Orthodox Union
www.ou.org
Macaroons for Passover
Ronnie Fein
In the weeks before Passover, which begins this year at sundown on April 8th, I start to think about getting my home ready for the holiday and about the first Seder.
Who will come? Because of space considerations and growing families it is my husband’s side one year, my side the next.
What will I serve for dinner? We tend to prefer a more modern approach to the table, but always have a couple of old-fashioned, traditional dishes too.
And the always-important question – what’s for dessert? Dessert can be an issue for people who like cake and pie and all sorts of other treats made with forbidden chometz.
Whatever else I choose, the one confection that we always have is macaroons. They are such favorites around here that for our family it would be unthinkable not to have them at our Seder and throughout the holiday. Unfortunately, no one in my family likes the ones that come in a can, which are available everywhere and now come in all sorts of flavors that were unimaginable when I was growing up (Rocky Road? Toffee Crunch?). So I make my own.
How and why macaroons became a Passover specialty is anyone’s guess. According to many historians, an Italian baker invented the cookies in medieval times. The name comes from a Neapolitan word, maccarone, which means “fine paste”. During the Renaissance, the recipe found its way to France (by way of Catherine DeMedici’s chef), where the cookies became immensely popular. The ones most highly prized came from Nancy, France, in the region of Lorraine, where French Catholic nuns perfected the recipe. When convents were closed during the French Revolution, two nuns of Sainte Thérèse d'Avila, a Carmelite order, continued to bake macaroons in a commercial bakery in Nancy in order to provide for themselves (a street in the town, still renowned for its macaroons, is named for them).
Most likely, Italian or French Jews, early on, realized that macaroons made without flour or leavening, would be perfect for Passover.
And so they are. They are also incredibly easy to make. The simplest versions contain just ground nuts, sugar and egg whites. The original recipe called for almonds, but you can switch to hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts or pistachios.
Somewhere along the historical culinary path, some chef or home cook added shredded coconut to the macaroon recipe and after a while came recipes for coconut macaroons without any nuts at all. In our house I serve both kinds.
The perfect macaroon is crispy on the outside but soft and chewy inside. They’re best the day you make them but I find they last for a few days in an airtight plastic container.
The three macaroon recipes here are our family favorites. You may have seen recipes for macaroons that call for blanched almonds. I don’t bother blanching the nuts; the taste is so close that no one will notice the difference. Macaroons are easy to “enhance” should you desire. You can add all sorts of seasonings and flavorings from spices (cinnamon and ginger, for example) to freshly grated citrus peels to chocolate chips, chopped dried fruit and even chunks of toffee. I’ve made a few suggestions on variations in the first recipe for The Easiest Homemade Coconut Macaroons in the World (they are!). I’ve also included a recipe for a rich and creamy cheesecake that has a macaroon crust. It’s a good choice for dessert after a fish or dairy meal and you can use leftover, not-at-their-prime macaroons.
Ronnie Fein has been a freelance food and lifestyle writer since 1980. She currently writes regular features for the food and community sections of daily newspapers and has written articles for Newsday, Cook’s Illustrated, Consumer’s Digest, Connecticut magazine, and many other publications. She operates the Ronnie Fein School of Creative Cooking in Stamford, Connecticut and is the author of three cookbooks, the most recent is
Hip Kosher (DaCapo, 2008).
The Easiest Homemade Coconut Macaroons in the World
2 cups packaged shredded coconut
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 egg whites
chopped dried fruit, chocolate chips or whole almonds for garnish, optional
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, toss the coconut, sugar and salt together. Add the egg whites and work them in with a wooden spoon to form a “dough.” Take heaping teaspoons of dough and shape them into balls. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. If desired, place a piece of garnish on top of each ball. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the macaroons to a cake rack to cool completely. Makes about 20
Variations add:
* 1/4 cup matzo cake meal for firmer macaroons
* 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon peel
* Chocolate dipped: melt 6 ounces chocolate with 1 tablespoon shortening; dip macaroon tops
Toasted Almond Macaroons
2 cups finely chopped toasted almonds (about 8 ounces)*
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, toss the almonds, sugar and salt together. Add the egg whites and extract and work them in with a wooden spoon to form a “dough.” Take heaping teaspoons of dough and shape them into balls. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. If desired, place a piece of garnish on top of each ball. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the macaroons to a cake rack to cool completely. Makes about 20
Note: to toast the ground almonds, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the ground almonds on a cookie sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until the nuts are golden brown.
Chocolate Macaroons
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups packaged shredded coconut
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven or in the top part of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. When the chocolate has melted, remove the pan from the microwave oven and let cool (or remove the top part of the pan from the bottom of the double boiler). In a bowl, toss the coconut, sugar and salt together. Add the egg whites and work them in with a wooden spoon to form a “dough.” Stir in the melted chocolate. Take heaping teaspoons of dough and shape them into balls. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. If desired, place a piece of garnish on top of each ball. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the macaroons look set and feel slightly firm. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the macaroons to a cake rack to cool completely. Makes about 20
Macaroon Espresso Cheesecake
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
20 macaroons
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 heaping tablespoon instant coffee powder
1/3 cup cold coffee or Sabra coffee flavored liqueur
1 cup Greek style plain yogurt or dairy sour cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven or in the top part of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. When the chocolate has melted, remove the pan from the microwave oven and let cool (or remove the top part of the pan from the bottom of the double boiler). Crumble the macaroons and press them onto the bottom of a 9-inch or10-inch inch spring form pan. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese with an electric beater set at medium for 2-3 minutes or until it is smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the melted chocolate. Mix the instant coffee powder and liquid coffee or liqueur together and pour into the cheese mixture. Add the yogurt or sour cream. Beat until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Remove the pan to a cake rack to cool completely. When the cake has reached room temperature, refrigerate for about 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the pan to serve. Makes one cake
