Passover - Extra Helpings

Five-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

The arrival of spring means blooming flowers, chirping birds, and, of course, holidays. No matter the season, holidays require a little menu planning. For a sweet spring celebration, consider a classic: coconut macaroons. These treats are passover-friendly, and with just five-ingredients, they couldn’t be easier.

Flour-free desserts are the norm at passover. If you don’t observe the holiday, you’ll find that light and sweet macaroons are perfect for any spring feast. These coconuts treats would be perfectly at home as part of an Easter spread, too.

To make these simple cookies just combine shredded, sweetened coconut with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Whip egg whites until they’re light and fluffy, fold together with the coconut, bake, and enjoy!

coconut macaroons on tray — Coconut macaroons fresh from the oven

Read on for the complete recipe!

Five-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

INGREDIENTS
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded coconut, condensed milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, whip the egg whites and salt in until the egg whites are white and firm or “firm peaks.” Then, carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the coconut-milk-vanilla mixture.

Using a spoon or a scoop, make 1½ -inch diameter cookies and place on a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper or wax paper, if you have it.

Bake for 23 to 27 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheet pan for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely…or eat warm. Enjoy!

Makes 12 -14

For another Passover-friendly five-ingredient dessert, try this coffee granita!

Chocolate-Covered Matzo with Caramel and Nuts

Blue Apron chef Annabel Epstein would never choose store-bought over homemade. Here’s how she made her own chocolate-covered matzo with a little help from Smitten Kitchen.

Sometimes you just need a treat, even if you’re keeping kosher for Passover. You can usually find pre-made chocolate-covered matzo at grocery stores, but the homemade version is always better. This recipe from Smitten Kitchen used basic pantry items I already had, making it a pandemic-friendly Passover dessert. I followed the recipe pretty diligently, and was sure to generously salt both the caramel and chocolate after spreading it—that salty/sweet combination is so craveable.

I used a mix of almonds and walnuts to top the chocolate layer, but any nuts would work great here. After letting the finished matzo chill in the fridge, my boyfriend and I immediately devoured at least 3 squares each—we had to move it to a tupperware far away from us to not eat the whole thing immediately.

Chocolate Caramel Matzo, recipe from the Smitten Kitchen

About 4 sheets of matzo
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into eight large pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
Sea salt, preferably flaky (such as Maldon salt)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips, or 9 ounces chopped semi- or bittersweet chocolate
1 cup toasted almonds and walnuts, or a mix of your favorite nuts (optional)

Heat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil by stretching a long sheet over the pan and crimping the edges over the side of the pan with your hands. Then, line the pan again with parchment paper. This double lining keeps you matzo from sticking to the pan and makes clean up easy.

Spread your matzo over the sheet pan in a single layer, covering every part.If necessary, break some pieces apart to make sure the entire surface of the pan is filled.

Make the caramel. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Melt the mixture and whisk it until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for 3 more minutes, whisking it the whole time. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, remove it from the heat and add a couple good pinches of sea salt and vanilla. Pour the caramel over the crackers and spread it out evenly using an offset spatula, a silicon spatula, or the back of a spoon. Don’t wait too long, or the caramel might set.

Bake the matzo for 13 to 15 minutes. Check the oven periodically to make sure the edges don’t burn. If the caramel is getting too dark, turn down the heat.

Take the matzo out of the oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate in an even layer over the caramel. If you’re using nuts, now is the time to sprinkle them over the surface. Don’t forget to add another dose of sea salt. (The extra sea salt is great on matzo. Let cool and enjoy.

chocolate walnut matzo — Sweet, salty, and passover-approved

Can’t find matzo? Try making your own at home.

Homemade Matzo with Sea Salt & Sesame Seeds

Chef Jessica Halper isn’t letting social distancing stop her from celebrating. This year, homemade matzo is on the recipe. Here’s how Chef Jessica is adapting traditions to accommodate social distancing.

Never in my life have I thought to make matzo. Usually, I leave that task to the good people of Manischewitz. It appears, once a year, perched on a shelf adjacent to the jars of gefilte fish in the grocery store. It has a reliably bland taste, much like cardboard, that can only be remedied when smeared with peanut butter or hidden in savory matzo brei. And yet this year, trapped behind the four walls of my apartment, I’d give anything for that box of unleavened bread.

This year, it’s difficult to find the motivation to celebrate the spring holidays. With most of the country adhering to social distancing, family gatherings around the table and breaking bread are going virtual. However, just because we’re physically apart this year, doesn’t mean we can’t share the table – and our traditional holiday eats.

Luckily, matzo is not complicated stuff. At its core, it consists of two ingredients – flour and water – and does not require an outing to the store. The process is quick, as no fermentation is needed, and it results in a delightfully crisp and airy cracker. This particular recipe is adapted from NYTimes Cooking and uses whole wheat flour and olive oil for richness, but both can be omitted if needed.

Homemade Matzo with Sea Salt & Sesame Seeds

Adapted from NYTimes Cooking Melissa Clark’s The Best Matzo. It’s Homemade?

Makes 4 Matzo Crackers

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
Sea Salt
Sesame seeds

Place oven racks in the center of the oven, then preheat to 500° F.
In a large bowl, combine the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt. Stir to combine.
Add the olive oil and ½ cup of water. Stir until the dough begins to form into a pliable ball. If necessary add additional water, ½ teaspoon at a time, if the dough seems dry.
Lightly flour a work surface. Transfer the dough to the work surface and knead the dough briefly until smooth. Cut into 4 equal pieces.
Working 1 piece at a time, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle in diameter until the dough is almost translucent. Reflour the work surface as necessary.
Transfer the matzo to a sheet pan and prick all over with a fork. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and sesame seeds. Bake the matzo for 7 to 9 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the matzos to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat with the remaining dough and enjoy!