Fancy flour-free

The menu for our Passover seder has settled in over the years. The eight-day festival of freedom, which celebrates the Jews’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt, begins at sundown April 23.

Passover always has been my favorite Jewish holiday. At the end of the seder, after the last of four glasses of wine are enjoyed, family and friends say in unison, ‘Next year in Jerusalem." We then wish everyone a sweet Passover.

Sweets are always on my mind during this joyous celebration. Because flour and yeast are forbidden ingredients, it was once difficult to enjoy a truly delicious dessert. When I was a girl, dry sponge cakes and dusty bagel-shaped cookies topped with jimmies were the only permissible treats. These were served with strawberries and rings of fresh juicy pineapple.

About 10 years ago, good Jewish bakers realized that the now-famous flourless chocolate torte was perfect for Passover. Recipes for this cake, along with Passover brownies and chocolate-chip cookies, appeared in my column and on the Internet. But this year, I want something different. I am tired of either buying or baking the same sweets.

I found uniquely delicious Passover recipes in A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman ($17.95, Broadway Books, illustrated paperback). Although the book was published in hardback in 1998, the paperback edition just came out in November. Goldman, who lives in Montreal, writes with humor and her recipes are easy to follow. She has her own Web site, BetterBaking.com.

Goldman writes that about 15 years ago, like me, she fell into a sweet rut when it came to Passover desserts. She was tired of baking cakes, tortes and intricate pastries. After fiddling around with ideas, she came up with ‘My Trademark, Most Requested, Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch."

She offers 31 Passover recipes, including several classics and her own creations, including biscotti.

Here are recipes for a sweet Passover from A Treasury of Jewish Baking by Marcy Goldman.

My Trademark, Most Requested, Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch

Ingredients:

4 to 6 unsalted matzohs
2 sticks unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a large cookie sheet completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment – on top of the foil. This is very important since the mixture becomes sticky during baking.

Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces, as required, to fit any spaces.

In a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter or margarine and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325 degrees and replace the pan).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Let stand for five minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over the matzoh. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill, in the pan, in the freezer until set.

Note from Phyllis: Recipes can be doubled. You can use a combination of white and dark chocolate in this recipe and add slivered almonds if you wish.

Apple Rhubarb Cobbler

For the crumbly topping:

1-1/2 cups potato starch
1 cup matzoh meal
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of good ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter or Passover margarine
1/4 cup orange juice

For the filling:

6 cups peeled and sliced apples
1 cup coarsely chopped rhubarb
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons potato starch

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Generously grease a 9-by-13-inch or 8-by-10-inch rectangular pan or a 10-inch springform pan.

To make the topping, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut the butter or margarine into the dry mixture. Stir in the orange juice to make a crumbly topping that just holds together. Set aside.

To make the filling, toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Sprinkle half the crumbly topping over the bottom of the pan and press very lightly. Spoon on the fruit filling. Sprinkle the remaining crumbly topping over the fruit. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top is lightly golden, about 24 to 35 minutes. Cool well in the pan before serving.

Serves six to eight.

Note: Rhubarb is in season and readily available. Goldman writes you can substitute raspberries for the rhubarb or apricots. Almost any combination of fruits will work.

Passover Double Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup matzoh meal
1-1/4 cups matzoh cake meal
2 tablespoons potato starch
3/4 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup finely ground walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar, honey and cocoa. Whisk in the eggs, then stir in the coffee, salt, matzoh meal, cake meal and potato starch. Let stand for 10 minutes, then fold in the chocolate and nuts.

Using lightly oiled hands, shape the batter into two logs and place them on the baking sheet. Bake until set, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and wrap the logs in foil. Place them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the logs into 1/4-inch slices. Place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning them once midway.

Makes about 24 biscotti.