Passover desserts: 3 ideas | CTV News

If you're looking for something to sweeten your table this Passover, Jewish nutritionist and chef Micah Siva has some ideas for you.

Siva, author of “NOSH: Plant-Based Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine,” says that growing up in Calgary, Alberta, Siva's love of cooking came from watching “her Jewish grandmother.” Her quintessential Thai” in the kitchen.

“Passover has always been a favorite food holiday in our family because it has always been a time for experimentation and creative thinking,” says Siva. “We have always been a family that invites everyone and anyone to our Passover.”

Now based in Northern California with her husband and children, Siva has no extended family in the area but continues the tradition by welcoming as many people as possible – and by serving desserts that feature plants and Passover-friendly. Passover does not include grains, which means no wheat, spelt, barley, oats and rye or products derived from them, such as beer. Ashkenazi Jews also prohibit kitniyot, the Hebrew word for legumes including beans, corn, rice, peanuts and more.

Those include her version of Matzo Crunch, without which “no Passover Seder is complete,” she said. Her spin on the classic crunch is effortless, customizable, and light enough to enjoy after consuming all the other celebratory foods.

“It also has some cinnamon in it so you get that warm feeling. That’s more reminiscent of pecan pie,” Siva said.

Then there are her Passover-friendly black-and-white cookies, inspired by her late father-in-law's love of dessert.

“He was a Bronx boy through and through, and a lot of the food memories my husband specifically has revolve around visits to a deli with his dad,” Siva says. Siva said she wanted a black-and-white cookie they could eat year-round, so her version was made with almond flour — a somewhat unconventional choice but with plenty of moisturizing benefits. and healthier.

And her gluten-free halvah brownies are chewy, chocolatey and earthy thanks to the nutty flavor of halvah, made with ground sesame seeds and honey.

Here's how to make all three recipes for your loved ones this Passover or anytime.

Pecan Pie Matzo Crunch

For this recipe, you will need a candy thermometer, which you can purchase at some grocery stores, kitchen supply stores, or online.

Serves: Crowds

Total time: 1 hour | Cooking time: 20 minutes

Micah Siva's crispy matzo pecan pie is a light yet indulgent Passover dessert. (Micah Siva/CNN New Source)

Ingredient

• 4 to 6 unsalted matzo cakes
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
• Sea salt is smooth and delicious

Instruct

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, then use aluminum foil and/or parchment paper to line a large rimmed baking sheet. (For easy cleanup, Siva recommends lining the sheet first with foil and then parchment paper.
2. Place the matzo sheets on the cloth in a single layer, breaking each piece to fit the cloth.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Let the mixture boil until it reaches 270 F to 280 F on a candy thermometer. This process may take about 10 minutes. Once the mixture begins to boil, reaching the “soft crack stage” of 270 F to 280 F when the texture becomes firm but pliable takes about three minutes.
4. Pour mixture over matzo, then top with pecans. Quickly use a spatula to spread everything into an even layer. Gently tapping the tray on the counter a few times can help the seeds settle.
5. Bake the dish in the oven until the toffee mixture is bubbly, four to five minutes.
6. Remove the crispy matzo from the oven and sprinkle salt on top. Once the dessert has cooled completely, break it into small pieces with your hands.
7. Store crispy matzo in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months.

Passover-friendly black and white cookies

Makes 8 cookies

Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes, including 1 hour of rest | Cooking time: 11 to 13 minutes

She said Siva's black and white cookies are not too sweet. (Micah Siva/CNN New Source)

Ingredient

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

For frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (can use kosher if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon light agave syrup or corn syrup
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Instructions for using cookies

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, and salt. Then mix in the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Divide the dough into eight equal parts and roll into balls. Transfer them to the pan and press each piece into a 1/2-inch thick circle. (The cookies will not spread.)
4. Bake until golden, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cake cool completely on sheet pan, about 20 minutes. Freezing warm cookies can prevent frosting, making them look messy.

Instructions for making frosting

1. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and water – 1 tablespoon at a time. “The frosting should be quite thick and flow off the spoon in thick ribbons, holding their shape for two to three seconds before settling back into the bowl,” says Siva. Then add the agave.
2. Divide the frosting evenly between two bowls. Add cocoa powder to a bowl. If it seems too thick, add one to two teaspoons of water.
3. Using an offset spatula, spread vanilla frosting on the bottom half of each cookie. Place the cookies on a rimmed baking sheet, then refrigerate for 20 minutes until the frosting is firm.
4. On top of the other half of each cookie, spread the chocolate frosting. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator to set, about 20 minutes.
5. For long-term storage, place cookies on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer, cover and freeze. Once they are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.

Passover Halvah Brownies Gluten-Free

Makes 12 servings

Total time: 25 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes

In this recipe, coconut flour and eggs help create a dense and fudgy brownie. (Micah Siva/CNN New Source)

Ingredient

• 2/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup melted dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher; melt 1/2 cup dark chocolate in microwave in 30-second increments)
• 1/2 cup halvah, crumbled (if you don't eat kitniyot during Passover, remove or replace with almond butter)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instruct

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sea salt.
3. Stir in eggs and melted chocolate until combined.
4. Fold in halvah and chocolate chips.
5. Bake until the brownies are set and no longer wobble, 15 to 17 minutes.
6. Store for up to 10 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.