By Tina Wasserman
Here are some easy recipes for Passover that children love to make:
A practical dilemma during Passover is taking one’s lunch to work or school without finding a brown bag filled with egg salad adhering to matzo pieces in the bottom. Here’s my answer: bagels! Made like the classic pate choux dough for cream puffs, these rolls turn out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Children love to stick an oiled finger in the center and create the hole.
Passover Bagels
2 cups matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1. Combine the matzo meal, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Bring the oil and water to a boil and add to the matzoh meal mixture all at once. Stir well to combine.
2. Using a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, beat in eggs thoroughly one at a time until each is incorporated into the dough. Let stand for 15 minutes.
3. With oiled hands, scoop up about 2 heaping tablespoons of dough, shape into rolls and place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Grease your forefinger. Insert your finger into the middle of the roll and twirl the roll around on the baking sheet until a hole is formed in the center.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
YIELD: 12 bagels
Married to a man who works every day to reverse food allergies in children, I have learned how stigmatizing and isolating food allergies can be, especially to a child. I have strived to create a recipe that combines the fruits and flavors from much of the diaspora and crunch that we find in a classic nut-filled recipe but without the fear.
Fruit-filled Nut-free Haroset
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
4 large dried Calimyrna figs (about 1/3 cup)
6 pitted medjool dates
1 Honeycrisp or other sweet apple
1 medium-large ripe avocado
1/3 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons sweet wine or grape juice
1. Combine all of the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Tear the figs and dates into pieces and place in a processor work bowl.
3. Core the apple, but don’t peel, and cut it into 16 pieces. Add these to the figs and dates.
4. Cut avocado in half, remove pit, and scoop out pulp into processor work bowl with the fruit.
5. Add the raisins and sunflower seeds and pulse the mixture until it is coarse. Scrape down sides of work bowl and pulse again until a coarse/smooth mixture is formed.
6. Add 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture and the 2 tablespoons of wine or juice to the mixture and process until a fairly smooth consistency.
7. More liquid may be added if mixture appears too dry.
8. Allow mixture to sit for a few hours to totally absorb the spices. More spice mixture may be added in small amounts if you desire. Mixture can be made days in advance and kept refrigerated.
Yield: 2 cups
If there is a run on matzo farfel in your supermarket, my recipe is probably the reason. This recipe should be a staple in your Passover repertoire. Delicious with milk for breakfast, a healthy snack for school or work and a great treat anytime if you make the delicious chocolate candy recipe below. They are much less expensive than store-bought candies and kids love to make them.
Passover Granola
3 cups matzo farfel
2/3 cup slivered almonds (substitute sunflower seeds or more farfel for nut-free)
½ cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut
2/3 cup pecans, broken into large pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or parve margarine
1/3 cup wildflower or clover honey
1½ cups chopped dried mixed fruit of your choice including raisins, or 7-ounce bag of dried fruit pieces
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the farfel, almonds, coconut, pecans, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a 3-quart mixing bowl.
3. Melt the butter and honey in a small glass bowl in a microwave for 1 minute until butter is melted and honey is more fluid.
4. Stir the butter mixture into the farfel mixture until all farfel is lightly coated with the butter.
5. Spread mixture over a large jellyroll pan with 1-inch sides and bake for 15 minutes. Half way through baking stir to brown evenly.
6. Remove from oven. Cool slightly and then toss with the dried fruit.
7. When totally cooled, store in a zip lock bag or airtight storage container for all eight days of Passover. If it lasts that long.
Chocolate Granola Treats
1. Melt 8 ounces of Passover chocolate chips and mix them with 1½ or 2 cups prepared granola. Stir to coat well.
2. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper and allow the mounds to firm up before you devour them.