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Sunday, March 22, 2026

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE BROWNIES: 4 Recipes


If
you observe Passover, you won't be eating any leavened food products during the holiday which lasts 8 days. So in terms of chocolate baking you need to tweak some things, starting with not using flour. This doesn't mean you can't have Chocolate Cake, Brownies, or Cookies .. . it's just an adjustment. Baking without flour shouldn't be a problem (there's always matzo meal or almond flour meal, and these recipes are great any time, not just for Passover.

So for Passover week, here are 4 different recipes for Passover Brownies. Try all the recipes and let me know which you like best. Do you have your own favorite recipe for Passover Brownies? Be sure and share in comments.

These first two recipes I adapted from recipes I found on Chowhound in 2008.

Passover Chocolate Brownies #1

Ingredients
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (not chocolate chips)
8 ounces finely chopped or ground almonds (or almond flour)
Pinch of salt

Directions
Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in egg yolks.
Melt chocolate over double boiler (or over saucepan over saucepan with simmering water). Cool and add to butter mixture. Add finely ground almonds.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter.
Pour into 9" square greased baking tin.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 45-50 min.
Cool and cut into squares.

Passover Chocolate Brownies #2

Ingredients
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup of matzo cake meal
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup DARK cocoa
3 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Mix oil and sugar.
Add eggs and mix again.
Sift matzo cake meal and cocoa together and add to mixture.
Fold in nuts and mix thoroughly.
Grease 8 x 8 pan and pour in batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Cool and cut in squares.

This third recipe is originally from Gourmet 2000 ( Epicurious). It calls for a Chocolate-Wine Glaze, and you might want to try that. I like my brownies unadulterated, but I've tried the chocolate-wine glaze, and it's delicious. Nothing quite like Chocolate and Manischewitz!

Passover Chocolate Brownies #3

Ingredients
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted margarine (if keeping brownies pareve) or butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 tsp finely grated fresh orange zest
3/4 cup matzo cake meal
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with wax paper or greased foil.
Melt chocolate and margarine (or butter) in metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
Beat eggs, sugar, and salt in large bowl with electric mixer on high until pale and thick. Beat in chocolate in 3 batches on low speed. Stir in zest, matzo meal, and nuts just until blended.
Spread batter in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until firm and tester comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on rack, then invert onto a platter and remove paper or foil.
Cut into Squares.

Passover Chocolate Brownies #4

Ingredients
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate, chopped)
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup matzoh cake meal
2 Tbsp unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
2 Tbsp potato starch
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8-inch square baking dish.
Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler or in saucepan on top of another saucepan with simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
In mixing bowl, stir together cake meal, cocoa powder, and potato starch.
Combine eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until light and creamy – about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture until smooth, then add cake meal mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Batter is thick.
Fold in chopped nuts and spread in prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or just until entire surface has puffed slightly. Brownies will still be moist in center.
Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.

I especially love Passover Brownies #4--very, very fudgy!!! Of course, always use high quality chocolate! It really makes a difference!!!

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Strawberry Chocolate Dutch Baby: California Strawberry Day

Today is California Strawberry Day. I love California Strawberries. They're always sweet and full of flavor. Celebrate today's food holiday by making this easy Strawberry Dutch Baby. A Dutch Baby is a cross between a souffle and an omelet. You make it in an iron skillet that you bake in the oven. So easy and so versatile.

Strawberry Chocolate Dutch Baby

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup (6 ounces) dark chocolate (65-70%), chopped
1 pint basket fresh California strawberries, stemmed and sliced
Powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in 10-inch ovenproof iron skillet.
In container of electric blender measure eggs, milk, and flour. Blend until smooth.
Pour into hot skillet.
Bake in oven for 2 minutes.
Remove from oven; sprinkle chocolate pieces over pancake and return to oven.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
Top with strawberries and dust with sugar.
Serve immediately, cut into wedges.

Friday, March 20, 2026

Welcome Spring: Retro Springtime Fancy Cake!

Welcome, Spring! Here's a "Springtime Fancy Cake" Advertisement from 1953. It's not chocolate, but it's so fun! Made with Dexo! Dexo was similar to Crisco.

"In the Spring, a young (5 to 95!) man's fancy really turns to thoughts of 'what's cookin?'




Thursday, March 19, 2026

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars: Chocolate Caramel Day

Photo: Martha Stewart Living
Today is National Chocolate Caramel Day. My favorite Chocolate Caramels are from Recchiuti Confections EHChocolatier, and Delysia. But really, I've never met a chocolate caramel that I didn't like. But in case you want to make something to celebrate the day, here's and easy delicious recipe from Martha Stewart for Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars. I've posted several chocolate caramel recipes, so I thought I'd do a Mini-Round-Up of a few other Chocolate Caramel recipes! Be sure to scroll down.

If you don't want to bake, pick up a Chocolate Caramel at your local chocolate shop... or in a pinch have some Milk Duds.

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, November 2009

Ingredients
For the Crust
4 1/2 ounces (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for parchment
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt

For the Chocolate Caramel
10 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sea salt, preferably fleur de sel

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make crust: Line 9-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides; butter parchment, excluding overhang. Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and table salt, and beat until just combined.
Press dough evenly into pan, and bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Make chocolate caramel: Place chocolate in medium bowl. Heat granulated sugar and water in small saucepan over medium-high heat, washing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, cream, and table salt. Bring to boil, stirring until smooth. Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Stir to combine, and let stand until cool, about 10 minutes.
Pour mixture over crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. Run knife around edges; lift parchment to remove whole bar from pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Trim edges, and cut into 16 bars. Bars can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Caramel Recipe Round-Up

Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Balls
Sea Salt Caramel Brownies
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Caramel Trifle with Raspberries
Hazelnut Caramel Toffee Bon Bon
Warm Chocolate Caramel Cakes
Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Caramel Apples
Nutty Chocolate Chip Caramel Squares 
Salted Caramel Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar