Passover Salted Caramel Brownies

The full recipe is in my  PDF downloadable cookbook, Amazing Passover Desserts. 
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If you'd like to see the ingredient list and what's involved before buying, read on.

You will truly amaze your guests with these rich and decadent bars.  What makes Passover caramel brownies challenging is that you'll need to make the caramel from scratch, rather than using caramel candies, and you can't use corn syrup, which helps to keep caramel from crystallizing.    For Passover, I've replaced corn syrup with honey and added a little lemon juice.  The lemon juice not only helps to cut the cloying sweetness of honey, but it also helps prevent crystallization.  Vanilla also helps to mellow the honey flavor and allow the caramel taste to come through.

 If you can find a 60% chocolate to use in these, you’ll have the richest flavor possible.  Nuts are definitely optional.

Dairy

MAKES 12-16 BARS

TIPS

Buy Passover extract at www.kosher.com or www.allinkosher.com .  Alternatively, scrape out the seeds from 1/3 of a Niellsen-Massey^® vanilla bean, add to the sugar and continue with recipe.  Reserve the bean for another use, or packaged vanilla sugar can also be used.  Make sure to read the instructions on the sugar, as strength varies.

For chocolate chips, go to: www.choclat.com or www.ohnuts.com or www.allinkosher.com

Caramel Filling

water

mild honey (such as Clover)

granulated sugar

heavy cream

unsalted butter

Passover vanilla, vanilla bean or vanilla sugar (see above)

flaked or kosher salt, optional
lemon juice

Brownie Base

unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size chunks

60% Passover Chocolate chips AND Passover semisweet chocolate chips, divided  OR use all semisweet chocolate

granulated sugar

Passover vanilla extract (or water)

water

large eggs, room temperature

matzo cake meal

pecan or walnut pieces, optional

For the Caramel

        You’ll need a large pot to make the caramel, as it tends to foam and rise as it is cooking and when the cream is added.  I use a 5-quart, but a 4-quart would probably be fine, too.  Because you can’t use corn syrup for Passover, you’ll be using honey, which already has a brownish cast to it, so it will be very difficult to gauge the color if you use a non-stick pan.  A heavy-gauge stainless pot works best, reducing cooking time, and providing even heat to reduce burning.


    Off heat, place the water,  honey and lemon juice into  the pot, and stir gently to mix the ingredients together.  Very gently, begin to add in the sugar by pouring a little sugar into the center of the pot, and pushing the water mixture from the outside of the pan to the center.  You won’t be stirring, but pushing towards the center, as if you are on a clockface and pushing from each number towards the center.  Continue to add the sugar, and push until all of the sugar is moistened.

     Place the pot over medium-low heat, and continuing in the pushing manner, heat the mixture until it begins to simmer (keep the heat low, as you want the sugar to dissolve before it starts to actively simmer).

     Cover the pot, increase the heat to medium, and cook for 3-5 minutes.  The mixture should be bubbling and clearish – meaning that all of the sugar has dissolved.  Uncover the pot, raise the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook for 3-10 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING, until the mixture is medium amber in color (the time will depend on the pot you use and your cooktop).

         While the sugar is cooking, combine the cream and butter in a microwave-safe container, and microwave it for 30 seconds to heat it and melt the butter. 

            
      Before you stir in the cream, it is imperative that you wash off the spoon, so that when you stir in the cream, there aren’t any undissolved sugar crystals that get re-introduced, as these will make the caramel grainy (that’s why you’ve elaborately pushed the sugar, rather than stirring – to avoid sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pan).  Once the sugar mixture is the color you want, tip the pain away from you, and add the cream mixture all at once. Stir in the salt.  Stir gently until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. 


      Pour the mixture into a Pyrex bowl or other heat-resistant container, and stir in the vanilla.  Set the mixture aside to cool and thicken.

For the Brownie

         PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 ^oF with a shelf in the middle of the oven.  Line an 8-inch square cake pan with two layers of aluminum foil, so that the whole inside of the pan is covered in foil.  Grease and sprinkle with matzo cake meal.

            

1.     Place the butter and the 1 cup of bittersweet chocolate (or 1 cup of semisweet chips if the other isn’t available) in a large microwavable container.  Microwave on power 5 (medium) for 2 minutes.  Stir to blend.  If the chips and butter are not melted, continue to heat in 30-second intervals on power 5, until everything is melted.  Stir well to mix the ingredients together. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla extract and the water.

2.     Whisk the eggs together and then whisk them to the chocolate mixture, constantly whisking until they are well mixed in.  Using a wooden spoon, whisk in the matzo cake meal, in six additions, until well blended. Spread about half of the batter into the prepared pan (this will be about 1-1/4 cups batter, and it should form a layer that is a little thicker than 1/8-inch thick).

3.     Sprinkle 1/3 cup of semisweet chocolate chips over the batter, and press them in so that none of them are exposed. Stir the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips into the reserved batter.

4.     Place the pan in the middle of the oven, and BAKE for 15-20 MINUTES until the top dulls and is no longer moist-looking.  Set the pan on a cooling rack.  Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, gently poke 16-20 holes in the brownie layer.  These will pool with caramel and will taste fabulous when the brownies are cooked.  Let the brownie cool for 15 minutes.

5.     If the caramel is too sticky, add 1 teaspoon cream to it, and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  It should now be spoonable.  If it isn’t add another ½ teaspoon cream, and microwave for 10 seconds (you want it thick enough so that it won’t run out of the brownie or down the sides of the top, but you don’t want it so sticky that it is unpleasant in the mouth).  Spoon all but 1/3 cup of caramel onto the brownie, paying attention to fill the holes.  You don’t need to go to the edges because these will be cut off.  Sprinkle the nuts over the caramel layer.   Let the caramel firm up for 15 minutes.

6.     Spoon on the remaining chocolate batter in “globs”, and then gently spread them together so that the brownie batter covers the caramel. Set the pan back in the oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top looks dullish and cooked.  Do not do a crumb test, as the caramel and melted chocolate chips will make it seem that the brownie isn’t cooked even when it is done.  It’s better to err on the side of underdone, as you can always refrigerate for a little while to firm the brownies up, but if they are overcooked they will taste dry and the matzo meal flavor will overtake the taste.

7.     Transfer the pan to a cooling rack.  Let the brownies cool completely, and then refrigerate for about 40 minutes – just enough to make them firm enough to cut, but not so much that the chocolate chips get hard.

8.     To cut the brownies, lift the whole thing out of the pan, using the aluminum foil to transfer it to a cutting board.  The brownies will be stuck to the sides of the foil.  Do not attempt to remove the foil, or the brownies will break apart.  Instead, cut off the outer quarter-inch of brownie from all sides.  Once this is done, you’ll be able to cut the brownies into bars.  They are very rich, so cut small squares.

To decorate like the opening photo, melt 1 ounce chocolate with 1 teaspoon oil.  Pour the mixture into a plastic bag, make a tiny hole in the tip, and drizzle on a decoration.  Repeat with caramel, if desired.

The brownies can also be decorated with just caramel and a sprinkling of flake (fleur de sel) or kosher salt (for true salted caramel lovers only).  If the reserved caramel has been refrigerated, microwave it for 10-20 seconds, just so that it will run, but is thick enough to pool on the brownies and not run down the sides too much.  Use about ¼ teaspoon total amount of salt.  For the flake salt, you might want to just crush it between your fingers before sprinkling a tiny bit on the top of each pool of caramel.

For brownies that are a bit more firm and fudgy, refrigerate the brownies for at least 2 hours, but remove them from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

MORE TIPS

The amount of cream isn’t exact because ingredients and equipment vary. If you add too little cream, the caramel will be sticky – like candy.  If too much, it will be runny and the brownies will be messy and hard to cut.  After you make them a few times with your own equipment and the kind of butter and cream you like, you’ll figure out exactly what to do.

How to cut the brownies:  Use a long, sturdy knife, and have a warm damp cloth and a towel nearby.  Saw through the top crust with a serrated knife and then press down and through the brownie.  After each cut, draw the knife out, rather than pulling it up, and wipe it with the damp cloth and then dry it before the next cut.  This technique will eliminate crumbs and mess from getting on the top of each brownie.

CAN PREPARE AHEAD 

Room temperature or Refrigerated – 2 days, Frozen – 3 months

      Serve at room temperature.



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Passover Chocolate Cherry Cake

THIS RECIPE IS PART OF THE DOWNLOADABLE PDF, AMAZING PASSOVER DESSERTS

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I wanted to make a non-dairy Black Forest-type cake, but the only non-dairy whipping liquid I could find, locally, was Ungers.  Because I don't think it's the tastiest product, I thought it would be different and flavorful to use a chocolate whipped cream-type frosting instead of the Unger's alone.  In addition, I wanted something easier to make.  I was able to find 778 (fabulous) preserves in my kosher market, and voila!


Pareve or Dairy
SERVES 8 - 10

Chocolate Nut Cake
pecans (available  from http://www.ohnuts.com/ )

matzo cake meal
non-dairy Passover semisweet chocolate, chopped (see below for websites)
boiling water

large eggs, room temperature
sugar

Cherry Chocolate Filling
kosher for Passover non-dairy chocolate, chopped (local or mailorder: http://www.choclat.com/ or http://www.ohnuts.com/.)

warm water
 kosher for Passover Non-dairy Topping liquid, thawed (such as Haddar or Unger')
kosher for Passover powdered sugar* see note
Cherry Preserves (I love 778 brand)


For the cake
1. PREHEAT the OVEN TO 350-degrees F. with a shelf in the middle of the oven. Grease two 9-inch round metal cake pans, and place parchment paper in the bottom of each.

Tip:Cutting the parchment is easy.  Put your hand in the pan to hold it steady and then with the other hand, cut around the pan with a kitchen-only box cutter, or a knife. 




Place the pecans and the matzo cake meal in the bowl of a processor. Pulse on and off until the nuts are finely ground, about 10 five-second pulses.

Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds. Stir, or whisk the chocolate until it is melted. The mixture does not have to be smooth.

In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs just to blend. Gradually beat in the sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the eggs are thick, pale, and tripled in volume , about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle half of the matzo-nut mixture over the eggs and gently fold into the eggs. Repeat with the remaining matzo nut mix.

Stir 1/4 of the egg mixture into the chocolate, and then gently fold this into the remainder of the egg mixture.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. BAKE FOR 18-25 MINUTES or until a tester comes out with no crumbs attached. Place the pans on a cooling rack

 

Loosen the sides of the cakes with a small metal spatula and then let them cool in the pans. Place a piece of waxed paper on a cake, and then a rack or board, and invert the two together.

 Remove the parchment paper, and reinvert so that the cakes are right side up.  The cakes will have sunk just slightly in the center.  Do not try to level the cakes, as they are very tender and will fall apart if you try to level them.  Freeze the top cake for 1 hour to make it easier to handle.

For the Filling
Place the chocolate and warm water in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on power 4 for 1 minute.  Stir and allow to stand until the chocolate and water are well mixed.  Reheat if necessary, but don't let the chocolate get too hot or it will burn (no higher than 120-degrees F.).  Let the chocolate cool while you whip the creamer.  The chocolate must still be liquidy and slightly warm when you add it to the whipped topping. (If you have a thermometer, 100 degrees F. is a good temperature for blending chocolate).

Pour the whipped topping into a large mixer bowl and add the powdered sugar.  Whip the topping until it forms stiff peaks.  Spoon a large dollup (1-2 cups) of the whipped topping into the chocolate, and stir rapidly to combine (the object is to add just enough so that the chocolate doesn't cool enough to cause the chocolate to harden, but not so little that the chocolate melts the cream).

Stir this mixture into the remaining whipped topping.

Assembly 
Onto the bottom layer of your cake spread the preserves.  I like to use a very thin layer of the jelly and then spread the cherries around.  If you are using the 778 preserves there will be a lot of cherries.  Although the recipe calls for 2 jars, this is so that you have enough cherries.  You will have almost a whole jar of the jellied part left.

So that the cherries and filling do not get mixed up together, spoon on big globs of the filling before spreading it.  The amount to use is personal - we like about 1/2-1-inch of chocolate filling.

Set the frozen layer on top of the spread frosting.

For a rustic looking cake, just add the cherries and filling on top, or for a more polished look, finish the cake by frosting the sides and adding borders.

The cake can be made several days ahead, or can be frozen for up to 1 month.  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. 

Serve the cake directly from the refrigerator, if possible.

*Note:  If  you cannot find Kosher for Passover powdered sugar, grind granulated sugar in a food processor to get it a little finer.  Add it to the whipped topping liquid, and refrigerate the mixture at least 15 minutes so that the sugar can dissolve.

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Passover Tiramisu

THE COMPLETE RECIPE CAN BE FOUND IN THE DOWNLOADABLE COLLECTION,

AMAZING PASSOVER DESSERTS 

Download now for $5.00, or to see the ingredients and instructions, read on.

Typically, tiramisu is a layered dessert, combining soaked cake with a cheesy, custardy filling. It’s usually made in a large pan and then cut into serving pieces, but it can also be served in shot glasses, custard cups or champagne flutes, as you see in the picture above.  The spongecake batter is easily adapted for Passover, but it can be challenging for the beginner chef, because the eggs need to be separated and the egg whites whipped to firm, but not dry, peaks.  For this Passover, I'll be giving you the directions for both sheetpan and ladyfinger method, but as we get close to Passover, I'm going to try making it with packaged chocolate chip mandel bread.  I think it should work, because the dried ladyfingers taste a lot like the packaged cookies, but I won't be sure until I make it.  I'll report back after Passover, so you'll know if it will be good for next year.    The filling is also easy to adapt for Passover, by using cream cheese and butter in place of the mascarpone, and coffee instead of the brandy or Marsala that is used in traditional tiramisu.  If you can find kosher for Passover coffee or chocolate liqueur (Sabra?), or Passover brandy, that would also be delicious in this recipe.  I was unable to find either where I live, so I'll have to stick with either pure coffee, or I might add a little cocoa to it to give it a more mocha flavor.  The other experiment that I will do this year will be to see how the recipe needs changing if whipped cream cheese is used.  Some of you will only be able to find that kind of cream cheese for Passover.  Again, this recipe will use regular brick cream cheese, but you'll know for next year.  I was so thrilled to see REAL vanilla extract in the Passover section this year!  Passover is all about being flexible, because it's hard to know from year to year what one will be able to find that is kosher for Passover (maybe you lucky New Yorkers or Chicagoans have it easier!).  After Passover, I'll post a recipe for regular tiramisu.

Passover Tiramisu

Serves 12-15

Dairy

MUST BE MADE 1 DAY AHEAD

Spongecake
matzo cake meal
potato starch

 large eggs, room temperature and separated  (DO NOT USE PASTEURIZED EGGS)
sugar + 1/3 cup, divided
 Passover vanilla extract or Passover vanilla sugar (purchased or homemade)

Filling
pasteurized or regular egg yolks (see below for variation)

sugar
brewed coffee, or kosher for Passover coffee or chocolate liqueur, brandy or Marsala

 cream cheese, room temperature (preferably brick, but whipped works too)
unsalted butter, room temperature

whipping cream

Soaking Syrup
warm brewed coffee
sugar (or less, to taste)
Passover Marsala, liqueur or brandy, optional (if not using this, decrease the amount of sugar)

Garnish
grated Passover semisweet chocolate, cocoa, or a combination of the two

For the spongecake:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven (if you have a convection oven set the temperature to 375 degrees F.).  Decide ahead of time if you are going to eyeball the shape and pipe the ladyfingers, in which case you want to line two cookie sheets with parchment.  If you have trouble visualizing size, draw the size of the ladyfinger on the curled side of a piece of parchment. 3-1/2-inches long by 1-1/4 inches wide is a good size (to simplify, make the width the same width as your ruler so you don’t actually have to measure).

Turn the parchment over, so that when you start piping you will not be piping onto the side you have drawn on. Set the parchment on greased baking sheets (the grease keeps the parchment anchored so it doesn't go flying when you move the sheet).  Another alternative is to spoon the batter into two jelly roll pans and then spread it into a sheet.  For this method you'll want to spray a dab of oil onto the bottom of two jelly roll pans and then cut parchment to fit the pans.

For the spongecake batter:

In a small bowl, sift together the matzo cake meal and potato starch.  Set aside.

Place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed, adding ½ cup of sugar gradually. If you like sweeter cake,  beat in another 1/4 cup of sugar (3/4 cup total).  When all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to high, and beat until the egg yolks are thick, fluffy and pale in color, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla, if using. Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolks, but do not mix together.

Transfer the eggs whites to a large, clean, grease-free mixing bowl. Using clean, grease-free beaters, beat the eggs whites until very foamy throughout.

Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, and beat the whites just until they form stiff peaks. Do not overbeat or they will be hard to blend into the batter.

STIR 1/3 of the whites into the batter to lighten the texture. Fold in the remaining egg whites.

Spoon the batter into a pastry bag with a ¾-inch round tip. Using the template you have drawn on the parchment paper, pipe ladyfingers leaving ½-inch between each ladyfinger (your batter will be lighter and fluffier than what is pictured here, which are actually eclairs - shown just so you can see the angle of the pastry bag).

Below, is actually the dough you will be using.  I've piped these by eye (you can see they aren't all exactly the same length), and the fatter ones are the ones I spooned on.

An alternative method is to spoon the batter into two prepared jelly-roll pans

and then spread the batter as evenly as possible, without deflating it too much.  It's okay if the batter is a bit lumpy and uneven - much better than deflating it.

Place the pans in the oven, and bake 5 minutes. Switch the pans so the bottom one is now on the top, and bake another 5 minutes until the ladyfingers or cakes are golden brown (you won't need to switch sheets if using a convection oven) and springy to the touch.

Remove the sheets from the oven.  For the ladyfingers, slide the parchment paper onto cooling racks. Remove the ladyfingers from the parchment paper before they cool completely.  For the cakes, let them cool in the pan and then cut around the edges and slide the cakes onto a cutting board.  When cool, cut the cakes into fingers. Because it's too hard to get the cake perfectly spread in the pan, some pieces will be thinner than others.  You have about 10 more than you ned, so you may discard any that are overly thin or thick.

If using the ladyfingers within a day or two, reheat the oven to 400 degrees (350 if you have lots of very thin fingers), place the ladyfingers on a cookie sheet, flat side up, and place them back in the oven.  Turn the oven off, and let them toast for about an hour, checking after 30 minutes to make sure they aren't too brown.  They should be toasted and firm. Set aside to cool. For longer storage, freeze the untoasted ladyfingers for up to 3 months. Defrost before using them, and then toast them as above.

For the filling:
For pasteurized eggs, place them (in the shell) into a bowl of hot water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Crack the eggs, save or discard the whites and transfer the yolks to a large mixer bowl. Beat for a minute to blend, and then beat in the sugar. Continue to beat until the eggs are pale and thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the coffee. 

If using regular eggs, whisk in the sugar and the coffee, and then beat them on medium speed, over boiling water. for 3 minutes.  Keep the beater moving to prevent the egg from overcooking. Increase the beater speed to high and beat for 4 more minutes.  Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat for 7 minutes to cool the eggs down.

To continue, beat the cream cheese with butter until well mixed.  Stir in 1 cup of the egg mixture and then fold in the remainder (if using the whipped cream cheese you might need to use less of the egg mixture.  You don't want it to be too soupy, but it will thicken back up after you add in the whipped cream).

Place the whipping cream in a small bowl.  Beat on high speed until the mixture forms firm peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

For the syrup:

Combine the warm coffee, sugar and alcohol, if using,  in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. 

Assembly:
To assemble the tiramisu, dip one ladyfinger at a time into the syrup, turning it in the syrup for about 10 seconds, just until it softens, but isn’t soft throughout. Place each, flat side up, in an 9x12-inch decorative pan, until the whole bottom is covered.

Spoon on half of the filling. Dip the remaining ladyfingers, as above, placing them on top of the filling. Spoon on the remaining filling. Cover the pan with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, sprinkle the top with grated chocolate, cocoa or a combination (adding in some ground coffee might be nice, too). The Tiramisu will be firm enough to cut into pieces, although the first piece will be hard to remove. Use a small square spatula to get the pieces out of the pan.

If you want to make the tiramisu in a glass cup, you'll want to either pipe rounds, or use the jelly-roll method and cut out rounds from the single sheet. 

Remember that if the glass flares out, the rounds need to be graduated from small on the bottom, to larger at the top.  Adding grated chocolate between the layers, as well as on top, looks really pretty when you can see the dessert through the glass.

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Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Still baking for Passover but you've run out of matzo cake meal? Try this fantastic flourless torte. It's on page 91 of Passover Desserts and the revised recipe is on page 77 of Amazing Passover Desserts.

The entire collection of Amazing Passover Desserts can be downloaded now for $5.00