Ideas wanted: Passover desserts

[redbird]

My aunt called a couple of hours ago, confirmed that we'll be at the seder, and asked me to bring a dessert.

Now I need to think of something. cattitude pointed out the existence of suitable bakeries; the problem is that most of them have been taking pre-orders for weeks, and may or may not have anything available for someone who just learned that she needs to bring dessert to a seder, especially since they will be closed during the actual holiday. (A side point here is that this is for Friday, and I'd have to pick up any cake from a kosher bakery no later than Tuesday evening.)

I am looking for suggestions of either things that would be easy for me to prepare, or sources of suitable desserts that I (living and working in Manhattan) can get to. I will almost certainly try the place I normally get rye bread, tomorrow, but they may not have anything. I may also try Zabar's and/or Fairway, because what's to lose?

If possible, the dessert should be parve. It also needs to be something that I can transport sanely on a rush hour train Friday morning, that will survive without refrigeration for a few hours if necessary. (Yes, there is an office refrigerator; whether there will be space in it for a middle-sized box next Friday is a separate question.)

Addendum: If the recipe contains flour and you don't specifically know it's suitable for Passover, it almost certainly isn't. Also, while I may consider sorbet as a fallback, there's a perfectly good supermarket a block from my aunt's house, so if we want something along those lines, she can get it there.

Comments

[takumashii.livejournal.com]

Sorry if this is too obvious -- I was just at Whole Foods (the one in Union Square), and they had a lot of smaller desserts (like loaf cakes and so on) that were labeled "Kosher for Passover." And if Whole Foods has, I'm sure that Zabar's and Fairway would have at least as much.

[redbird]

It is not too obvious., and thank you. I hadn't even thought of Whole Foods. (The one at Columbus Circle is easier for me in terms of transit than Zabar's and Fairway.)

Neither ideas are parve but...

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

There is a fairly simple recipe for Flourless chocolate cake here:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/4/716515/-Whats-for-Dinner-Salad!-Death-By-Chocolate-Dessert!

Yes, it's Daily Kos, but people post recipes there. Scroll down, it's towards the end.

Or you could try my father's version of chocolate mousse. Melt a cup chocolate chips, whip a half pint (1 cup) chilled whipping cream. Carefully fold the chocolate into the whipped cream, along with a tablespoon or two of amaretto or the like, if desired. Spoon into serving dish or dishes. Should be kept chilled, but it can sit out for a while once it has been chilled. And it's very, very good.

[avram]

Aren't the seders on Wednesday and Thursday this year?

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

For one seder I attended I made a simple dessert of diced apples (cored but not peeled, and several different varieties), lemon juice (to top the apples browning), cinnamon and walnuts.

Went down a treat.

[redbird]

My aunt is arguing that if we finish by sundown Friday it's a second seder, because the second night starts at sundown Thursday. This appears to satisfy everyone involved who actually cares about such things, and I'm not arguing, especially as I have no intention of hosting a seder myself.

Re: Neither ideas are parve but...

[redbird]

As given, the flourless chocolate cake is dairy, but I think I could substitute margarine (assuming I don't have too much trouble finding a parve margarine this time out).

[42itous.livejournal.com]

Easy cookies:

1 cup almond butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
splash of vanilla
some almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Mix almond butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. Roll the resulting dough into 1" balls and put them on a greased cookie sheet (you'll probably need two cookie sheets, actually). Use an almond to gently squish each ball slightly flat (then leave the almond in place atop the cookie as a garnish/label). Bake about 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet. These will keep in tupperware for up to a week. Makes maybe two dozen cookies -- I usually make a double batch.

(This recipe was originally for flourless peanut butter cookies, but I tried the almond substitution for my dad who doesn't eat kitniyot on Pesach, and I like this way better.)

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

I have a recipe for vegan orange cake I make a lot. I think it's pretty easy, although you do have to zest an orange, and it is definitely okay without refrigeration for a while.

* Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper (or grease and flour, but parchment paper works better). Preheat oven to 350F.
* Whisk together:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
* Add:
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 TBS grated orange zest
1 TBS cider or white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
* Stir until smooth, pour into pan, bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

It's not a very pretty cake, but it tastes great and can be dusted with cocoa or powdered sugar for a more finished presentation. Or covered in chocolate or iced, if you've got non-dairy icing -- I've made a fruit juice and powdered sugar icing that worked fairly well with it.


Fruit salad would be good too, but more likely to need refrigeration. How about candied nuts? Those are tough.

[avram]

I was momentarily worried that my mother might have gotten it wrong.

[carbonel]

This recipe works fine with margarine instead of butter:

Streusel topping
¾ cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
6 T. butter (or margarine)

Filling
¾ cup sugar
3 T. flour
1½ tsp. cinnamon
7 cups peeled, cored, and sliced or diced apples (Granny Smith preferred)

In a food processor, combine the topping ingredients until mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse cornmeal. Or combine in bowl using pastry cutter. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir in the apples and pour the filling into a greased 8-inch-square baking pan.

Cover the apples with the streusel topping and bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 minutes or until topping has puffed and browned. Serve warm.

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

Another thought: sorbet? (Don't know if your work fridge has enough freezer space.)

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

FLourless Chocolate Torte (not really a torte but that's what the recipe was called when I got it)
1/2 c. pareve margarine
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
5 eggs, separated
3/4 c sugar + 2 t. for garnish
1 c. ground almonds (I use a coffee grinder)
Preheat over to 350F. Grease 9" springform pan. Line bottom and sides of pan with foil; grease foil as well. (I usually just make it in a glass pie dish and serve it right in that pan, instead of messing with the foil and double greasing.) Heat margarine ad chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat (I use a double boiler or small pot set in larger pot full of water.) Let cool. Beat egg whites in large bowl at high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form. Beat egg yolks and sugar in another bowl until pale. Blend in chocolate mixture. Stir in almonds. Fold in egg whites one third at a time and mix until no white streaks remain. Scrape into pan. Place 8" baking pan with 1" of water on bottom shelf of over. Bake torte on center shelf of oven for 45-50 minutes or until pull away from pan. Cover loosely with foil for last 20 minutes of baking. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto plate. Garnish with pulverised sugar and berries, if desired.

As noted I usually just bake and serve it in a glass pie dish and skip the inverting part. This is not a touchy recipe; it's fine if quantities are a little off or if you want to add a glug of Amaretto or Kahlua. This comes out rich and dense and intensely chocolatey, and is good enough that I make it any time of year, not just at Passover.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

This looks very like the cake my father used to make with ground hazelnuts. He also called it a torte. I thought a torte was defined by having ground nuts replace some of the flour, so I don't see why it wouldn't count. Do you have any idea how transportable it is? (I just had an unsettling thought about making it myself, and bringing it on the bus from Boston. You know...we left in such haste that there was no time for our bread to rise, and all we could do was beat egg whites.)

[darcydodo]

Apart from the problem of the bakery itself not being kosher for Passover, I remember that last year Whole Foods specifically had flourless cakes.

[darcydodo]

Looking at the comments now, I see that someone has beaten me to the punch here. Oops. :)

[geekosaur]

I've found that pretty much any coffee cake can be made with matzah meal. (But I consider that cheating.)

My favorite, though, is Passover Gateau a l'Orange http://community.livejournal.com/kosher_cooking/42040.html made with blood oranges.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

It's reasonably sturdy. Whether you use the springform pan or a pie dish, I'd advise leaving it in the pan for transport. It would be best to carry it flat, but since it's not an iced cake, if you wrap it well in plastic wrap so it can't fall out of the pan, just carrying it on eedge in a bag ought to be OK.

I'm sure it would work well with hazelnuts instead of almonds, just a subtly different flavor. Whichever you can find and grind.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

A few years back, mrissa posted a recipe for pear crisp, ont that long before Passover. I made it for the holiday, substituting matzo meal for oats and apples for pears (just because I had apples). It came out pretty good, though I'm sure it's better with oats.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

The bakery itself is not kosher, but Silver Spoon, er, Silver Moon does seasonal baked goods, including kosher for Passover. I've often asked if they have an extra of something that looked good during a holiday season, and have always been able to get the thing in question.

Also, the top-notch bakery in my old neighborhood would have racks full. Worth the trip, in my opinion. I go out there from time to time for their rugelach. It's that good. 410 Marcy Ave., Brooklyn.

J train to Lorimer, or G to Flushing (much closer).

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Meringues or a lemon meringue pie?

[nolly.livejournal.com]

This recipe (http://nolly.livejournal.com/199790.html) is easy, tasty, needs no refrigeration, and travels tolerably well. It's one of my favorites.

[redbird]

A flourless chocolate something-or-other is cooling on the stovetop now; I used the Daily Kos recipe because it seemed easier than the other. Thank you all for suggestions and encouragement.