Passover Desserts (source: Washington Post, march 31, 1993, food section) [recipes:-fudge truffle torte - strawberry puree lemon-lime squares walnut orange cake spicy carrot cake cinamon apple cake sticky cherry compote) FUDGE TRUFFLE TORTE ----------------------- (14-16 servicgs) blablabla...this tastes somewhat like a cheesecake, though it contains no cheese, can be made agead and frozen until an hour or so before serving...dust with cocoa or with pureed strawberries on the side when serving. 1 pund unsalted margaring (not whipped style) 1 cup sugar 1 cup plus 2 tbsp strong coffee (brewed liquid coffee) 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chpped 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped, 8 large eggs. In a hevy saucepan over low heat or using a double boiler melt margarine, sugar and coffee together, stirring to blend. Remove from stove and add both chocolates, stirring to melt. Let cool, then whisk in eggs until thoroughle incorporated. Pour into a 10-inch springform pan lined on the bottom with parchment paper. Bake in pregeated 350-degree oven for 50-55 minutes until cake seems set. If cake rises too fast, reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking at the reduced tempreatrue. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve cold or at rm temparature with either strawberry puree (see fol. reicipe) or dust top with cocoa and garnigsh center with a sliced strawberry, or citrus leaves. per serving: 462 calories, 5 gm fprotein, 33 gm carbohydr's, 38 gm gat, 11 gm saturated fat, 157 mg cholesterom, 43 mg sodium. strawberry puree (enough to serve with preceding recipe) 10 ounce -package frozen asstrawberries sugar to taste. defrost berries and puree in food processor. Add sugar to taste if additional sweetness is desired. per serving: 6 cal, no protein, 2 gm carbohides (well, hydes), no fat, no saturated fat, no cholest, no sodium. lemon-lime squares (36-48 squares) for the base: 2 cups mazoh meal 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup toasted ground hazelnuts or wallnuts 1 cup shortening or unsalted margarine, plus extra for the pan 1 tsp eac lemon and lime zest, finely grated, 2tsp vanilla for the filling: 4 eggs, lightly beaten, 2 tsp lemon zest, plus for garnish 1 tsp lime zest 1/4 xup fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 1 1/3 cups sugar 1/4 up matzoh cak emeal. for the base, toss together matzoh meal, sugar and nuts. Then work in shortening or matrgarine to make a cumbly mixtture. Sprinkle in lemon and lime zests and vanilla. Press mixtrure firmly into a lightly greased 9x13x2 inch pan. Bake in a pregeated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until edges are jst starting to brown. For filling, whish together eggs, lemon and lime zests, lemon and lime juices, sugar, and cake meal. Spread over baked base. Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes llonger. Allow to cool completely and then chill in the fridge until servint time. sprinkle the top with additional lemon zest. Cut into small squares to servee. Alternatively, you can bake the base i n a shallow springform pan and then cut into wedges to be served surrounded by a raspberry coulis. This recipe freezes well. per serving: 144 cal., 2 gm protein, 17 gm carbohides, 8 gm fat, 2 gm sat. fat, 30 mg chol., 8 mg sodium. walnut orange passover sponge cake 12-14 servings 9 eggs, separated. 1/4 tsp salt 1 cups and 2 tbsp sugar. 1/2 cup matzoh cake meal 1/4 cup potato starch 1 tsp vannilla 1/2 tsp orange extract zest (rind) of one orange, finely minced. Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan lined in the bottom with baking parchment or greased brown paper. Place ina pregeated 375-degree oben and eimmediately olower heat to 325 degrees. Make until cake springs back to the touch, about 50 minutes. remove from over, let cool well berfore inverting/removing. (it helps toorun a flat knife around the edge to separate cake from pan.) For the passover confectionrss' sugar: Place sugar and ptoata starch ina food processor and process unti lblended, about 3 minutes. Use as a garnish by sifting over cake lightly and arrange shreds of aorange peel on top. (regular conf. sugar includes cornstarch, which is a by-product of corn, which most authorities forbid.) per serving: 258 cal, 8 gm protein, 38 gm carbs, 0 gm fat, 2 gm sat. fat 206 mb cholesterol, 97 mg sodium. spicy carrot cake 10-12 servings. 1 cup carrot puree (see recipe at end of this) vegetable shortening for the pan 6 eggs, separated 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tsp vamilla 2 tbsp orange juice of liquer 1/4 cup matzoh meal 1/4 cup matzoh cake meal 1 1/4 cups (~ 6oz) ground toasted almonds or hazelnuts. 1 tsp cinamon 1/4 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice Zest of one lemon, finely grated pinch salt Lightly grease and line with baking parchment a 10-inch springform pan and set aside. Beat the egg-yolkes unti lthey pale, slowly add the sugar unti lmixture thickens. Blend in vanilla orange juice/liquer, both matzoh meals, ground nuts, spices andlemon zest whip the egg whites with teh pinch of salt until foamy. Increase the speed adn whip unti lsoft bur firm peaks form. Stir carrot pureeinto egg yolk mixture, then fold 1.3 of the beatn egg whites into yolk mixture to lighen it. In two more additions, fold remaining wites gently into batter. Spoon into prepared pan. place cake in a preheated 350-degree oven an dimmediately recure heat to 325 degrees. Make unti cakae springs back when lightly presse, 50 minutes to an hour. ----> carrot puree boil 4-6 medium carots in water. Once they are tender, process them in a food mill or mash well with fork. set aside. per erving 306 cal, 9 gm prot. 41 gm carbs, 14 gm fat (not bad:), 2 gm sat.fat, 164 mg chol, 54 mgsodium. cinamon apple cake (10 servings) FOR THE APPLE LAYER: 5 large aples, sliced thinly 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste FOR THE CAKE 3 eggs, lightly beaten. 3/4 cup sugar 2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest 3/4 cup matzoh cake meal 1/3 cup oil Vegetable shortening fo the pan FOR THE TOPPING: 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon Prepare sliced applis by tossing them with sugar an dcinnamon. Set aside For the cake, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, matzoh cake meal and oiil, blending until smooth. Pour half of the mixtrue into a lightly greased, 9-in springform pan. Arragne apple slices on top an docover with remaining batter. Batter is thick and sticky--spreading with the back of a wet spoon helps (is is ok if the btter is spread soehwat undevely). combine topping ingredients and sprinkle ixtrue over top of cake. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 50-55 minutes, until cake tests done. Cool well. Cut in wedges to serve. per serv.: 288 cal, 4 gm prot., 47 gm cargs, 11 gm fat, 2 gm sat fat., 82 mg cholesterol, 21 mg sodum. sticky cherry compote 8 servings. (this featurees baked (rather than stewed ) fruit balblabla) 1 pound dried, pitted prunes. 1/2 pound dried apricots 1/2 pound dried peaches or pears. 1 cup yellow raisins 19-oz can cherry pie filling (*) 10-oz can mandarin orange segments. 14--oz can pineapple chunks 2 ups medium dry red wine reserved liquied from simmered dried fruiet. in a medium sauscepan, place prunes, apricots, peaches or pears, and raisins (if they seem especially dry). Cover with water and simmer over low heat to plump, about 5 min's. Drain, reserve liquid. In a medium-sized ovenproof dish with a cover, stir together dried fruit, reaisins (if not already added), pie filling, orange slices, pineapple and wine. Stir to combine. Bake in a preheated 350degree oven about 40 minutes t omeld flavors If, after baking, mixture seems too thick, dilute by adding a small amount of reserved water from the simmered fruit to thin out. Serve warm or chilled in wine of cognac glasses. (*) if you require kisher cherry pie filling and cannot find it, this recipe can be made with canned sweet or sour water-pack cherries. Drain canned cherries, reserbving juice. Heat cherries in a saucepan with 2/3 of the reserved fruit juice as well as 1/3 cup sugar (or less. depending on how sweet cherries are). Ina small bowl, mix toghether remaining juice with 2-3 tbsp potato starch or arrowroot. As cherries come to a gentle boil, stir in starch mixtrue. Allow to reach boil again, reduce heat, and stir genlty until mixture thickens. Let ool well before ussing. Then continue with recipe using cherrris in place of canned pie filling. caramel matzoh crunch (12 servings) 4-6 unsalted matzoh boards or sheets. 1 cup unsalted margarine. 1 cup brown sugar, packed firm 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped. line a cookie sheet with foil Cover the foil with baking parchment (this is importans as teh mixture becomes stickey during baking.) Line bottom of pan evely with matoh boards, using what you need and cutting pieces to fit any spaces on teh cookie sheet a evely as possible. Combine margarine and brown sugar in a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. cook over medium heat, tirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil Continue cooking 3 additional minutes, stirring constantly. Then remove form heat and pour over matzoh. abake in a preheated over (375 degerees) for 12-15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure mixtrue is not burning.( if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the cookie sheet from oven, lower heat to 325, and then replace sheet). When done, remove matzoh from the oven, and sprinkle the top with chocolate pieces. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then smear melted chocolate over matzoh. while still warm, cun into squares or sodd shapes. Chill the crucnch in the fidge unti lset. This makes a good seder gift You can also serve it in confectioner' paper cups as candy. per serving: 295 cals, 2 gm protein, 31 gm carbs, 20 gm gat, 6 gm saturated, 0 cholesterol, 6 mg sodium NOTE: melted sugar is *very* hot (hotter than oil), so use care. To clean the pan, let it sit with *hot* water, or just boil some water in it. (that's the pan where you melted the sugar. Passover Cake 9 eggs 1-3/4 cups sugar juice and grated rind of one lemon 1/2 cup potato starch 1/2 cup matzo cake flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees, a moderate oven. Separate 7 eggs. Beat whites until stiff but not dry. Add two whole eggs to the yolks and start beating. Gradually add sugar, lemon juice and rind while continuing to beat. Add potato starch and matzo cake flour. Carefully but throughly fold in beaten whites. Bake in an ungreased 10-inch tube pan for 40-50 minutes. Invert pan until cool [If you are lucky you will need to put it on a wine or Coke bottle]. Remove from pan. Variations: 1) Add cut dried fruit such as apricots, prunes, and raisins 2) Add chopped nuts 3) Use orange juice concentrate instead of lemon juice and orange rind instead of lemon rind [especially good with nuts] 4) Use apricot nectar instead of lemon juice and use chopped dried apricots 5) Use nuts and dried fruit 6) Use only 1/3 cup potato starch and 1/3 cup matzo cake meal. Add 1/3 cup cocoa powder. Use up to 3 Tablespoons of Sabra liquer to substitute for lemon juice [yes you can get it kosher for Passover] 7) Do chocolate substitution and add chocolate chips. 8) Do chocolate substitution and add nuts If you use nuts, fruit or chocolate chips, use some of the matzo cake flour to lightly coat. Fold in with egg whites and they will not sink as badly to the bottom. MATZO KUGEL [I do this one by feel] 1) Crumble boards of matzo into a bowl. 2) Add just enough orange juice to dampen. [The original recipe calls for water to soak and then wring the water out] 3) Grate rind of orange. 4) Beat egg. Add sugar, orange rind, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. 5) Grate an apple or two [depends on size]. 6) Add grated apple and egg mixture to matzo which should now be soft. Also add almonds. Mix well. 7) Spread into well greased casserole dish. 8) Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. 9) Dot with butter. 10) Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean and top is browned. [30-50 minutes at 350 ??] This can be eaten as a main course with salad or as a side dish. It is also great the next day cold although the top will no longer be crispy. My memory seems to say that the original recipe called for 3 boards of matzo, 4 apples, 2 eggs and lots of sugar. Since I am not feeding a family of 6 like my mom, I cut it back. Then since I lost the recipe and Mom is a long-distance call I found that it is hard to mess this up when you do it by feel.