Chocolate Hazelnut "Opera" Cake for Passover

Earlier this month, we were fortunate to have famous cookbook author, Paula Shoyer for a Passover cooking demonstration.  She came out with a new cookbook, The New Passover Menu. This cookbook is unlike her other cookbooks, which focus solely on baking.  This book includes tasty soups, salads, side dishes and entrees in addition to her famous desserts.  While she was here, we made a delicious red pepper soup, a salad with mango and avocado, salmon stuffed gefilte fish, roasted eggplant, meringue fruit cups and, of course, the Opera cake.  You would never know that this delicious, rich, chocolate cake is kosher for Passover!

If you like this recipe, you can pick up Paula Shoyer's new cook book here:

Ingredients:

Ganache:

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 cup almond milk or parve whipping cream

3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee or espresso

Hazelnut Cake:

6 large eggs, separated

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar                        

1 1/3 cups ground hazelnuts                                      

2/3 cup potato starch

4 teaspoons oil                                   

Coffee Syrup:

½ cup sugar                                                    

½ cup water

2 tablespoons strong coffee or espresso

Directions:

Make the ganache first so that it firms up a bit while the cake is baking. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt over a double boiler or in the microwave oven. Heat the almond milk or cream until hot, not boiling. Add to the chocolate mixture a little at a time and whisk well after each addition. It will get very thick but will smooth out as you add more almond milk.

Divide the ganache between two bowls, two-thirds into one bowl and one third into another. Cover the bowl with the one-third amount and place in the fridge. Into the second bowl with the two-thirds of the ganache, add the coffee and whisk well. Cover and place in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the ganache thickens to a spreadable, not pourable consistency. If when you are ready to assemble the cake and the coffee-flavored ganache is not thick enough, place the bowl into the freeze for five to ten minutes and then whisk. If the ganache gets too hard, heat it in a microwave oven for a few seconds and whisk until smooth.

To make the cake, preheat oven to 375°F. Trim a piece of parchment paper to fit perfectly flat in the bottom of a 12 X 16-inch jelly roll pan.

Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff. Turn the speed down to low and add the three tablespoons sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl. Into the bowl you just used to beat the whites, place the confectioners’ sugar, ground hazelnuts, egg yolks, potato starch and oil and beat for one minute at medium speed. The mixture will be dry. Add half of the beaten egg whites and mix well at medium speed for 30 seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Use a whisk to mix in the remaining whites in two parts. 

Pour into the prepared pan. Use a metal offset or silicone spatula to spread the batter as evenly as possible in the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

To make the coffee syrup, in a small saucepan bring the sugar, water and coffee to boil and boil for three minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit until ready to use. May be made up to five days in advance and stored covered at room temperature.

To assemble the cake, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Cover pan with a piece of parchment paper and a cooling rack and then flip the cake over onto the parchment and rack. Peel off the bottom parchment. Measure the midpoint on the long side and cut the cake in half to make two 6 X 8-inch rectangles. Place one half on a small cookie sheet lined with parchment, with the cake bottom facing up. Use a pastry brush to soak some of the coffee syrup all over the cake. 

Use a spatula to spread the chocolate ganache evenly on top of the cake all the way to the edges. Place the other cake half on top. Brush with syrup. Spread the coffee-flavored ganache on top, reserving about two tablespoons to decorate the cakes later, if desired. Heat a metal spatula under boiling water, dry and smooth the top. Place in the freezer until ready to serve. Place the extra ganache into a small bowl and place in the fridge until ready to decorate the slices.

To serve, trim off ¼ inch off all the sides of the cake to even them out. Eat the trimmings. Heat a knife with hot water to cut the cake into rectangles. Clean and reheat the knife between slices to get perfect slices. Warm the reserved ganache slightly to make it spreadable. Place into a pastry bag with any shape tip and pipe designs on top of each slice. You may add a coffee bean to the décor. If you do not have a pastry bag, heat the ganache until you can drizzle it and use a fork to drizzle over the slices to create some texture on top. Store in the fridge. 

Double Chocolate Cookies for Passover

This year, the first day of Passover is on April 15 (first Seder is Monday night, April 14).  That means, in addition to cleaning our homes, changing over our kitchens, shopping for a whole new pantry, and cooking for multiple guests - we also need to make sure our taxes are done by then too!  Talk about stress!   Thankfully, I have a super easy - and amazingly delicious and decadent dessert for you to share at your Seder.... or maybe sneak one beforehand to relax and indulge.

This chocolate cookie is very simple.  Only 5 ingredients and a bake time of only 10 minutes.  There is no matzo or cake meal in this cookie, so it isn't heavy and doesn't taste like a traditional Passover dessert.  Be careful - they are addictive!

Of course, if cooking for Passover isn't your thing, come to Beth El for our community 2nd night Seder.  Call the office:  301-652-2606 to check for availability.  This year it will be lead by Hazzan Matthew Klein.  It is sure to be a musical exodus!

Double Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups powdered sugar*
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-4 egg whites
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Sift or whisk sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.  Add two egg whites and mix.  Consistency should be similar to thick brownie mix.  If you need additional egg whites, add one at a time until the correct consistency.  I find that 3 egg whites works best, but it can vary.  Fold chocolate chips into batter.  Spoon batter onto cookie sheets.  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until cookies inflate slightly and tops crack.  Remove cookies from cookie sheet and let cool completely.  Makes 24 - 30 cookies. 

*Kosher for Passover powdered sugar can be found in kosher markets around town, or, it is easy to make yourself.  In a food processor, use the ratio of 1 cup granulated sugar to 1 tablespoon of potato starch.  Blend in food processor until mixture resembles powdered sugar. 



Almond Macaroons

Although many Jewish holidays revolve around food, none more so than Passover.  Eating and food consumes our thoughts as we prepare for the holiday.  We go through our pantry, cooking combinations we never would have thought before, just so we don't have to throw out perfectly good sauces.  We scrub our kitchen and boil our dishes to eliminate all traces of Hametz.  We buy and abundance of kosher for Passover products in varieties and flavors that we would never buy for the rest of the year but, "look, its K for P - we need it!"  And then the cooking.  There is this mixed feeling of both loving the holiday foods we prepare juxtaposed with the fear that we will starve without bread for one week.  All the Ashkenaz are secretly wishing they were Sephardic.

We focus on the meal that we will prepare for Seder so much, but forget we have 10 steps in the Seder starting from "Kadesh" (blessing) before we get to "Shulchan Oruch" (festive meal).  The first steps in the Seder are what Passover is really about.  It is where we retell the story of our Exodus from Egypt and become free. 

With this in mind, here is a dessert recipe that is so easy, it will allow you to focus on the meaning of Passover and will allow you to spend more time with your family instead of cooking.  This recipe is adapted from a recipe from my mother-in-law.   She is a fantastic baker and these are one of my favorites.  It is so good, that I make it all year round. 

Almond Macaroons
Ingredients:
16 oz almond flour (about 4 cups)
2 cups sugar
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. 
Mix together almond flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add egg whites, one at a time, and mix together with a hand mixer.  Should be a a paste consistency.  Add extract and lemon zest and mix a little more.  Chill the bowl for about 10 minutes.  Spoon out mixture on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes.  Cookies with puff up a little and turn slightly brown when done. 

The added zest really brightens the flavor of these cookies.  Feel free to experiment with orange zest or different extracts to play with the flavor.  This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Passover!