CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL

PASSOVER RECIPE SWAP 2008

CRISP POTATO KUGEL APPETIZER
CHOCOLATE MACAROONS
MANDEL BREAD (Passover)
Persian Walnut Cookies
FRUIT COMPOTE
LEMON CURD
PRUNE KUGEL MERINGUE
PASSOVER JAM SQUARES
EGGPLANT SALAD WITH DILL AND GARLIC
CHAROSETH
PAULINE’S GEFILTE FISH
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & VANILLA MARBLE CAKE

CRISP POTATO KUGEL APPETIZER

submitted by Rivka Gallant

6 medium baking potatoes, peeled

1 large onion peeled

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons matzo meal

2 tablespoons butter

Grate the potatoes and onion in a food processor with the shredding disk or with a hand grater. Place in a colander and drain well squeezing out excess moisture

(I use a cheesecloth for this.) In a large bowl, whisk eggs, salt, melted margarine, and matzo meal. Stir in potatoes until well combined.

Place 2 tablespoons butter in a 9 x13-inch baking dish. Melt in oven. Tilt dish to coat evenly. Pour potato mixture into dish and spread evenly. Bake uncovered

at 400º for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 375º and continue baking for 45 more minutes, or until top is crisp. Cut into small squares.

Back to Table of Contents

CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

submitted by Barbara Bernstein

1 cup chocolate bits

2 egg whites

pinch of salt

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup of flaked coconut

In a double boiler, melt 1 cup chocolate bits.

In a bowl, beat 2 egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are foamy and stand in peaks. Gradually beat in ½ cup sugar. Beat until stiff.

Add melted chocolate bits and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until mixed in well.

Add 1 cup of flaked coconut. Mix well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on to a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Bake in a preheated 350º oven for exactly 15 minutes; Cool completely on foil before removing them. Yield: 24

Back to Table of Contents

MANDEL BREAD (Passover)

submitted by Harriet Shanzer

½ lb. margarine

6 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 ¾ cups cake meal

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup potato starch

2-3 oz bars bittersweet chocolate broken

1 c. chopped nuts

1 tsp. cinnamon mixed w/2 tsps. sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350^o. Grease baking sheet.

2. Sift sugar, cake meal and salt.

3. Cream margarine and sugar.

4. Add eggs 1 at a time.

5. Fold sifted ingredients into creamed mixture.

6. Add chocolate and nuts.

7. Form into 2 loaves 2 “ wide and sprinkle w/cinnamon sugar mixture.

8. Bake 45 minutes and slice while still warm.

Back to Table of Contents

Persian Walnut Cookies

Submitted by: Vikki Levine

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 35 Minutes
Yields: 36 servings

"These delicately-spiced, rose-scented cookies are the perfect treat for Passover since they contain no flour. They are nutty and rich, slightly chewy with a crunchy exterior. Pistachios or almonds can be substituted for the walnuts."

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups finely ground walnuts

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon rose water

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon water

1/2 cup walnut pieces for decoration

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a medium bowl, mix together the ground walnuts, 3 egg yolks, sugar, cardamom, baking soda and rose water until well blended. Roll teaspoon sized pieces of dough into balls and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Cookies should be spaced 2 inches apart. Whisk together the remaining egg yolk and water using a fork. Press a walnut piece into each cookie, then brush with the egg yolk glaze.
3.	Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. The cookies will appear soft and undercooked but take heart, they will harden considerably when cooled. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Back to Table of Contents

FRUIT COMPOTE

submitted by Cynthia and Julie Kaplan, courtesy of Thelma Kaplan

Pitted prunes

Other dried fruit (apricots, peaches, etc.)

1 cup Madeira or other sweet wine

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup sugar

3 oranges

¼ cup orange juice

Cinnamon stick

3 cloves

(Lemon juice)

Soak pitted prunes and other dried fruit in Madeira and red wine overnight.

Transfer to stove and add sugar, cinnamon stick, peel of 1 orange, and cloves. Bring to a boil and cook 10-15 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Peel the other 2 oranges, cut all 3 into pieces, and add to mixture. Add orange juice. If the mixture is too sweet, add additional lemon juice.

Back to Table of Contents

LEMON CURD

submitted by Cynthia and Julie Kaplan

Matzo cake meal

2 cups husked toasted hazelnuts or walnuts

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Pinch ground cloves

1 Egg

6 egg yolks

1 cup (minus 1 T) sugar

4.5 oz. lemon juice- freshly squeezed

6 tbsp. butter, softened (can use margarine)

Pinch salt

For crust:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350˚. Grease 11-inch pan and dust with matzo meal. Finely grind nuts, sugar, salt, and cloves in processor. Add egg and process until mixture just holds together. Using moistened fingertips, press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Bake until crust is golden, crinkled, and feels dry, about 13 minutes. Cool crust completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature.)

For filling:

In a saucepan, beat yolks and sugar. Add juice, butter, and salt, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. (It will change from translucent to opaque and will coat the back of a wooden spoon.) Don’t let it boil! Pour it through a strainer into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of the curd. Chill until ready to use, then spread filling over crust.

Back to Table of Contents

PRUNE KUGEL MERINGUE

submitted by Maxine Berke

Part 1

5 matzos (coarsely crumbled; pour water over them and drain immediately)

4 eggs, divided (use three yolks and one whole egg; save 3 egg whites for the third step)

½ cup prune juice

1/3 cup sugar

½ stick of butter or margarine, melted

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Mix all these ingredients together. Spread half into a greased 1½ quart baking dish.

Part 2

1 ½ cup chopped prunes

Arrange prunes evenly over mixture in baking dish. Cover with remaining matzo mixture.

Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes.

Part 3

3 egg whites left from Part 1

1/8 tsp. salt

6 tablespoons sugar (or use less if you don’t like it overly sweet)

While mixture is baking, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form and gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly over the baking dish you’ve just taken out of the oven, and bake for 15 additional minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Back to Table of Contents

PASSOVER JAM SQUARES

submitted by Barbara Bernstein

2 EGGS, SEPARATED

½ CUP OIL OR MELTED BUTTER

½ CUP SUGAR

½ CUP CAKE MEAL

½ CUP POTATO STARCH

¾ CUP JAM

½ CUP SUGAR

¼ TSP CINNAMON

½ CUP CHOPPED NUTS

In a medium-sized bowl, by hand, mix egg yolks, oil, and ½ cup sugar; mix thoroughly. Stir in cake meal and potato starch. Pat into a greased 9” x 13” pan. Spread evenly with jam. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites till stiff (you can do this by hand; they’ll get stiff enough), gradually beating in the other ½ cup sugar and the cinnamon. Fold in nuts. Spread over baked cookies. Bake for 25 minutes more at 350°. Cut when slightly cooled. For a thicker bar, make 1½ times the recipe and bake in the same size pan.

Back to Table of Contents

EGGPLANT SALAD WITH DILL AND GARLIC

submitted by Robin Pike

3 large eggplants (about 1.5 pounds each) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 tablespoons Kosher salt
3 red bell peppers
9 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar

In several large colanders, set over bowls, toss eggplant cubes with salt. Let stand 1 hour to drain.

Meanwhile using tongs, or long handled fork, hold peppers over open flame turning until blackened on all sides (2-3 minutes). Alternatively on rack under preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat. Broil peppers turning every five minutes until skins are blistered and charred. Transfer to large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. Peel, seed and dice.

Rinse eggplant under cold water and blot dry with paper towels. In large heavy skillet, over moderately high heat, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil until hot but not smoking. Working in three batches, and using 3 tablespoons oil for each batch, sauté eggplant and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Transfer eggplant and garlic to large bowl. Add peppers, dill, vinegar and sugar and toss to combine. Chill overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature accompanied by matzo or crackers.

Makes 8 - 10 servings.

Back to Table of Contents

CHAROSETH

submitted by Mimi Rosenberg

1 cup dates

½ cup peanuts

1 apple

1/3 cup sweet wine and/or to taste

Chop dates, peanuts and apple together and add wine. (The apple can also be grated and added afterward.) The proportion of dates to peanuts can also be adjusted to suit taste.

Back to Table of Contents

PAULINE’S GEFILTE FISH

Submitted by Louise Borke

5 lbs pike

5 lbs whitefish

Fish cleaned and filleted

Step 1

Scrape fish meat from bones, skins, and heads

Grind fillets and scraped fish twice – not too mushy – with two medium size onions and one tablespoon each of salt, white pepper, and sugar; two tablespoons matzo meal per pound. Drain onions before adding to fish mixture to eliminate moisture.

Step 2

Put two large onions along with the fish bones, heads, and skins in bottom of large pot. Add German parsley (root) or use parsnips instead plus as many carrots as you want i.e., a whole bag plus a little (maybe 3 stalks) celery along with salt, white pepper, and a little sugar.

Don’t use too much water – maybe 2 quarts – bring to boil in a very large pot, so that there is a lot of surface on the bottom of the pot.

Step 3

Add two eggs for every three pounds fish (i.e. 4 eggs for six pounds of fish; six eggs for nine pounds, etc.)

Mix eggs into fish using a mixer to be sure the eggs are really mixed in well – mix again after making some balls, if necessary.

Step 4

Shape fish balls by hand with large spoon and place one by one into lightly bubbling water. They can be on top of each other … not quite covered by water.

Cover pot and simmer for 2½ hours

Soup should be fairly salty.

Back to Table of Contents

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & VANILLA MARBLE CAKE

Submitted by Susannah Abbott

This dense, luscious cake has a texture a little like fudge and a little like cheesecake.

FOR THE VANILLA BATTER: FOR THE CHOCOLATE BATTER:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp. 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2/3 cup granulated sugar 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

1 large egg 3 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp. dark rum or espresso

YYYY 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

cocoa powder for dusting 1 pinch table salt

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300°. Lightly grease a 9x2 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

MAKE THE VANILLA BATTER: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating until well blended and no lumps remain. Add the egg and vanilla and beat just until blended. Set aside.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE BATTER: In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool slightly. With a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar, rum or espresso, vanilla, and salt on medium high until the mixture is pale and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.

COMBINE AND BAKE: Spread about half of the chocolate batter in the bottom of the pan. Alternately add large scoopfuls of each of the remaining batters to the cake pan. Using a knife or the tip of a rubber spatula, gently swirl the two batters together so they’re mixed but not completely blended. Rap the pan against the countertop several times to settle.

Bake until a pick inserted about 2 inches from the edge comes out gooey but not liquid, 40 to 42 minutes; don’t over-bake. The top will be puffed and slightly cracked, especially around the edges. It will sink down as it cools. Let cool on a rack until just slightly warm, about 1½ hours. Loosen the cake from the pan by holding the pan almost perpendicular to the counter; tap the pan on the counter while rotating it clockwise. Invert onto a large, flat plate or board. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the parchment. Sift some cocoa powder over the cake (this will make it easier to remove the slices when serving). Invert again onto a similar plate so that the top side is up. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight, or freeze.

TO FREEZE: Wrap the cooled cake (unmolded as directed in recipe) in plastic and refrigerate until firm and well-chilled. Slide the cake from the plate and wrap it again in plastic. Freeze for up to a month. To serve, unwrap the cake and set it on a flat serving plate. Cover with plastic wrap and thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for an hour or two.

CUTTING TIP: Use a hot knife (run it under hot running water and dry it). Wipe the blade clean between slices.

Back to Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FRUIT COMPOTE