). Chag Sameach, and happy snacking!
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 slice fresh ginger (or pinch dried)
1 medium apple, diced
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 standard boxed vanilla/yellow passover cake mix
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook until large bubbles form and the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, 10-11 minutes (reduce heat if syrup appears to be burning or evaporating too fast). Add the apples and walnuts and toss to coat. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment and transfer the fruit and nuts and most of the syrup to the bottom of the prepared pan. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions and pour the batter on top of the cake. Bake until the top of the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then place a plate on top of the baking pan and invert the cake onto the plate. Peel back the parchment and drizzle the remaining syrup on top of the cake.
Burnt Honey-Pistachio Matzo Toffee
Makes a bunch
Matzo toffee season has begun! But instead of a messy, time-consuming and verrrry sweet caramel, I simply subbed in honey for a lighter, more natural twist to this classic holiday treat. The honey gets bubbly and dark, bonding to the matzo and creating a shatteringly crisp bed for melted dark chocolate, pistachios, and flaky salt. It’s a crispy, crunchy, complex, can’t-put-it-down treat.
3-4 boards of matzo
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
2 cups mini dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate- (shoutout to @californiagourmet, love their vegan chips!)
1 cup chopped shelled pistachios
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Arrange the matzo on the sheet, breaking (or cutting) matzos to fit. Drizzle the honey evenly over the matzo, then spray a silicone pastry brush with cooking spray and brush the honey all over the matzo. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bake until the honey darkens and bubbles, 13-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the matzo. Return to the oven to melt the chocolate, 2-3 minutes. Use a knife or spatula to evenly spread the chocolate, then sprinkle with the pistachios and remaining salt.
Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, 30 minutes. Break into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Passover Dubai Chocolates
Makes 10 smaller bars or 4 larger ones
I’ve been holding back on the Dubai craze, but if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Dubai chocolate usually features crunchy shreds of kadaif, but I quick-caramelized matza with honey, then crumbled it into the creamy, salty-sweet pistachio filling. It’s a revelation! I used @soupercubes for their supreme nonstickiness, but any silicone chocolate molds will do.
1 ½ cups roasted salted shelled pistachios
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the matza
2 tablespoons dairy-free spread or butter (optional)
2 matzahs
¼ cup honey
1 3/4 cups (10 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped 🍫
In a food processor, process the pistachios, sugar, olive oil, vanilla & salt, & dairy-free butter until creamy, 5 to 6 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment; spray with cooking sprary. Brush each matza with honey on both sides and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the honey darkens and bubbles, 13-15 minutes. Cool completely, crush, and incorporate with the pistachio filling.
Melt half the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. A little at a time, begin adding the unmelted chocolate, stirring constantly until each addition is melted. Tempering the chocolate will make it shiny.
In larger chocolate bar molds or quarter-cup 10-compartment Soupercubes (which I did), use a pastry brush to completely coat the inside with chocolate. Chill until chocolate is hard, 30 to 40 minutes. Fill each chocolate mold almost to the top with filling and chill 30 minutes.
Gently microwave chocolate for 10 seconds. Pour the chocolate evenly across the top of the bars. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate all over the top. Chill until hard, 45 minutes. Gently unmold; they should pop right out of the molds. Chill for up to 3 weeks.
This roundup is beyond; every texture, every flavor accounted for. So delicious.
Love these recipes will certainly try them out thank you