Passover, the holiday commemorating the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom, begins this Friday at sundown.
Jewish families everywhere will participate in the ritual of the Seder, the festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods.
Family and friends gather around the table for a symbolic dinner, a Seder, to recall the history of their people’s escape to freedom.
Customarily, only unleavened products may be used during this eight-day holiday, which is symbolic of the fact that they had no time to let their bread rise as they hurriedly left Egypt.
Matzah is used instead of bread, matzah meal and potato starch are substituted for regular flour, and only eggs are used for leavening.
Preparing cakes and cookies without flour can be quite challenging, but not impossible. A Pavlova, a Chocolate Cake Roll, a Lemon Spongecake, Chocolate Raspberry Bars, and Meringue Cookies are just some of the desserts I have posted on this blog the past few years.
The Flourless Double Almond Cookies in the photo above come from a recipe I found in a cookbook my younger brother gave me recently. It is Jewish Soul Food (From Minsk to Marrakesh) by author Janna Gur.
The premise of Jewish Soul Food is that the only way to preserve traditional cuisine for future generations is to cook it, and she provides recipes that continue to charm with their practicality, relevance, and deliciousness.
These Flourless Double Almond Cookies are prepared with ground almonds and marzipan, giving them a bold almond flavor and a slightly chewy texture. They are perfect for Passover.
Flourless Double Almond Cookies
10 and ½ ounces plain best quality marzipan
4 egg whites
2 and 1/3 cups (3 and ½ ounces) finely ground almonds (store-bought)
1 and ¼ cups (5 and ½ ounces) confectioners’ sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1. Combine the marzipan and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth.
2. Mix the ground almonds and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Reduce the speed of the mixer, add the almond mixture, and process until the dough is smooth. Add the orange zest and mix until combined. Transfer to a pastry bag.
3. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Pipe cookies that are 1 inch in diameter (or larger if you like) onto the baking sheets.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes, until firm and slightly dry to the touch. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Variations
Replace the orange zest with a few drops of orange blossom water or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ½ teaspoon ground cardamom.