Don't Pass Up These Passover Desserts!

Hi all! Sorry for the corny title...titles have never been my strong suit. I'm more of a "body of the text" kind of  girl. Today I bring you a few more recipes for your Passover planning. It's never too late to add a delicious dessert and here are a few that might make you salivate, even with the matzoh meal!

Spring is in the air...
Passover Lemon Cheesecake
Gourmet, Melissa Roberts, April 2008

Ingredients
For crust:

• 3/4 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and cooled
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Equipment:

• Equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
• Garnish: julienned lemon zest

Directions

Make crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle.
2. Pulse almonds, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter until combined well. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan. Bake until crust is firm and a shade darker, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.

Make filling and bake cheesecake:

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated. Mix in zest and vanilla.
3. Put springform pan in a shallow baking pan and pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center is wobbly, 45 to 50 minutes (filling will continue to set as it cools). Transfer cake in pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around edge, then remove side of pan. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

Cooks' note:
Cheesecake can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, loosely covered.

Passover classic...

Coconut Macaroons

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula or your hands.
2. Use a non-stick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the pyramids, wet your hands and scoop out a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of one hand. Using your other hand, press in gently on both sides of the mixture, bringing the macaroon to a point. Continue pressing with your thumb and forefinger on both sides until you have an even shape. For cubes, start as you would for the pyramids, then gently press equally on all sides, turning the macaroon to square off each side. You can use a butter knife to gently smooth the sides of the pyramids and cubes if you like. For balls, roll the mixture between your palms gently until round.
3. Place each macaroon about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating. These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.

For the chocolate-lover...

Hungarian Chocolate-Walnut Torte

Jewish Holiday Cooking, Jayne Cohen

• 
  
• Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar (if using half semisweet and half sweet chocolate) or 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (if using all semisweet chocolate)

• 6 ounces fine-quality chocolate, preferably half dark sweet (sometimes labeled German’s Sweet Chocolate), and half semisweet, but all semisweet is also delicious; cut into small pieces
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 6 ounces shelled walnuts (1 3/4 to 2 cups)
• 3 tablespoons matzoh meal

Optional accompaniments: Passover Confectioners’ Sugar (recipe below) or Chocolate Icing (recipe below); heavy cream, freshly whipped to soft drifts and barely or very lightly sweetened; or vanilla ice cream

Optional garnish: walnut halves

Chocolate icing:

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter or margarine
• 6 ounces fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Directions

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan with parchment or wax paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. In a heavy-bottomed 2-or 3-quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat. Continue boiling and stirring until all the grains of sugar have completely dissolved and the mixture forms a simple syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until light and thickened, about 4 minutes. Grind the walnuts with the remaining sugar and the matzoh meal in a food processor using the pulse motion and stir into the egg yolks. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and combine thoroughly.
5. Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites in another bowl until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually fold the whites into the chocolate-walnut mixture, incorporating them gently but thoroughly so that no whites are visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffed and almost set but still a little gooey in the center. A wooden toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge should come out clean.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack. When completely cool, unmold the cake by running a thin-bladed knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan (or release the springform); invert onto a platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Serve the torte at room temperature.
7. If desired, lightly dust with Passover confectioners’ sugar. For a lovely, simple presentation, place a doily or a stencil—handmade by you or, even better, your children—over the torte, then sprinkle with the sugar. Carefully remove the doily or stencil.
8. Or glaze with the chocolate icing. Lay long strips of wax paper or foil on a cake plate or serving platter and place the cake on top. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Using a spatula, evenly spread the glaze over the top and sides. Now, pull out and discard the paper strips or foil strips--the plate will be clean and ready for serving. If you’d like, garnish with a few walnut halves attractively placed in the center of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for about an hour to set the glaze, but bring it to room temperature before serving.
9. The plain or frosted torte is heavenly with generous dollops of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Passover Confectioners’ Sugar:

1. In a blender, mini-food processor, or clean coffee grinder, whirl 1 cup minus 1/2 tablespoon regular granulated sugar until it is powdery. Place in a small bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon potato starch. Sift before using. (Recently commercial Passover confectioners’ sugar, made without cornstarch, has appeared in some stores with large kosher-for-Passover sections. If available, by all means use it here.)

Chocolate Icing:

1. Melt the butter or margarine slowly in a heavy saucepan over very low heat. When half is melted, gradually whisk in the chocolate, stirring well as it melts. After all the chocolate has been added, stir in 2 tablespoons water and beat well until the glaze is completely smooth. Let the mixture cool about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

Happy baking!