Kitchen Vignettes

Scroll to Info & Navigation

It doesn’t get easier than this dessert, especially during Passover when we are looking for something really delicious but there are so many restrictions to what we can eat. This is pear crisp — which you could make with apples, peaches, blueberries and every other fruit that you usually bake into a crisp. But the top crust is made with Matzolah. Yep, Matzolah! It’s a kind of granola made with matzo. I tasted it at the Kosherfest food festival — where it won Best New “Kosher for Passover” product — and thought it was really yummy. Crunchy. Not overly sweet. Foodman’s, the company that manufactures it using Streit’s matzos, bills this as a breakfast cereal or nosh (like trail mix). Which is, of course, just fine. But you know me. One taste and I was thinking about the possibilities. So I asked the person who was giving out samples if she thought it would work for baking and she said “try it!” And she sent me a carton of the stuff. Which I used for a couple of recipes and which, indeed, is terrific for baking. Like for a crisp or cobbler or whatever you wish to call it. This is a dish that you can serve for breakfast or dessert. Or snack. The crust is sweet (one of Matzolah’s ingredients is maple syrup) — but not overly so and not cloying. But I don’t add any extra sugar or other sweetener to the fruit; just a bit of orange juice. Then it’s just a matter of mixing the Matzolah with spices and a bit of butter, crumbling it over the fruit and putting it in the oven.  How easy is that?! Matzolah Pear Crisp  4 large pears 1/4 cup apple or orange juice 1 cup Matzolah 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg pinch or two of salt 1/4 cup butter or margarine   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core and slice the pears and place them in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the juice and set aside. Toss the Matzolah, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl. Add the butter in chunks and work into the Matzolah mixture. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the pears. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Makes 4 servings    

It doesn’t get easier than this dessert, especially during Passover when we are looking for something really delicious but there are so many restrictions to what we can eat.

This is pear crisp — which you could make with apples, peaches, blueberries and every other fruit that you usually bake into a crisp. But the top crust is made with Matzolah.

Yep, Matzolah! It’s a kind of granola made with matzo. I tasted it at the Kosherfest food festival — where it won Best New “Kosher for Passover” product — and thought it was really yummy. Crunchy. Not overly sweet.

Foodman’s, the company that manufactures it using Streit’s matzos, bills this as a breakfast cereal or nosh (like trail mix). Which is, of course, just fine.

But you know me. One taste and I was thinking about the possibilities. So I asked the person who was giving out samples if she thought it would work for baking and she said “try it!” And she sent me a carton of the stuff.

Which I used for a couple of recipes and which, indeed, is terrific for baking.

Like for a crisp or cobbler or whatever you wish to call it. This is a dish that you can serve for breakfast or dessert. Or snack.

The crust is sweet (one of Matzolah’s ingredients is maple syrup) — but not overly so and not cloying. But I don’t add any extra sugar or other sweetener to the fruit; just a bit of orange juice. Then it’s just a matter of mixing the Matzolah with spices and a bit of butter, crumbling it over the fruit and putting it in the oven. 

How easy is that?!

Matzolah Pear Crisp

 4 large pears

1/4 cup apple or orange juice

1 cup Matzolah

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

pinch or two of salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core and slice the pears and place them in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the juice and set aside. Toss the Matzolah, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl. Add the butter in chunks and work into the Matzolah mixture. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the pears. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Makes 4 servings

 

 

Sometimes simple is best. This is the time of year I buy a load of apples and bake pies and fancy cakes and gorgeous French apple tarts. But, with all the cooking and baking I’m doing now, I also try to make a few really easy desserts that are light and fresh tasting so we can eat them even after a heavy holiday meal. This one is a classic. Good plain, with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Or with ice cream of course. I think I could write a whole book about different kinds of apple cake. Apple Cake 3-4 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1-1/4 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 1/4 cup apple, orange, peach or mango juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 2 teaspoons vanilla extract   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan (or a 9”x13” cake pan). Combine the apples, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, 1-1/4 cups sugar and vegetable oil in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the juice, lemon peel and vanilla extract. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon some of the apple mixture on top. Repeat the layers. Bake for about 65-75 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes one cake

Sometimes simple is best. This is the time of year I buy a load of apples and bake pies and fancy cakes and gorgeous French apple tarts.

But, with all the cooking and baking I’m doing now, I also try to make a few really easy desserts that are light and fresh tasting so we can eat them even after a heavy holiday meal.

This one is a classic. Good plain, with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Or with ice cream of course.

I think I could write a whole book about different kinds of apple cake.

Apple Cake

3-4 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup apple, orange, peach or mango juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan (or a 9”x13” cake pan). Combine the apples, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, 1-1/4 cups sugar and vegetable oil in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the juice, lemon peel and vanilla extract. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon some of the apple mixture on top. Repeat the layers. Bake for about 65-75 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes one cake

Passover products have been on the supermarket shelves for weeks now. Which makes Passover like any other holiday in this respect — you have to think about the food way ahead of the actual event and the mountains of matzo meal and farfel and potato starch are a reminder to stock up and start planning. So too in the food business. I’ve been experimenting with Passover recipes for months and have already given several cooking demonstrations of Passover dishes. Last week I blogged about the one for the UJA Federation of Greenwich Annual Education Symposium (you’ll find a really delicious recipe for Quinoa Salad in that post). The Symposium was a half-day event featuring keynote speaker Linda Scherzer, former Middle East correspondent for CNN and Israeli Television. Then came the breakout sessions, of which mine was one. You can read all about it here. Well, in addition to that Quinoa Salad recipe,  I also showed the group how to make The Easiest, Fastest Tiramisu in the World. Made with Macaroons. Perfect for Passover. It takes less than 15 minutes to make. And yes, it isn’t the authentic, cooked, egg-yolk enriched custardy tiramisu you may have eaten. But it is pretty good! And looks good and takes almost no time at all. The Easiest, Fastest Macaroon Tiramisu in the World: 12 ounces Mascarpone cheese 1 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoon cold brewed espresso coffee 2 tablespoons Sabra coffee liqueur or Orange-flavored brandy* 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 1/2 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate 12 macaroons Beat the mascarpone cheese with an electric mixer set at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add the ricotta cheese, sugar, coffee and liqueur and beat ingredients for another 2-3 minutes. Crumble 12 macaroons into 6 dessert dishes. Spoon equal amounts of the cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle with the cocoa and chocolate. Makes 6 servings  *or use more espresso coffee or mix equal amounts of instant coffee and water together. You can double this and serve it in a large serving bowl, layered with crumbled macaroons.

Passover products have been on the supermarket shelves for weeks now. Which makes Passover like any other holiday in this respect — you have to think about the food way ahead of the actual event and the mountains of matzo meal and farfel and potato starch are a reminder to stock up and start planning.

So too in the food business. I’ve been experimenting with Passover recipes for months and have already given several cooking demonstrations of Passover dishes. Last week I blogged about the one for the UJA Federation of Greenwich Annual Education Symposium (you’ll find a really delicious recipe for Quinoa Salad in that post).

The Symposium was a half-day event featuring keynote speaker Linda Scherzer, former Middle East correspondent for CNN and Israeli Television. Then came the breakout sessions, of which mine was one. You can read all about it here.

Well, in addition to that Quinoa Salad recipe,  I also showed the group how to make The Easiest, Fastest Tiramisu in the World.

Made with Macaroons.

Perfect for Passover.

It takes less than 15 minutes to make. And yes, it isn’t the authentic, cooked, egg-yolk enriched custardy tiramisu you may have eaten.

But it is pretty good! And looks good and takes almost no time at all.

The Easiest, Fastest Macaroon Tiramisu in the World:

12 ounces Mascarpone cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoon cold brewed espresso coffee

2 tablespoons Sabra coffee liqueur or Orange-flavored brandy*

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1/2 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

12 macaroons

Beat the mascarpone cheese with an electric mixer set at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add the ricotta cheese, sugar, coffee and liqueur and beat ingredients for another 2-3 minutes. Crumble 12 macaroons into 6 dessert dishes. Spoon equal amounts of the cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle with the cocoa and chocolate. Makes 6 servings 

*or use more espresso coffee or mix equal amounts of instant coffee and water together.

You can double this and serve it in a large serving bowl, layered with crumbled macaroons.