Chocolate Saves the Seder

The typical Passover Seder meal is a minefield of familial politics. Jackie Mason could base a stand-up routine on it: “I want the soup but no chicken in it; matzo balls but soft, not hard, ones; tzimmes but no prunes; brisket but just a little and just a thin slice; some potato kugel but not touching the brisket gravy; salad with the light dressing in a separate container; and I want fish but after the soup and before the meat. And I want it on the side!”

This is a Big Meal, an important meal and one wherein it is not unusual to feature a couple of different examples of a similar dish from several different contributors. Choose one dish over another, express a preference at this one’s brisket (‘so moist and not fatty!’) and you stand to gain or lose a relative. No one keeps a written record, but count on it-people remember who ate what. Passover begins at sundown April 7.

Real stand-offs occur when there are two of the same thing but done differently-like a traditional kugel and a tofu one, or gefilte fish from a kosher deli and a hopeful, from-scratch edition, undertaken when someone (usually plucky and 30-something), in a bold and whimsical pre-Passover moment, takes a chance and tries his hand at gefilte fish and fresh horseradish. This settled, the dispute continues to the chicken soup and matzo ball issue. And so it goes.

Until dessert. For dessert, it is not so much “who brought, who bought?’-it’s a matter of what is good. And what is always good, always welcome, especially at Passover, is chocolate.

The happy news for those who swoon at chocolate in its many guises on any occasion is that it is an exceptionally good choice at Passover. Richly flavored, pure in taste, chocolate-based Passover cakes, squares and confections deliver a good hit of dessert pleasure, bringing sweet but unmistakable closure to the Seder meal. Fresh fruit is refreshing, but no matter what people tell you about being “so full,” they still want a great, traditional dessert.

While we tend to be tolerant of Passover desserts because of the difficult criteria they must meet (no leavenings, usually no butter or other dairy products, no liquid vanilla or other alcohol-based extracts and, most of all, no wheat flour), everyone raves when you hit pay dirt with an exceptional creation. “Are you sure it’s a Passover cake?” is the highest accolade a Passover dessert can elicit.

The easiest way to achieve this is to give in to the inevitable chocolate conclusion. Chocolate does Passover better than any other ingredient, so showcase it-in brownies, truffles, tortes and cakes, and an outstanding, luscious chocolate buttercream roll. No excuses need be served with these treats-they are welcome on any table, at any time of year.

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Plate in cake photo from Joan Chase showroom at the L.A. Mart. Plate in biscotti photo from Iris Intrigue Boutique, South Pasadena.

Goldman runs the Baker Boulanger Web site, https://www.betterbaking.com.

Chocolate Genoise and Butter Cream Roll

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

This can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated until needed. Because the eggs are not separated in this recipe, you need a heavy-duty stand mixer to achieve the most volume from them. If you can’t find Passover parchment paper, use regular or line the baking sheet with foil and grease it with unsalted margarine.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

8 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup matzo cake meal

1/3 cup potato starch, not packed

1/4 cup cocoa, measured then sifted

1 tablespoon Passover vanilla sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted Passover margarine, melted, or oil

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Line it with parchment paper. Generously grease the parchment paper (this will help release cake later).

Place the eggs still in their shells in a bowl of hot water to warm for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not leave them in any longer, and do not make the water so hot that it cracks the eggs.

Fill a mixing bowl with very hot water to warm it, then dry it completely. Break the eggs into the warmed bowl and mix them with the whisk on slow speed just to break them up. Increase the speed to high and beat the eggs 10 minutes, dusting in the sugar gradually as eggs are being whipped. After 10 minutes, the batter should be extremely voluminous.

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In a small bowl, sift together the cake meal, potato starch, cocoa, vanilla sugar and salt.

Gently transfer the batter into a very large mixing bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients in small increments, gently folding after each addition. Drizzle in the melted margarine or oil, taking care not to deflate the mixture too much (some deflation is impossible to avoid).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it on top. Bake until the cake is set in the center or until the cake seems just firm when lightly touched, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the baking pan (with the parchment paper still attached). Using the parchment paper as an aid, roll up the cake into a jellyroll or log. Wrap the log in a new sheet of parchment paper and wrap the whole thing in a clean kitchen towel. Let the cake rest this way 20 to 30 minutes to allow the cake to set and retain its log shape. (It will be filled and re-rolled later.)

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM FILLING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted Passover margarine, at room temperature

1/2 cup cocoa, measured then sifted

2 to 3 cups Passover powdered sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons warm water, brewed coffee or cola

Cream the margarine with the cocoa and most of the powdered sugar on slow speed. Increase the speed to high, stopping occasionally to scrape down the bowl, and whip to make a fluffy frosting, adding a couple of tablespoons of water (or coffee or cola) as required to achieve proper consistency, 2 to 4 minutes.

ASSEMBLY

1 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Semi-sweet chocolate shavings, or slivered, toasted almonds, for garnish

Passover powdered sugar for dusting

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Gently unroll the cake and carefully remove the parchment paper. Spread on the Chocolate Butter Cream Filling with a metal spatula. Re-roll the cake into a log and place it seam-side down. Trim about 1/2-inchfrom each end to make it neat.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the chocolate to make it smooth. Spread it as evenly as possible over the cake using a pastry brush or small metal spatula. Garnish the cake with chocolate shavings and a dusting of powdered sugar or with toasted slivered almonds and powdered sugar.

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10 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings: 445 calories; 93 mg sodium; 138 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 2.34 grams fiber.

Double Chocolate Biscotti

Active Work Time: 20 minutes

Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours plus 2 hours chilling

Look for Passover vanilla sugar at stores where kosher and Jewish items are sold.

3/4 cup oil

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon Passover vanilla sugar

1/4 cup cocoa, measured then sifted

3 eggs

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

Dash salt

3/4 cup matzo meal

1 cup matzo cake meal

2 tablespoons potato starch

1/4 cup walnuts, finely ground

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

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Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 8x4 1/2-inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, Passover vanilla sugar and cocoa in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then stir in the coffee, salt, matzo meal, matzo cake meal and potato starch. Let stand 10 minutes. Fold in the chocolate and the nuts. Spoon the batter into the pan.

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Bake the loaf until the top is set, about 35 to 40 minutes. Wrap the loaf well in foil and refrigerate for a couple of hours to firm up.

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Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the loaf into slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and then bake them again to dry them out, turning the slices halfway through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

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24 biscotti. Each biscotti: 188 calories; 23 mg sodium; 26 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.83 gram fiber.

Legendary Matzo Buttercrunch

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

This is my most copied, requested, used recipe. It takes 3 main ingredients, no expertise and is good enough to be served year-round (which I do). If you are leery of desserts at Passover, make only this and you will be fine.

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4 to 6 unsalted matzos (preferably regular, but you can use egg as well)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or Passover margarine

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

3/4 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Stack 2 jellyroll pans together and line them with foil, then with a sheet of parchment paper.

Line the jellyroll pan with matzos as evenly as possible, cutting them into pieces to fill in any gaps.

Heat the butter and brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a medium boil for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the stove and pour it over the matzos.

Put the jellyroll pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate over the matzos. Let stand 5 minutes, then smear the top with a metal spatula to spread the chocolate. Garnish the buttercrunch with toasted slivered almonds if desired. Freeze until firm, an hour or less. Break the buttercrunch into pieces, squares or odd shapes to serve.

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6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 451 calories; 16 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.45 grams fiber.

Fudge Pecan Bars

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

You can use semisweet chocolate bars or baking chips for this recipe and omit the nuts; the result is still moist, chewy, fudgey bars. Passover vanilla sugar is available at markets that specialize in Jewish or kosher products.

6 ounces semisweet chocolate

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon Passover vanilla sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup matzo cake meal

1/4 cup potato starch

1 cup whole pecans, lightly toasted, divided

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted, for garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter or margarine over low heat. Cool to room temperature. Stir in the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, eggs, cake meal and potato starch. Fold in 3/4 cup of pecans.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top seems set and is beginning to take on a crackled appearance, 35 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake. The brownies should be set and seem dry to the touch-but there should not be a dry crust around the sides.

To garnish, drizzle the melted chocolate over the brownies. Coarsely chop the remaining pecans and scatter them over the top.

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About 30 squares. Each square: 175 calories; 19 mg sodium; 37 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.71 gram fiber.

Praline-Covered Truffles

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 3 hours chilling

The truffles will be very soft, so serve them in miniature paper candy or chocolate cups (available at candy-making supply stores or gourmet kitchen supplies).

MATZO PRALINE CRUMBS

2 unsalted matzo boards or sheets

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

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Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper-on top of the foil. This is very important as the mixture becomes sticky during baking. Line the bottom of the pan evenly with matzo boards, cutting it to fit.

Combine the butter or margarine and brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking 3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzo.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove it from the oven, reduce the heat to 325 degrees, and replace).

Remove the pan from the oven and stack the matzo boards on a plate. Place them in the freezer to chill 1 hour. When very chilled, break up the matzo boards and grind them to a medium coarse meal in a food processor. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY

3/4 cup brewed coffee

2 cups semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

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Heat the coffee to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the chocolate. Reduce the heat and whisk on low until the chocolate is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and cool about 20 minutes. Cover lightly and freeze or refrigerate several hours or over night.

Using a melon-baller, miniature ice-cream scoop or a teaspoon, dig out about a teaspoon of truffle mixture and roll it into a ball about 3/4 inch around. Toss or coat in Matzo Praline Crumbs. Repeat until all of the chocolate mixture is used up. Place the truffles in candy cups and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve. The truffles must stay cold.

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About 40 truffles. Each truffle: 66 calories; 2 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 grams protein; 0.54 gram fiber.

Variations: Truffles can be tossed in cocoa powder instead of Matzo Praline Crumbs. (Or do some in each, for eye appeal.) For Double Dipped Truffles, coat the truffles once in Matzo Praline Crumbs. Chill well. Dip each truffle into room temperature melted semisweet chocolate. Leave as is or recoat in matzo praline crumbs.

Chocolate Spice Cake

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

Not just any old chocolate cake, this combines warm spices like cloves and cinnamon with toasted ground almonds for an effect that is distinctly Italian. The almonds can be toasted up to a week in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the freezer. But grind them at the last minute to keep them tasting fresh.

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1 1/4 cups almonds

10 eggs, separated

2 cups sugar, divided

1/3 cup Passover wine or warm coffee

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/3 cups matzo cake meal

1/4 cup potato starch

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Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool, then finely chop and set aside.

Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10-inch tube or angel food pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease and dust the sides with potato starch.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1 1/4 cups sugar until very thick and pale yellow, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the wine or coffee, cocoa powder, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Stir in the matzo cake meal, potato starch and the chopped almonds.

In a large bowl, gently whisk the egg whites with clean, dry beaters to break them up. Increase the speed and gradually add the remaining sugar, beating on high speed until the whites are stiff and glossy but not dry, 6 to 8 minutes. Briskly and thoroughly fold about one-third of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten. Then in two separate additions, fold in the remaining egg whites into the yolk mixture, taking care not to deflate the egg whites and to still blend the batter properly.

Pour the batter into the pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 65 minutes.

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10 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings: 324 calories; 101 mg sodium; 172 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.93 grams fiber.