Passover Recipes -- 4th Installments Fruit-Nut Chocolate Bonbons
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup hot water (brandy may be substituted for a few tbs
of water)
6 ozs bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbs oil
3/4 cup seedless raisins
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cups cake meal
sugar or finely chopped nutmeats for garnish
Combine the sugar, spices, honey and water in a 1 quart
saucepan. Cook over low heat until the syrum forms a
thread (232 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Remove
from the heat and stir in the chocolate and oil. Add the
raisin, walnuts and cake meal. Blend thoroughly and
quickly. Form into 1 inch balls and roll each in the sugar
or nutmeats. Place the bonbons into individually tea-sized
paper cups and chill until firm. Makes approx. 24.
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Brandied Bonbons
3 ozs bittersweet chocolate
3 tbs honey
1/2 cup brandy or Slivovitz
2 1/2 cups matzo farfel
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot
water, stir in the honey and then the brandy. Remove from
heat. Put the farfel through a food mil or crush with a
rolling pin. the crumbs should be slightly coarser than
matzo meal.
Add the sugar, finely chopped walnuts and the crushed
farfel to the chocolate mixture. Blend thoroughly. Shape
into bonbons and set them individually into small petit four
cases. Let mellow for a day or two in a cool dry place.
Makes approx. 18-20.
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Honey Balls
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup matzo farfel
2 tsp grated orange or lemon rind
In a medium sized saucepan over low heat, heat the honey
and sugar to boiling. Stir constantly. Add the nuts and the
farfel and stir until the mixture is thick. Add the grated
rind. Remove from heat and drop by tsp-ful onto a wet
cookie sheet or wax paper, forming small balls. Cool.
Makes 18-24.
Variation: Roll the balls in finely grated nuts or coconut.
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Ingber (a traditional holiday sweet)
2 cups finely grated raw carrots
2 cups honey
1/2 cup sugar
2 - 2 1/2 tsp ginger (or less, to taste)
sugar for sprinkling
In a large saucepan, blend the grated carrots, honey and
sugar very well. Cook over medium heat. When the
mixture begins to boil, turn the heat down and cook until
all the liquid is absorbed. Stir frequently. Remove from
the heat, add the ginger and cook for 5 minutes longer. Pat
out to 1/2 inch thickness on a sugared board or cookie
sheet. Sprinkle sugar on top and cut into diamonds or
squares. Let dry for 30 minutes to 1 hours. Remove with
a spatula. Yields approx. 72 1 inch diamonds.
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Almond Crunch Candy
margarine or butter for the pan
1/3 marganing or butter
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with margarine or butter.
melt the margarine in a small heavy skillet over medium
heat. Stir in the honey and the almonds. Cook over
medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns a
golden brown (approx. 5 minutes)
Working quickly, spread the mixture into the prepared pan
and cut into squares with a greased sharp knife. Store
covered in the refrigerator. Yields 16 2-inch squares.
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Angel Food Cake
This cake does not have the same appearance or
consistency as 'year-round angel food cake, but it is very
good nonetheless. Do not be alarmed, the cake may fall
out of the pan when it is inverted to cool.
1 1/4 cup egg whites (about 10 whites)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 envelope (.43 ozs) vanilla sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp salt
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites
until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff
peaks form. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, 1 tbs at a time,
beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla sugar and
the lemon juice.
Sift together the potato starch, salt and the remaining 1/2
cup of sugar. Slowly fold the dry mixture into the beaten
egg white mixture. Pour the batter into an ungreased 9
inch tube pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven
for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert
immediately onto a cake rack to cool.
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One Bowl Sponge Cake (a classic!)
9 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup cake meal
1/4 cup potato starch
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites at low speed
for about 1 minutes, until the whites are loose and have
begun to foam. Increase the speed of the mixture to high.
Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat for at least 5
minutes. Add the yolks and the lemon juice, continue
beating. Sift the cake meal with the potato starch and add
to the mixing bowl. Beat until thoroughly blended. Turn
the batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan and bake in a
preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 hour and ten minutes.
Invert to cool for at least one hour.
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Variety Sponge Cake
7 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup cake meal
In a large mixing bowl beat the egg yolks until light. Add
the sugar and lemon juice and continue beating until very
fluffy. Combine the dry ingredients and stirr into the
batter. In a separate mixing bowl beat the egg whites until
stiff. Fold them into the egg batter. Bake in an ungreased
10 inch tube pan in a preheated 300 degree F oven for 30
minutes. Increase the temperature to 325 degrees F and
bake for an additional 15 minutes. Invert to cool
Variations:
Carrot Cake -- Fold 1 cup of grated carrots and 1/2 cup
chopped walnuts into the batter before folding in the stiffly
beaten egg whites.
Chocolate Chip Cake -- Fold 2 ozs grated or finley
chopped bittersweet chocolate into the batter before folding
in the egg whites.
Marble Cake -- Pour 2/3 of the batter into the pan. Add 1-
2 tbs of unsweetened cocoa into the remaining batter. Cut
the cocoa to blend. Using a tablespoon, evenly distribute
the chocolate batter over the white batter. Cut through the
batter several times with a spatula or knife to create the
marble effect.
Mocha Cake -- Add 3 tbs of instant coffee or 2 tbs instant
coffee and 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa to the dry ingredients.
Date-Nute Cake -- Add 2 cups finely cut dates, 1/2
chopped nuts and 1 tsp cinnamon to the batter before
folding in the egg whites.
Strawberry Shortcake -- Split the sponge cake in half.
Spread sweetened whipped cream and slice strawberries
on the bottom half. Place the second half of the cake on
top. Top with whipped cream and whole berries.
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Honey Cake
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh-brewed strong coffee
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup cake meal
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
In large mixing bowl combine the honey, sugar, coffee
and egg yolks until well blended. In a small bowl sift
together the cake meal, potato starch, cinnamon and
ginger. Combine the sifted dry ingredients and the nuts
with the egg yolk mixture.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Gently fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into a well
greased 5 x 9 inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven
for about 45 minutes or until the cake tests done.
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Israeli Upside Down Apple Cake
Apples:
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
7 or 8 apples, peeled and cored
walnuts
raisins
juice of 1 lemon
Batter:
5 eggs, separated
5 tbs sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
4 tbs potato starch, sifted
To prepare the apples, melt the margarine and the sugars in
the bottom of a deep round pan large enough to hold the
apples comfortably. Arrange the apples over the sugar.
Fill the core openings with walnuts and raisins. Pour the
lemon juice over the apples. Bake in a preheated 375
degree F oven for 30-35 minutes until the apples are
tender.
To prepare the batter, in a large mixing bowl beat the egg
yolks with the sugar until very light. Add the lemon juice
and sifted potato starch. In a clean bowl, with clean
beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk
mixture. Pour the batter over the hot apples and bake for
an additional 30 minutes or until the cake tests done. Let
the cake rest on a cake rack for 10 minutes before turning
it out, upside down, onto a large cake plate. Serve cold.
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No Bake Seven Layer Cake
3 1/2 ozs bittersweet chocolate
1/4 pound margarine
1 cup fine sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sweet wine
8 whole matzos
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 ozs bittersweet cholocale for curls
Melt the chocolate over warm water in a double boiler.
Allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, cream the margarine
with the sugar until the margarine is fluffy and the sugar is
dissolved. Add the egg yolk one at a time and beat well.
In another mixing bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.
Fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixute
and fold in the stiffly beaten whites.
Pour the wine into a large shallow pan. Dip each matzo,
one at a time, into the wine, just enough to moisten but not
soak. Place 1 moistened matzo on a serving plate. Cover
with 1 1/2 tbs of the chocolate filling. Top with another
moistened matzo and more filling. Continue this process
until the eighth matzo is on top. Cover the top and sides
with the remaining filling. Decorate the top with chopped
walnuts and chocolate curls. Cover the cake loosely with
plastic wrap and let the cake mellow for 24 hours in the
refrigerator. Cut into thin slices or into small squares.
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Crustless Cheesecake Pie
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp almond flavoring or 1 tsp lemon juice
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 bar bittersweet chocolate
In a mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese, 2/3 cup
sugar and the almond flavoring or lemon juice until very
fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating with an
electric mixer at low speed after each addition, just until
blended.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 9 inch pie plate. Bake in
a preheated 350 degree F oven for 35 minutes or until set.
Test by inserting a knife just off-center, it should come out
clean.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, 3 tbs
of sugar and the tsp of vanilla sugar. Carefully spread the
cream over the hot pie. Cool. Using a vegetable peeler,
shave thin curls of chocolate ove the top of the pie.
Refrigerate to chill thoroughly.