Enjoy Passover with these gluten-free favorites

Nosh on This.Front cover
What better way to spend Passover than with family and loved ones, enjoying a home-cooked dinner with plenty of desserts. Nosh on This: Gluten-Free Baking from a Jewish-American Kitchen from Lisa Stander-Horel and Tim Horel provides gluten-free alternatives to celebrated family favorites, from challah to macaroons. Passover begins the evening of April 15th. Be sure to try out the recipes below for your Seder or pick up a copy of Nosh on This for 100 more classic recipes made gluten-free!

Chocolate Drizzle Almond Macaroons
Macaroons made with coconut and almond flour and topped with chocolate are chewy and nutty and provide just the right finish to a great holiday dinner. They also might wake up Great-Aunt Sylvia after a long seder. Be sure to form loose haystacks so they aren’t quite as dense as, say, foam pillows.

Makes 20 to 24 Macaroons
Baking time: 30 to 35 minutes
Dairy Free

egg whites
105 grams | 3 extra-large
GF almond flour
10 grams | 2 tablespoons
Sugar
65 grams | ⅓ cup
almond extract
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
½ teaspoon
kosher salt
½ teaspoon
sweetened shredded coconut
375 grams | 4 cups
bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips, melted
170 grams | 1 cup

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the egg whites, almond flour, sugar, almond extract, vanilla, salt, and coconut with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated. Using a scoop or wet hands, place .-cup mounds on the prepared baking sheets. Form into haystacks with wet fingers.
  3. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place the baking sheets in the oven and turn down the temperature to 325°F. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans for even baking. Turn down the temperature to 300°F. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until they are golden brown. Let cool thoroughly on the pans before adding the chocolate drizzle.
  4. Melt the chocolate in a microwave on high in two 20-second bursts, stirring each time, or in a double boiler on the stove top over low heat. While the macaroons are on the parchment paper, drizzle the melted chocolate in random patterns over the completely cooled macaroons, using a small piping tip or a fork. Let the chocolate set for about 30 minutes.

Passover Mini Berry Pavlovas
No matter what story you read about the origin of the pavlova dessert, it always ends up being about a ballerina. I like to think of these as a pirouette of lofty meringue twirled into a little bowl that is filled with fresh berries and, hidden underneath, dark, bittersweet chocolate. Save some effort on serving day by baking the pavlova bowls ahead of time. Store overnight on a baking sheet lined with fresh parchment paper—in a cold oven. Don’t stack them or you’ll risk their sticking together. If they get soggy, just refresh them in a low oven (175°F) for a few minutes. Let cool before filling.

Makes 10 pavlovas
Baking time: 40 to 50 minutes
(plus cooling time)
Dairy-free option available

egg whites, at room temperature
210 grams | 6 extra-large
cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon
kosher salt
½ teaspoon
superfine sugar
200 grams | 1 cup
almond extract
1 teaspoon
shaved or grated bittersweet chocolate, optional
70 grams | 10 tablespoons
mixed fresh berries: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries
510 to 850 grams | 3 to 5 half-pints
whipped cream or nondairy whipped topping, slightly sweetened
10 tablespoons
mint sprigs, for garnish, optional

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Trace five 3½- to 4-inch circles in pencil on each sheet of parchment. Flip over the parchment so the pencil side is facing down. Prepare a piping bag with a ½-inch decorative tip, or have ready a large spoon and an offset spatula.
  2. Place the egg whites in a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) and add the cream of tartar and salt. Whip on medium-high speed until frothy. Turn the mixer speed to high and when the whites start to turn fluffy white, add the sugar in a slow, steady stream down the side of the bowl, making sure it all gets incorporated as it whips. Whip just until the whites are glossy and the peaks look shiny. Add the almond extract and whip for a few seconds, just to incorporate.
  3. Transfer the meringue to the piping bag. Following the pencil outlines, pipe the meringue onto the parchment to form shallow bowls. Alternatively, use a large spoon to place a large dollop of meringue in the center of each circle and use an offset spatula to spread the meringue into a bowl shape just to the edge of each outline.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and turn down the temperature to 225°F. Bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes. After 30 minutes, watch them carefully—open the oven door, rotate the baking sheets, and as soon as they start to turn color, remove them from the oven. You might think they are still too spongy, but they will become crisper as they cool.
  5. Let the meringue bowls cool completely on the parchment. They will not come off easily when they are warm. When room temperature, peel the parchment from the bottom of each bowl very carefully.
  6. Assemble the pavlovas right before serving. Place the shaved chocolate, if using, in the bottom of each bowl. Top with an attractive arrangement of fresh berries, slicing any that are larger than bite size. Add the whipped cream. Garnish each with a mint sprig, if desired. Serve immediately.

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