The Ottawa Jewish E-Bulletin is pleased to share this Passover recipe section with special submissions from two of our community food writers, Alyce Baker and Cindy Feingold.
Passover cheese blintzes
By Alyce Baker
Like many others, our family has reduced their intake of meat. Of course, we always associate Passover with chopped liver, brisket, meatballs, turkey ... But face it – eight days of meat can be daunting from a culinary perspective and a health regime.
Blintz Batter
- 3 eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup cake meal
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Filling
- 1 pound dry cottage cheese
- 1 Tbsp cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Zest of one lemon
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions
- Beat 3 eggs in a bowl. Add salt and then alternate cake meal and water.
- Heat a greased frying pan over medium heat
- Pour in a small amount of batter to make a thin pancake. Tip the pan to spread batter. Cook till top is dry. Make sure to grease pan between cooking each blintz. Place pancake on a dry tea towel browned side up.
- In a bowl mix cottage cheese, cream, egg, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Place a tablespoon of filling on each pancake and roll up.
- Blintzes can then be heated in fry pan.
Makes around 7-8 blintzes. You will have extra filling. Serve with raspberry coulis.
Lemon Sponge Cake
By Alyce Baker
Tradition is defined as the transmission of customs from generation to generation. Every family has their own blueprint of customs they perform whether it be Rosh Hashanah or Passover. For instance in our family we never serve pickles on the first day of Rosh Hashanah for fear of not having “ a sweet year.”
Passover brings memories of Bubbie Esther’s sponge cake of which she would bake many and then deliver them to favoured friends and family. My mother-in-law’s sponge cake was simple but divine. Best served with a raspberry or lemon coulis.
This is an updated version of a classic Passover cake.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 tsp. Grated lemon peel
- 2/3 cup cake meal
- 2/3 cup potato starch
- 8 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1 2/3 cups superfine sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 8 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp salt
Directions
- Place lemon juice and grated peel in a saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. There should be 6 tablespoons of liquid. Cool.
- Sift together the cake meal and potato starch 4 times.
- Place egg yolks and whole egg in an electric mixer bowl. Beat 2 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar a tablespoon at a time over 4 minutes.
- Slowly add oil taking 15 seconds.
- Reduce speed and add lemon juice and peel. Beat 1 minute. Add dry ingredients and mix at low speed 10 seconds till batter is smooth.
- Place egg whites in a bowl and beat till frothy.
- Add salt and beat on high till soft peaks form.
- Gradually add remaining 2/3 cup sugar and beat for 45 seconds.
- Fold 1/4 of beaten egg whites into yolk mixture. Then fold remaining whites in.
- Spoon batter into ungreased 10 inch Angel food pan.
- Bake at 350 in lower third of oven for approximately 45-50 minutes.
- Remove from oven and invert pan onto wire rack
- Cool completely and then run a knife around sides and centre tube and remove ring.
This cake can be made a week ahead and covered with foil. It can also be frozen. Serves 12.
*Nice sprinkled with confectioners sugar on top.
Raspberry coulis
Take two containers fresh raspberries, 2/3 cup sugar and the juice of a lemon. Process in a food processor until smooth. May be frozen ahead.
Raspberry Coconut Macaroons
By Cindy Feinfold
(Adapted from the Driscoll’s Berry website). Makes 24 macaroons. See video at top of page for a walkthrough!
Ingredients
- 170 grams raspberries
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) white sugar
- 140 grams egg whites (about 4 large egg whites)
- 198 grams (1 cup) white sugar
- 452 grams (4 cups) unsweetened shredded coconut.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 170 grams bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 24 whole raspberries, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place 50 grams of sugar and 170 grams raspberries in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher until the berries are broken down. Set berry mixture aside while you prepare the next step.
- Place unsweetened coconut in the food processor and pulse about 15-20 times. This will help the macaroons hold together better.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a handheld electric mixer, whisk egg whites and 1 cup of sugar until foamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add raspberry puree, coconut, salt and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Scoop 2-Tablespoon sized macaroons onto prepared baking sheets. Pack the mixture firmly into the scoop. Press and pat the sides and top of the macaroons with your fingertips to ensure that they stay together and don’t crack while baking.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate position of trays and bake for a further 15 minutes. Place baking sheets on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- While cookies are cooling, place bittersweet chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Set microwave for 2 minutes at 50% power. Stir chocolate for 1 minute. If not completely melted, heat for an additional 15 seconds, at 50% power. Never microwave chocolate at full power. It will scorch.
- Once macaroons are completely cool, dip the bottom of each cookie in melted chocolate. Drizzle top of macaroons with remaining melted chocolate. Top with raspberries if desired.
- Chill macaroons in fridge until chocolate is set. Macaroons will keep in freezer for up to a month or in the fridge for about a week.
For more recipes from Cindy, please visit her blog at http://www.saltandserenity.com