Matzoh Balls and Merengue Cookies and Passover Food that is Edible!

Hi everyone. I usually don’t post a blog this soon after the last one, but I am feeling guilty; I want to make sure I provide you with some Passover recipes before it is too late-start planning now! You may not be Jewish, but you may get invited to a Seder and I don’t want to leave you hanging. Those boxes of matzoh meal run out very quickly this time of year so get to your Kosher supermarkets tout suite.

Every Passover, Brian and I get into a mock argument about how he prefers his Aunt Judy’s light and airy matzoh balls. No offense, Aunt Judy, yours are delicious but my firm balls are pretty hard to compete with. The unusual spices and chopped nuts are a tasty little surprise.

I am feeling a little generous so I am also sending my friend Hilda’s meringue cookies that you leave in the oven overnight while you are sleeping ! What an appealing way to bake…

Stay tuned for more Passover recipes this week that DON’T taste like cardboard.
P.S. To answer a question from a reader, yes, you can use regular whole wheat flour in the jam dot cookies and you can buy whole wheat pastry flour at Whole Foods.

FIRM, DENSE, Un-Aunt Judy-like-Matzoh Balls, Sephardic style:

1 cup matzoh meal
1/2 cup water
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup butter melted (margarine if you are keeping Kosher)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Broth Suggestion:
2 Quarts chicken broth
2 Quarts veg. broth
1 large chopped onion
1 lb bag small carrots
1 bag celery, chopped
1 handful fresh dill
Boil all together and adjust salt and pepper.

For the Matzoh balls:
In a mixer or by hand, mix all the dry ingredients until well blended. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until blended. Put in a covered bowl or tupperware in fridge for about 30-60 minutes or until it is like a more solid dough (just not sticky and unworkable). Put in freezer if you are in a hurry.

Drop golf ball size balls into the boiling soup until they float up to the top. Add the balls only when you are close to eating time to prevent them from falling apart from being in the soup for too long.
Note: Make extra dough and keep it in a tupperware or covered bowl for future soups that week.

Hilda’s Forgotten Meringue Cookies
Makes 2 dozen
Preheat oven to 350

Foil line cookie sheets.
Preferably use a metal bowl
2 egg whites at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of chopped nuts

Whip egg whites until very stiff.
Add sugar 1 tsp at a time while continuing to whip.
Add salt.
Add vanilla and then gently stir in chips and nuts.

Spoon out onto foil sheets and drop a few more nuts and chips into each mound of meringue if need be.
Put in oven, close door, turn off oven.
Take out in AM
Enjoy!!