I needed dessert for my seder tonight and I didn't feel like separating eggs
and beating them separately for the typical sponge or chiffon cake. I
decided since my guests are chocoholics like I am, I'd make brownies.

They love when I make Barb Schaller's famous brownie recipe. So I read a
few passover cake recipes, and figured out matzo cake meal was probably a
lot like cake flour, in the gluten department, anyway. And brownies really
don't need the structure you get from flour like a cake does. So why not?

So I made a half batch of Barb's brownie recipe, leaving out the baking soda
(which I do anyway, because I prefer them that way) and subbing the cake
meal plus some potato starch for the cake flour.

Here's what I did:

1/4 pound (1 stick) of margarine
2 ounces of good unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup matzo cake meal
2 tablespoons potato starch

Chop the chocolate into bits (I actually grated it on a box grater from a
block I had) and combine with the stick of margarine. Microwave for one
minute on high. Stir. Microwave 30 second more, if necessary, to melt all
the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add the sugar and stir until smooth.

Add one egg, mix it in well, then the other, mixing in well. Add the
extracts, and stir.

Now, mix the starch with the cake meal and sift it into the batter, folding
just until the flour disappears.

Pour into a prepared 9x9 inch pan (I line it with parchment so I can easily
remove the brownies from teh pan.

Bake at 325 (I used a glass pan, if using metal, 350 is fine) for 33-35
minutes, until JUST done. Don't overbake!!!!

I arranged them on a plate yesterday and rats, all but ONE brownie fit on
the plate, so I HAD to taste it...well!!!!! These definitely DID NOT taste
like a typical Passover dessert!!! They were fantastic!!!

After such a rich and lavish meal, we had brownies and I cut up some
wonderful strawberries I found at the green market, and put out the jar of
Fox's Ubet Chocolate Syrup, which we passed around. We had brownies and
strawberries dipped in Ubet chocolate syrup! It was not a terribly heavy
dessert, but it was fun, it was delicious, and more importantly, it was
intensely chocolate! Plus we felt virtuous having had fruit! We started the
meal with grapefruit halves. It's a silly thing, but it harkens back to my
grandmother. We always had half a grapefruit before a big holiday meal. My
grandma said it woke up your tastebuds.

Anyway, try the brownie recipe, it's really fantastic!

Sheryl Rosen wrote:
> I needed dessert for my seder tonight and I didn't feel like separating eggs
> and beating them separately for the typical sponge or chiffon cake. I
> decided since my guests are chocoholics like I am, I'd make brownies.
>
> They love when I make Barb Schaller's famous brownie recipe. So I read a
> few passover cake recipes, and figured out matzo cake meal was probably a
> lot like cake flour, in the gluten department, anyway. And brownies really
> don't need the structure you get from flour like a cake does. So why not?
>
> So I made a half batch of Barb's brownie recipe, leaving out the baking soda
> (which I do anyway, because I prefer them that way) and subbing the cake
> meal plus some potato starch for the cake flour.
>
> Here's what I did:
>
> 1/4 pound (1 stick) of margarine
> 2 ounces of good unsweetened baking chocolate
> 1 cup of white sugar
> 2 eggs
> 1 teaspoon vanilla
> 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
> 1/2 cup matzo cake meal
> 2 tablespoons potato starch
>
> Chop the chocolate into bits (I actually grated it on a box grater from a
> block I had) and combine with the stick of margarine. Microwave for one
> minute on high. Stir. Microwave 30 second more, if necessary, to melt all
> the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add the sugar and stir until smooth.
>
> Add one egg, mix it in well, then the other, mixing in well. Add the
> extracts, and stir.
>
> Now, mix the starch with the cake meal and sift it into the batter, folding
> just until the flour disappears.
>
> Pour into a prepared 9x9 inch pan (I line it with parchment so I can easily
> remove the brownies from teh pan.
>
> Bake at 325 (I used a glass pan, if using metal, 350 is fine) for 33-35
> minutes, until JUST done. Don't overbake!!!!
>
> I arranged them on a plate yesterday and rats, all but ONE brownie fit on
> the plate, so I HAD to taste it...well!!!!! These definitely DID NOT taste
> like a typical Passover dessert!!! They were fantastic!!!
>
> After such a rich and lavish meal, we had brownies and I cut up some
> wonderful strawberries I found at the green market, and put out the jar of
> Fox's Ubet Chocolate Syrup, which we passed around. We had brownies and
> strawberries dipped in Ubet chocolate syrup! It was not a terribly heavy
> dessert, but it was fun, it was delicious, and more importantly, it was
> intensely chocolate! Plus we felt virtuous having had fruit! We started the
> meal with grapefruit halves. It's a silly thing, but it harkens back to my
> grandmother. We always had half a grapefruit before a big holiday meal. My
> grandma said it woke up your tastebuds.
>
> Anyway, try the brownie recipe, it's really fantastic!
>

It sounds good.

My favorite brownie recipe doesn't have any baking powder or soda in it.
They rise a little just from the eggs. I wonder how it would work to use
ground almonds instead of flour?

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:


> My favorite brownie recipe doesn't have any baking powder or soda in it.
> They rise a little just from the eggs. I wonder how it would work to use
> ground almonds instead of flour?

A recent episode of "Everyday Italian" featured cookies made using ground
toasted hazelnuts instead of flour.

(See http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._26058,00.html)

I got the impression that they turned out a bit soft, so maybe brownies made
like that would fall apart. But if you have to spoon this chocolate crumb
mixture into a bowl and put vanilla ice cream on top of it, that's not the
end of the world.

(Aside: I think Giada De Laurentiis is hotter than Rachael Ray.)


Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

> My favorite brownie recipe doesn't have any baking powder or soda in it.
> They rise a little just from the eggs. I wonder how it would work to
> use ground almonds instead of flour?

Here's a recipe with ground almonds. I'm sure hazelnuts would work too.


Passover Brownies

Sent in by Fabulous Foods

Makes 24 brownies

Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients

175g/6oz unsalted butter, softened
175g/6oz sugar
5 eggs, separated
175g/6oz bittersweet chocolate
175g/6oz almonds, finely ground
pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas5.
2. Cream butter and sugar together.
3. Mix in egg yolks. Set aside.
4. Melt chocolate in double boiler.
5. Cool, then mix into butter mixture.
6. Mix in finely ground almonds.
7. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, then fold into batter.
8. Pour mixture into 23cm/9in square greased baking pan.
9. Bake for 45 min.
10. Cool and cut into squares.

--
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