United StatesKosher Treats
It's traditional to eat only unleavened bread (matzo) for Passover, but you don't have to give up all sweets. Make these Kosher treats for your family and friends from matzo meal and crackers.
Passover Macaroons
Present Pointers
You might want to present your macaroons in a tin decorated with a Passover theme. Buy a gold or silver cookie tin in a craft or discount store. Make a gold Star of David and glue it onto the lid of the can. Line the can with blue plastic wrap and layer the macaroons into the can. Place a piece of plastic wrap in between each layer to keep them from sticking together.
The Gift of Knowledge
At a Seder, the youngest child at the table traditionally asks the following four questions, and the eldest at the table answers them:
- Why do we eat only matzo on Pesach (Passover)? To remind us that the Jews had no time to bake their bread when they left Egypt.
- Why do we eat bitter herbs at our Seder? To remind us of the bitter and cruel way the Pharaoh treated the Jewish people when they were slaves in Egypt.
- Why do we dip our foods twice tonight? We dip bitter foods into Charoset to remind us how hard the Jews worked making bricks in Egypt; we dip parsley into salt water to remind us of the tears of Jewish slaves.
- Why do we lean on a pillow tonight? To be comfortable and to remind us that once we were slaves, but now we are free
Time frame: One to two hours
Level: Moderately easy
What you need:
- Mixing bowl or mixer
- One 14-ounce package of sweetened flake coconut (51⁄3 cups)
- 2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons matzo meal
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- Four egg whites
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Cookie sheets
- Cooking spray
- Cooling racks
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl (or a mixer on low speed), mix the first four ingredients. Stir in the egg whites and almond extract and mix well.
- Prepare two cookie sheets by lightly greasing them with cooking spay and sprinkling them with a dusting of matzo meal. Using a tablespoon, drop the mixture onto the sheets one inch apart.
- Bake them in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets immediately and allow them to cool on cooling racks.
Chocolate-Covered Matzo Crackers
Time frame: One to two hours
Level: Moderately easy
What you need:
- Double boiler
- 1 pound of Kosher-for-Passover melting chocolate
- Box of matzo crackers
- Tongs
- Cookie sheets lined with waxed paper
- Blue plastic wrap
- Curling ribbon
- Place one inch of water in the bottom of the double boiler and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Place the chocolate into the top pan. Heat on medium heat until it begins to melt and bubble.
- Turn down the heat to medium low. Break the crackers into sections. Using tongs, dip the crackers into the melted chocolate and lay them on top of the prepared cookie sheet to dry. Wrap the crackers in blue plastic wrap and tie with matching curling ribbon.
Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Great Gifts © 2001 by Marilee LeBon. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
To order this book visit Amazon's web site or call 1-800-253-6476.
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