PASSOVER BROWNIES 8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet bar chocolate, chopped 1/2 C canola oil 1 C sugar 1/4 t salt 3 large eggs 3/4 C matzo cake meal Melt chocolate and oil together in medium saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp. By hand, use wooden spoon to stir sugar and salt into chocolate mixture until combined. Beat eggs until foamy, then add to chocolate mixture and stir until totally incorporated. Add cake meal and gently stir 2-3 minutes. Batter will be thick. Let rest for 5 minutes, to soften up cake meal. Line 8" baking pan with foil, grease foil. Stir batter briefly, then spread into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, do not overbake. Cool on wire rack in pan. Passover-friendly Chocolate Mousse Cake (JM Hirsch NYT 3-29-06) Serves 10 Nonstick cooking spray (I used a little margarine) 1 T ground almonds, plus more for the pan 10 ½ oz. dark chocolate (I used semi-sweet) 1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter (I used margarine) 1 ½ c sugar pinch of salt 5 large eggs confectioners sugar (optional, even when it isnt Pesach!) Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray or grease an 8- or 9-inch spring form pan, then dust it with ground almonds, shaking off any excess. [Dont worry if some of the almond "dust" gets on the top of the cake it looks really good that way.] In a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter, sugar, and salt, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and 1 T ground almonds. Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate and stir until thickened, several minutes (I put it on a lowish speed on the mixer and left it there 10 minutes). Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake 45 minutes, or until the top is set and begins to crack. Remove the side of the pan and let the cake cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar if desired. MATZOH BAKLAVA 6 sheets matzoh For syrup 2 cups sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon rose water For assembly 1 cup walnuts, chopped 1 cup shelled raw unsalted natural pistachios, chopped 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted margarine or butter, melted Briefly pass each sheet of matzoh under cold running water until wet on all sides. Layer sheets between damp paper towels and let stand until somewhat pliable but not soggy or falling apart, about 2 hours. While matzoh is softening, make syrup In small saucepan over moderately high heat, stir together 1 cup water and sugar. Bring to boil, then lower heat to moderate and cook, uncovered, until syrupy and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, honey, and rose water and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool, then chill until ready to use. Assemble dessert Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together walnuts, pistachios, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Separate out 1/6 of nut mixture and reserve for topping cooked baklava. Transfer 1 sheet matzoh to counter. Press rolling pin once over sheet from one end to other to flatten. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat. Transfer to 8-inch-square pan and brush with melted margarine. Sprinkle with 1/5 of unreserved nut mixture. Roll out second sheet of matzoh and transfer to pan. Brush with margarine and sprinkle with nut mixture. Repeat with remaining matzoh sheets and remaining nut mixture, ending with matzoh sheet brushed with margarine on top. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and immediately pour chilled syrup over. Sprinkle with reserved nut mixture. Let cool, then cover and let stand at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. (Do not chill.) Cut into small squares or diamonds and serve. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Epicurious March 2007 Chef Einat Admony (Adapted by Nancy Davidson) Restaurant Taim Double Citrus Sponge Cake This moist perfect for passover cake is subtly flavored with lemon and orange peel. The cake is especially light and fluffy because egg whites and yolks are beaten separately, then folded together. 1 cup unsalted matzoh meal 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar 9 large eggs, separated 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar (optional) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In food processor or blender, grind matzoh meal with salt and 2 tablespoons sugar until very fine (consistency will resemble flour). In large bowl,, with mixer at high speed, beat egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar until thick and lemon colored and mixture forms ribbons when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Beat in lemon and orange peels. Fold in matzoh meal mixture until well blended. Set yolk mixture aside (mixture will stiffen upon standing). Wash and dry beaters. In another large bowl, with clean beaters and with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually sprinkle in remaining 2/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until sugar has dissolved and whites stand in stiff peaks when beaters are lifted. Do not overbeat. With rubber spatula, stire about 1/4 of beaten whites into yolk mixture to loosen. Fold in remaining whites, 1/3 at a time, just until blended. spoon batter into ungreased 10 inch tube pan with removable bottom. With metal spatula, cut though batter to break large air bubbles. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched with fingers, 40 minutes. Invert cake in pan on metal funnel or bottle; cool completely in pan. Run thin knife around cake to loosen from side and center tube of pan; lift tube to separate cake from Pan side. Invert cake onto cake plate, slide knife under cake to separate from bottom of pan. Remove cake from pan and if you like, sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Passover Banana Almond Torte (recipezaar) 12 servings 1¾ hours 40 min prep 7 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 1-1/3 cups sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon fresh grated orange rind 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/3 cups) 1 cup matzo cake meal 1 cup coarsely grated blanched almonds 1 pinch salt 1. Set oven rack at middle of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale, add sugar gradually, beating. Beat until very thick. 3. Beat in lemon juice and rind. Add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT egg whites). Beat until combined well. 4. In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. 5. Stir 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into the banana mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly. 6. Pour into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan (3 ½ inches deep) with a removable bottom. Bake about 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. 7. Invert pan onto a bottle neck, let torte cool upside down. 8. Run a knife around edge of pan; remove side of pan. Run a knife under bottom of torte to release it. 9. Transfer carefully with two spatulas to a serving plate. Matzo Crêpes Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups whole milk 1 1/3 cups matzo meal 4 large eggs 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus additional for brushing skillet Blend milk, matzo meal, eggs, oil, and salt in a blender until smooth. Let batter stand 30 minutes. Stir batter before using. Lightly brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Holding skillet off heat, pour in 1/3 cup batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe until top is set and edge and bottom are golden, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and loosen edge of crêpe with a flexible heatproof spatula. Quickly invert skillet over a plate to release crêpe. Make 11 more crêpes in same manner, brushing skillet lightly with oil for each and stacking crêpes on plate as cooked.

Barb: Pizzelles and Biscotti are always a big hit here. In fact I caught H~~~ , because I didn't have any made for Thanksgiving. And they are only plain with Anise. ************************************** I sent these to my Niece when she was in Bagdad. Packed Biscotti in one airtight container and Pizzelles in another. Don't pack them both in one container. She distributed them to the Marines, who she worked with. They were a hit with them. Asked when more were coming. ******************************** This sounds like a a lot but are very easy. (10 min. Prep) ******************************** Good , Light, Crispy, Delicious, Mouth Watering, To kill for, Lou's Pizzelles 3-X large eggs 1/2 cup (1 stick ) of melted butter ( not hot ) 3 tablespoons of oil 1 cup of Sugar + 3 Tablespoons 4 Teasps. of Anise Extract or 1 Teasp. Anise Oil or Try a little less first and adjust to taste I use McCormickâÂÂs Anise Extract or Anise Oil from FanteâÂÂs of Phila. 1 3/4 cups of flour , add more to thicken 4 level, teaspoons of Baking Powder Mix well, All the ingredients, except the Flour & Baking powder Then add them and mix well. If you think the dough is too soft add a little more flour. I add until the batter peaks , ( a little stiff ) while mixing , and mix with a Tablespoon, to make a soft dough. I use a Mellon Scoop, with a trigger release, to measure the dough. ( it holds one teaspoon ) When baking the Pizzelles pile them far away from where you are baking. Because they are soooo Gooood you will be eating them as you go. This will make about 40 Pizzelles, unless didn't listen and piled them too close. Then you will have about 3 left and gained 2 lb. Save one for me ************************************* LouâÂÂs Biscotti - Basic Anise Flavored Pizzelle Dough can be used to make Biscotti. Just add more flour to make a soft Dough. Divide in two and roll out 2 Logs about 14 inches long. Place them on an oiled cookie tin, separated, to allow for them to grow. Flatten the 2 logs, leaving the center higher. Bake in a Pre heated , 325 Degree oven, 25 to 30 minutes or, Until a golden color on top. While still hot Remove to a cutting board, make a cut, diagonal across; in the center, to remove them from the pan easier. Continue cutting diagonally the size of a Nickel and separate them. When cooled , eat them or place in a Tight container. Whichever comes first !!! There are many variations for flavors and texture. Almond flavors can be substituted. Almonds can be added to the dough. Raisins can also be added. Or they can be put back into the oven and toasted. Ciou !

1. I grow my own stevia plants and harvest the leaves each fall and I convert some of it to a liquid extract and some to dried leaves to make extracts later. Remember, stevia is NOT sugar, just plant leaves which are sweet tasting. 2. Your dried leaves will have varying levels of sweetness depending on the growing season and variety of plants - somewhere between 10 to 30 times sweeter than sugar. Depending on the variety of plant that was grown, stevia has a bitter component and some varieties are less bitter than others. So you have no idea how much sweetness is equal to 1-cup of sugar - you'll just be guessing. 3. Pure stevioside extracts of stevia in the form of a white powder or clear liquid are 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. So commercial stevia products are entirely different, and usually much sweeter, that those made from the stevia leaves. 4. Stevia has it's own unique taste (a little like licorice). Therefore, if you are using it for baked goods, I'd suggest buying a commercial stevia product which has less bitterness and a more neutral flavor, and the sweetness is regulated so you know how much of the product equals sugar. 5. Sugar in baked goods has attributes that you can't duplicate with stevia. Sugar is a tenderizer and it's hygroscopic and attracts moisture. It also helps with browning. Stevia does none of those, so you have to include some ingredients that will aid those attributes, not just substitute stevia for sugar. 6. Since one cup of sugar could be replaced with as little as 1/4 t. of concentrated stevia powder, that will throw off your ratio of liquids to solids. Baking is also a science. 7. If you plan on having any kind of success making banana bread, find a recipe that is already designed for using stevia and use the kind (powder, liquid, sugar replacer packets, etc.) called for in the recipe. 8. Expect a somewhat different flavor, especially an aftertaste that takes time to get accustomed to as your taste buds switch from sugar to stevia. 9. Try to make small loaves. Baked goods made with stevia tend to get dry very quickly, so plan on using it quickly and refrigerate or freeze any leftovers so they don't dry out. Wrap it tightly in foil to help maintain the moisture. 10. By converting the leaves to a concentrate by carefully cooking stevia leaves in water, it will make a dark, syrupy liquid which is better used as a substitute for molasses or brown sugar in recipes. It is stable for months and the flavor "improves" with age. So how it will taste just after making it doesn't mean that's how it will taste 2-months from now. It would also be helpful to know what your food goals are by substituting stevia for sugar. Is the banana bread for a diabetic, for instance? If so, they are still consuming high-glycemic flour and I could suggest a better recipe that includes low-glycemic almond flour. For diabetics, it's the total amount of carbohydrates, whether it's from white flour or white sugar. Perhaps the recipe below will help you with your sugar to stevia conversion, but I don't have a recipe using homemade stevia concentrate from cooking the leaves in water. BANANA BREAD Source: "Stevia" by Rita DePuydt 2 very ripe, medium to large bananas 1/4 t. powdered stevia extract 1/2 t. stevia concentrate 1 T. lemon juice 2 c. whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 t. baking soda 1 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 1/3 c. oil 1 large egg 1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt or buttermilk 1 t. vanilla extract 1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional) Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Oil a medium-sized loaf pan (7-1/2x8-1/2x2-1/2 inches). Mash the bananas in a small bowl. Mix the stevia extract, stevia concentrate, and lemon juice into the mashed bananas. Set aside Sift the flour, leavenings, and salt together in a bowl. Beat the oil and eggs together in a mixing bowl until creamy. Bean in the yogurt or buttermilk and the vanilla. Stir in the mashed bananas into the liquid mixture. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring as little as possible. Mix in the walnuts just before the flour is completely blended. Place into the loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until a toothpick or fork stuck in the middle comes out clean. Turn out the loaf and cool on a rack. Yield: 12 servings Per serving: Calories: 162, Total Fat: 7 g., Protein: 5 g., Carb.: 20 g., Fiber: 3 g., Sodium: 141 -Grainlady

I found the recipe in a quaint cookbook back in the early 70s -- Buttry Shelf Cookbook -- here it is -- I use more rum and more beans but it is one bean for every six ounces of rum. Southerners often used bourbon (because it is their hard liquor of choice) and the vodka is a newer choice because in the "old" days there was no vodka (it became popular in the 60s -- 1960s). LINDERHOF'S HOMEMADE VANILLA The recipe is easy -- for each six ounces of alcohol (your choice of rum, vodka or bourbon), cut one vanilla bean lengthwise, then cut in pieces with scissors and drop into the alcohol. Cover tightly (a cork is great) and keep at least six months before using. The light rum turns dark -- like the store vanilla that we are used to.