Who Needs Flour Anyway?

I’m not going to lie – I don’t go through the entire Passover dietary process. I follow a modified version that keeps me “kosher” for the extent of the holiday. I try to keep to what I believe is the core of the practice of keeping Kosher for Passover: I don’t eat any grains, I certainly don’t eat anything with a leavening agent, and I eat a boatload of matzoh.

During Passover, I remind myself of those wise words from my favorite Hebrew school teacher Mrs. Davidoff: A Jew is a Jew is a Jew.

Don’t get me wrong –  I do admire those who try to find that last bottle of Kosher for Passover Coke and those who scrub their kitchens for days. But according to Mrs. Davidoff, we’re the same. When Eichmann was making his selections, he never asked if anyone snuck a cookie during Passover.

Perhaps one of the reasons why I don’t go through the entire process is because growing up, Kosher for Passover food just wasn’t very tasty. I lived on jelly rings and those sugary fruit slices in between courses of matzoh pizza and matzoh brei. Things have certainly changed as more and more people have cut flour from their diets. So much research, effort, and money is going into Gluten Free products that it is affecting Kosher for Passover products in a very positive way. With slight adjustments in the recipes, those Gluten Free products often times become Kosher for Passover products. I’d bet that it works the other way as well.

For those who have the time to cook and prefer to make their own holiday foods, here’s a great recipe for a flourless chocolate cake that can be adapted to your own tastes. Maybe some strawberry or raspberry sauce? Whipped cream? You name it.

Kosher for Passover Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

1 pound semi-sweet chocolate
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
4 eggs, separated

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line the base of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, making sure it doesn’t burn.
  3. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and stir in the softened butter and sugar. Beat the yolks lightly and whisk into the chocolate mixture gradually.
  4. Beat the egg whites until they hold a definite shape. The beaten egg whites should be folded smoothly, quickly and easily into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely.

Serves 8-10
(Photo: MMChicago)