Important criteria in choosing a dessert for a Passover seder (the festive ritual meal served on the first two nights of the holiday) are ease of serving to a sizable number of guests, little or no last-minute preparation, and of course delicious flavor without being too heavy after a big and lengthy meal. For families who observe all the Jewish dietary laws, the dessert must not contain dairy ingredients unless the meal is a vegetarian one. These cupcakes meet all the criteria! Continue reading
Category Archives: Jewish
I’m a Guest–Just in Time for Passover!
Photo by Elise Bauer
I am delighted to tell you that I am a guest contributor on Simply Recipes, the blog of my good friend and neighbor, Elise Bauer. We spent a few delicious hours in her spacious, cheerful kitchen concocting a new version of a favorite snack (and eating way too many of the elements and their combined results).
On Elise’s blog I offer Passover options for the featured recipe, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, which include natural peanut butter. Peanuts have been approved for Passover use by the Conservative branch of Judaism (the parent organization of my synagogue) for a number of years. As with so many questions of observance or abstinence, it is always best to consult your rabbi (or maybe the website of your particular denomination of Judaism) to determine what is officially kosher for Passover in your kitchen. As is often the case, an Internet search will reveal as many answers as there are questions about this issue!
While we haven’t tried them with another nut butter, this might be an option for people with allergies or religious objections to the peanut component. Please let us know if you have success with this alternative.
Whatever version you may try, I am sure you will enjoy these delectable treats.
Poppyseed Yogurt Cupcakes for Purim
This year the Jewish festival of Purim begins in the evening of Saturday, March 15 and ends in the evening of Sunday, March 16. Among the special foods for this joyous holiday are recipes featuring poppy seeds, said to be an important part of the vegetarian diet of Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim story. More information about Esther and the holiday is available here. Continue reading
Potatoes and Pumpkins
For some people it may seem a bit early to think about what to serve at the end of this month, but for me planning for Thanksgiving dinner is an enjoyable process that I start as soon as the November issues of the cooking magazines appear.
By clicking here you will have access to a plethora of recipes for this year’s rare concurrence of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. Continue reading
Onion Pletzel
This flat-bread, also called an onion board, is a Jewish delicatessen treat that I remember from my days growing up in Baltimore. It’s good as is or slathered with sweet butter or cream cheese. This recipe is written for a large or mid-sized food processor with dough blade. Because poppy seeds can go rancid, it’s a good idea to store them in the freezer. To prepare 3 pletzels in a small processor with steel blade, use half the ingredients. Continue reading