As I mentioned in my last blog baking at Passover can be quite challenging. I discovered this recipe many years ago in Chicago, most likely from an issue of the Chicago Tribune Food Guide featuring Passover Dessert Recipes.
We are going to mys sister’s this year for our Seder, and I volunteered to bring the chicken soup and matzo balls, Mom’s Passover Lemon Sponge Cake, and something chocolatey.
Here’s a lesson for you…share your recipes with family and friends because you never know when you may just need to borrow it. When I decided to make the Passover Chocolate Raspberry Dreams, I searched and searched and couldn’t find it. In speaking to my sister and telling her of my frustration, she told me to hold on because she may have a copy that I had given her years ago. She did, and my Passover Chocolate Raspberry Dreams will be putting in an appearance at our Seder tomorrow evening.
Passover Chocolate Raspberry Dreams
Chocolate Brownie Base
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
½ cup matzo cake meal, sifted
½ cup potato starch, sifted
½ cup crumbled chocolate macaroons (store bought or homemade:see recipe for Double Chocolate Macaroons).
Filling
6 oz cream cheese, optional
4 tablespoons milk, optional
½ cup seedless raspberry preserves, stirred to remove any lumps
Glaze
6 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9×13" baking pan.
Stir cocoa into melted butter.
In a standing mixer, or with a handheld mixer, beat sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture just til blended. Stir in cake meal, potato starch and crumbled macaroons just til blended.
Spread mixture evenly into pan.
Bake til toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. remove from oven to cool on a rack.
If using, in a separate bowl beat the cream cheese and milk til smooth and fluffy, spread over cooled brownie base.
Spread raspberry preserves over cream cheese.
If not using cream cheese and milk, simply spread preserves over base.
Melt chocolate and butter in small saucepan stirring constantly. Spread chocolate glaze carefully over preserves. Cool completely. cut into bars.
