Passover Cookies

These cookies are like the passover cookies that they used to make at the old My Most Favorite Dessert shop on Madison Ave in the 80's....

"Actually Good" Passover Cookies:
by François Payard

Yield: Makes 40 cookies

Parchment paper
2 1/2 cups walnut halves
3 cups (k-p) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites (size LARGE eggs- if you have Jumbo use 3)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

note: you can also make these nutfree by substituting 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips for the walnuts.

Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven. Cookies can easily burn if too close to bottom heating element! Heat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place walnuts on a work surface and finely chop. Transfer to a separate large baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 9 minutes. Let cool. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Add egg whites and vanilla; mix with a fork until dough is just moistened. Should be like a heavy brownie batter. Drop batter by the teaspoonful onto baking sheets in evenly spaced mounds. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Cool thoroughly before carefully peeling off the parchment paper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.


These are the best coconut macaroons ever-- nothing like those gross canned ones.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
(Gourmet Magazine, March'92)

Yield: Makes about 30 macaroons

4 large egg whites
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (for not-passover also use 1 tsp coconut extract)
2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup matza cake meal (for non-passover use flour)
1/2 cup chocolate chips, or bittersweet chocolate

In a heavy saucepan stir together the egg whites, the sugar, the salt, the vanilla, and the coconut, sift in the flour, and stir the mixture until it is combined well. Cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, increase the heat to moderately high, and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until it is thickened and begins to pull away from the bottom and side of the pan. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, let it cool slightly, and chill it, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until it is just cold. Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough 2 inches apart onto buttered baking sheets and bake the macaroons in batches in the middle of a preheated 300°F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are pale golden. Transfer the macaroons to a rack and let them cool.
In a glass bowl in the microwave melt the chocolate, stirring until it is smooth, about 2 minutes, and dip the macaroons, 1 at a time, into the chocolate, coating them halfway and letting any excess drip off. Transfer the macaroons as they are dipped to a foil-lined tray and chill them for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chocolate is set. The macaroons keep, chilled and separated by layers of wax paper, in an airtight container for 3 days. (If the macaroons are made in advance, let them stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.)