My father, while the greatest cook I know, does not go out of his way to add zest to Passover, which is perhaps why after a few bowls of maztoball soup my family would put the box of Streit’s Matzos back in the pantry and order a pizza. Needless to say, Passover desserts at my house were lackluster, limited to chocolate macaroons and coconut macaroons (not to be confused with the chic macaron, this is the slightly lumpier, flourless counterpart).
But last Thursday, when I walked into class, my professor dropped a game changer on the table- a box of Barton’s Almond Butter Crunch. With every chocolate covered mouthful, I could feel the cavities forming on site but I had the taste for kosher candy and I wanted more. From the Upper Westside to the East Village and every food blog in between, I scoured New York to find the tastiest kosher noms. Here’s the best of the best:
There are few regular cakes that can stand up to the rich, silky smooth, flourless chocolate cake. The epitome of culinary quality over quantity, just a few (large) bites is enough to satisfy any sweet tooth. Check out David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Idiot Cake for a recipe (boiled down to just four ingredients!) every girl and goy should try.
An Aussie favorite, a pavlova is not the female version of Pavlov[‘s dog], but rather a giant meringue topped with fruit galore. Smitten Kitchen’s Mixed Berry Pavolva is like the best toasted marshmallow you’ve ever had, crunchy on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside, but at least 20 times bigger and 100 times egg-ier. Important note: this recipe does require an electronic mixer, though you can always hand whip those egg whites. If so, get ready for some major eggsercise, but mazel tov for earning that pavolva.
Chocolate toffee matzo adds a new crunch to the traditional alternative. This Amazing Passover Toffee Matzo (4.5 out of 5 stars on allrecipes.com) also adds about a cup of butter, but whatever, you’re already not eating bread. Live a little, l’chaim!
If you’ve got time (9.5 hours worth), try your hand at a four ingredient cheesecake from Epicurious.com. There’s a good chance Passover may be officially over by the time you get the first taste, so you better start now.
Keep these in mind for next year’s Passover!