Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Espresso Glaze

I can't take credit for this mouth-watering, perfectly baked flourless chocolate cake.  But, if you are a chocolate lover, like my cousin Naomi, she made this delicious dessert especially for your taste buds!

Doesn't it look professional?!

To make this deliciousness, Naomi combined two recipes. She used Laura Calder's recipe from the Food Network for the cake part and a different recipe for the glaze.

Follow this link to see a video of how to make the cake part of this dessert as well as all of the ingredients you will need.

*N.B.The only difference was that Naomi substituted the butter for margarine.



To make the Chocolate Espresso Glaze, she used a recipe from Canadaianliving.com

Chocolate Espresso Glaze

-4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped

-1/4 cup parve (non dairy) margarine or unsalted butter

-1/4 cup hot water 

-1/4 tsp instant espresso powder

In heatproof bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, stir together chocolate, margarine, water and espresso powder until smooth. Pour over centre of cake; spread to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of edge. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Cover loosely and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Enjoy!



On a side note...this is a wonderful cake for any time of year, but works especially well for Passover since there is no flour in the ingredients!

Delicious Passover Desserts that your Family will LOVE!

Matza Crunch

I just made a fresh batch of matza crunch!  How can anyone deprive themselves of sweet and gooey caramel covered matza with chocolate drizzle?  It's a simple recipe that you can make.  The worst part about it....the clean up.  Click on this link for a detailed matza crunch tutorial.

Frozen Lemon Dessert

Another dessert that I made last year was a frozen lemon cake.  Click here for a tutorial on how to impress your guests with a light lemony frozen dessert that you would never even know was kosher for Passover!

Sponge Cake

I'm sure that your mother or grandmother has their favourite sponge cake recipe that rises sky high when baked without any egg yolks. I still can't get it right! But, when my aunt showed me how to do it, (she has perfected this cake) her recipe and the moistness of her cake was delicious. Click here for a detailed tutorial on how to make my Auntie Helen's Sponge Cake.

Cheesecake Squares

If you are a cheesecake lover, like my husband and I, I improvised and made this version of cheesecake squares last year.  Since lemon is a staple in Passover desserts, this is yet another recipe that includes it!  But, why not change it up by omitting the lemon and adding chocolate? 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Attention all of you mommy's with kiddies...Ryan absolutely loved mixing up the batter for these kosher for Passover chocolate chip cookies we made together last year. This is an easy recipe to make with the kids over the weekend and believe it or not, these cookies are actually delicious!

Meringues

For those of you with a sweet tooth, (like me), meringues are always a sweet treat that are simple to make.  If you have a piping bag and a star tip, they look really pretty, especially if you add a little food color to brighten them up.  They taste just as yummy when the fluffy egg white mixture is spooned onto a cookie sheet and baked!

Wishing you and your families a SWEET Passover!

Lemon Cheesecake Squares (for Passover!)

How would you rate these cheesecake squares for Passover originality? 

Who knew that Kraft even made a kosher for Passover line of Philadelphia cream cheese?  I happened to stumble upon these two packages at the grocery store the other day and found the idea for this recipe inside the package. With a little twist of my own, it appeared at my second seder for dessert!

First, I combined a little cake meal, matzo meal, sugar and margarine for the crust and pressed it into an 8x8 square dish.

Then, I followed the cheesecake recipe from the inside of the box, poured it over the crust and baked it in the oven for 25 minutes.

Shhhh...Don't tell anyone...it was so easy!

And so delicious!

Try it!

Passover Lemon Cheesecake Squares

(Adapted from the Philadelphia recipe)

Makes 16 Servings

For the Crust

2/3 cup cake meal

2/3 cup matzo meal

1/4 cup sugar

4 Tbsp. melted margarine 

For the Cheesecake

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. zest and 1 Tbsp. juice from one lemon
1/2 tsp. Passover vanilla
2 eggs (room temperature)

MAKE IT
Heat oven to 350.  In a small pot, melt margarine at medium-low heat. Remove pot from burner and add cake meal, matzo meal and sugar.  Mix together until combined. Press onto bottom 8-inch square pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, juice and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until center is almost set.  Cool completely. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Enjoy!

Ryan in the Kitchen - Passover Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes...these really are kosher for Passover! Don't they look good?

Of course they do, because my partner in crime helped me make them!

He began by helping me crack the eggs. First, we tapped the egg on the counter.  Then, cracked it in half into a mug. Finally, Ryan poured it into the mixing bowl. He loved watching the mixer combine all of the ingredients and found it very funny that he could see his reflection in the bowl.

Once all of the ingredients were mixed together, he poured in the chocolate chips.

Time to fold them in!

After the dough chilled in the fridge for an hour, (and Ryan went home) I continued to make the cookies.  Since they expand ever so slightly, if you use this recipe, it is important to flatten out the cookies before baking.

They looked and tasted delicious.

To add even more sweetness, try drizzling some melted white chocolate overtop.

Jewish Holiday Baking by Marci Goldman is a cookbook that I bought a few months ago. She has a number of yummy desserts for Passover in this book as well as for many other Jewish holidays. The recipe for these cookies can be found in this book.

Here is her recipe for Crisp and Chewy Chocolate Chip CookiesMakes 4-5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon Passover vanilla sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup matzoh cake meal

1 cup potato starch

2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream all three sugars with the butter or margarine. Blend in the eggs. Stir in the salt, matzoh cake meal and potato starch. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour or overnight for chewy style cookies; (I made these ones!) do not chill for thin and crisp cookies. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out generous teaspoonfuls of dough. Place on the baking sheet leaving room for the cookies to spread. If using cold dough, press a little; if using fresh dough (not chilled), do not press down.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool. Use a spatula to remove from baking tray. Enjoy!

For more Passover dessert ideas click on the links below:

Matza Crunch

Frozen Lemon Dessert Passover Style

Sponge Cake

Meringues

Have a happy Passover!

Meringues

There's nothing like an airy meringue! When it touches your tongue, the sugar dissolves and tastes so sweet! 

Beat egg whites, pinch of salt, sugar and vanilla.  Add colors if desired. 

Pipe onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 225 degrees for about an hour or until outer shell is dry.

Leave oven door open and let cool on racks.

Arrange on a platter.

Store remaining meringues in an air tight container.

Meringues
4 egg whites (at room temperature)
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg chocolate chips

1. Add salt to egg whites and beat with electric mixer until it stands in soft peaks.  Add sugar until incorporated.

2. Add vanilla (or any other extract) and continue beating until stiff peaks form, but do not overbeat.

3. Add food coloring (if desired).

4. Add chocolate chips and mix by hand (optional).

5. This recipe suggests using a teaspoon to spoon onto parchment lined baking sheet, however, I like to use a disposable piping bag with or without a tip.  This time I used Wilton star tip #1M and followed the technique demonstrated in the link above.

6. Preheat oven and bake at 225 degrees until outside is dry but inside is still chewy (about an hour).  Do not remove from the oven at once, but turn off heat and open door and leave them in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool away from drafts.

7. Store in tightly covered container, e.g. cookie tin.

Yield: About 60 piped meringes.

Sponge Cake

I have always loved the taste of my aunt's moist, lemony Passover Sponge Cake. However, when I attempted to make Sponge Cake last year, I must have done something wrong.  I was so upset that after using 9 eggs and separating them very carefully, the cake did not rise as it should have. This year, I asked my aunt if she could teach me how to make it properly. My vision...to photograph her as she baked a sponge cake for our seder. What a great success!

On a side note...you might recognize my aunt from her second home located at Bayview and Eglinton called Duff's Famous Wings.  When she is not at the restaurant working, she is often at home cooking up a storm for the family, always making delicious meals and desserts. I thought that I could learn a few tips from her. The pressure she felt while I was taking photos of her as she was making the cake was too cute!  She did it though and made a yummy cake. Thanks Auntie Helen!

Here are the ingredients you will need. 

Here is a list of some of the supplies you will need:

-stand mixer with two bowls  (key to being efficient)

-whisk attachment

-bowl for separating the eggs

-lemon zester

-lemon juicer

-measuring cups

-strainer

-spatula

-10" tube pan

How to Make Auntie Helen's

 Sponge Cake

Separate 9 eggs one at a time.  Be sure that none of the yolks mix with the whites.  I suggest using your hands.  After all, they are your best tools in the kitchen!

Lots of eggs are used on Passover! 

I used 30 the other day, just to make matza balls!

Grate the zest of two lemons.

Be sure to wash the outside of the lemons before using them. 

Juice the lemons.  Rolling them on the counter first, produces more juice.  Cut in half and extract as much lemon juice as you can. Use a strainer to strain all of the pulp and seeds. 

   

Add sugar and lemon juice to yolks.  Beat until fluffy.

Continue to add sifted cake meal, potato starch and lemon rind to egg yolks. Beat and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and salt. Auntie Helen's tip: The egg whites are ready when the bowl is flipped over the whites do not fall out!

Fold beaten egg whites into batter.

Looks good!

Pour into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan.

Bake at 350 for just over an hour.

Remove from oven.

Invert pan immediately and let cool for 2-3 hours.

Tada!  This looks so much better than mine did last year.  It even makes a spongy sound when squashed!

To make your own Sponge Cake follow the recipe below.

9 eggs separated at room temperature
2 cups white sugar
6 tablespoons water
2 ½ teaspoons grated lemon rind
¼ cup lemon juice (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup cake meal
3/4 cup potato starch

In one bowl, beat egg yolks with water, lemon juice and sugar until light and fluffy. (3 minutes at medium speed using an electric mixer). Gradually add cake meal, potato starch and lemon rind and continue beating for an additional 2 minutes at medium speed.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with salt until a very firm peak is formed. Fold beaten egg whites into batter gently but thoroughly.

Pour into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan, and bake in oven at 350 degrees for one hour and 10 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched lightly with finger.

Invert pan and cool thoroughly (a few hours) before removing cake from pan. Shave inside of cake with a sharp knife to easily remove it from pan.

For a real treat, top with whipped cream and berries. 

Enjoy!