Last year we told you all about quinoa and amaranth, grain-like seeds which are kosher for Passover and perfect for salads, warm breakfast cereals, or even as a base for ladling a warm tagine or stew.
But this year we thought we’d home in on the real hardship: baking. After all, for dinner there’s always roast chicken and mashed potatoes on standby. But baking without flour? Now that’s hard!
Before we get to our alternative Passover baking ingredients, here’s a tip that may seem obvious to some, but unheard of by others – gluten free baking. We found one blog, Elana’s Pantry, that’s packed with amazing goodies (think cupcakes, cookies, pies) that are nearly all chametz and kitniyot free. And the upshot is that these are healthier, lower carb recipes, so it’s truly a win-win.
Below are some workarounds for Passover baking. And make sure to check out Marcy Goldman’s tips for stocking up the Passover pantry.
Almond Flour: The base, along with coconut flour, for many gluten free recipes. And you’re getting loads of protein too! Try these Ginger Cookies or Vanilla Raspberry Torte from Elana’s Pantry.
Chestnut Flour*: Commonly used in Tuscany for a local specialty called “Castagnaccio”, chestnuts have a unique meaty yet sweet flavor, which means their flour is perfect for baking. Some recipes to try are a Lemon Chestnut Cake with Creme Fraiche and Mario Batali’s Chestnut Crepes with Ricotta.
Tapioca* (Starch) or Cassava Flour*: We have to admit we haven’t had much luck with this ingredient. Typically in recipes it’s mixed with rice flour, which means it’s off limits for non-kitniyot eaters. If you know of any Passover “safe” recipes using tapioca, do let us know!
Vanilla Beans: Don’t like the flavor of imitation extract? Simply buy whole vanilla pods and scrape out the moist seeds.
Flourless Recipes: For those who aren’t interested in messing around with substitutes, simply skip the flour altogether. There’s our favorite – David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Idiot Cake (pictured above). Four ingredients. Moist, dense, chocolatey perfection. And this year we’re also trying Heidi Swanson’s Chocolate Puddle Cookies. Again, six simple ingredients. No mussin’, no fussin’.
Puddings, creams and custards also fall into this category, perfect for serving with warm roasted fruit or poached pears.
Do you have any secret Passover ingredients? Do share!
*Note: some rabbis consider these items kitniyot.
