Timely tips for meeting the Passover dessert challenge

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - You've pulled together your favorite recipes for the many meals that fill the eight days of Passover, the holiday marking the Exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Your special charoset, that fruit-nut mix for the Seder plate. The garlic-perfumed roast chicken recipe from Aunt Ruth. Maybe the potato kugel you had at your cousin Edie's last Passover. Oh, yes, and you better do your "famous" brisket or there will be grousing from the children.

Now about dessert. Of all the courses served at meals during Passover (which begins this year at sundown April 8), none may puzzle some cooks as much as dessert. No flour may be used, no corn (think cornmeal, cornstarch), no beans (so those gluten-free mixes _ make sure they don't use garbanzo or fava bean flour) and, for some, no rice.

"Generally when you take a year-round recipe and try to make it for Passover, you certainly do find challenges," said Shalva Meyers of the Chicago Rabbinical Council.

That hasn't stopped creative cooks from developing simple and impressive sweet finishes for meals.

In the absence of flour, finely ground nuts or p otato starch or matzo cake meal step in to add structure. With baking powder and yeast not allowed, stiffly beaten egg whites are incorporated into batters to leaven cakes.

We talked to bakers and dug through our recipes and came up with these tips for making the perfect holiday cake. And, from a n old favorite cookbook, we found a simple-to-make sponge roll that's as versatile as the imagination of the baker.

FITTING FINALES

Long before Passover begins, savvy cooks will be prepping for the meals and gatherings of family and friends that mark the eight-day holiday.

And that means stirring up a few desserts. Coconut macaroons, bite-size meringues and cakes made with matzo cake meal regularly show up as a meal's sweet finale.

But for something different, consider these: A spongecake that uses finely ground almonds to give it structure and a delicate creation based on dacquoise. (Dacquoise? It's layers of baked nut-flavored meringue stacked with whipped cream or other fillings. It's French, so call it dah-KWAHZ.)

One example is the dacquoise from chef Rafael Ornelas at Sarah's Pastries & Candies (at two locations in Chicago). It includes circles of hazelnut dacquoise layered with chocolate mousse and topped with buttercream frosting. And at a special Passover seder April 8 at Maxwell's at the Club in Chicago, an open-to-the-public restaurant in the East Bank Club, chef Rich Hall is using lemon cream and fresh strawberries along with baked meringues to build his dacquoise.

For you chocolate lovers, turn to Maida Heatter, the legendary dessert maven and cookbook author. Her chocolate almond sponge torte has few ingredients but is full of deep chocolate flavor.

The best part? These two desserts have prepare-ahead components. The meringues can be made a day or two ahead, says Ornelas, then stored covered with plastic or in a plastic container. And as Heatter notes, her sponge torte can "be made a few hours before serving or the day before (or it may be frozen with the icing and then thawed before serving)."

Such prepare-ahead options are a blessing for cooks such as Chicagoan Yitty Friedman, who is busy readying family favorites for Passover meals.

"For the seder itself we make really simple and elegant food," Friedman said. "The focus (of the meal) is the recounting of events that led up to the Exodus. It's a very family-oriented event."

But there will be desserts, maybe strawberry shortcake made with spongecake or perhaps a chocolate trifle, a layering of chocolate cake or brownie pieces with chocolate mousse and whipped topping.

Of course, in keeping with the holiday's restrictions, Friedman uses only ingredients that are certified "kosher for Passover," whether that means a non-dairy whipped topping or margarine.

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TIPS FOR PERFECT HOLIDAY CAKES

Have _ eggs at room temperature for best volume.

Separate _ eggs carefully; the slightest bit of yolk in the whites will reduce the beaten volume.

Use _ a bowl that's completely free of grease; fat can deflate the eggs.

Have _ all ingredients ready to go before beating egg whites so whites don't have time to deflate, advises Sarah Levy, of Sarah's Pastries & Candies in Chicago.

Watch _ carefully while beating egg whites so they are beaten stiff, but not dry.

Stiff, not dry _ "When you (lift) the beater, the peak (of the egg white-batter) will stand straight up; if it bends back down you need to beat it more," said Levy. "If it breaks, it's gone."

Pulse _ nuts in a food processor in spurts; overprocess them, and you'll have nut butter.

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WALNUT CAKE ROLL

Prep: 45 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Makes: 10 servings

This cake roll is adapted from a recipe found in the 1966 edition of "The New Portal to Good Cooking," from the Women's American ORT in Chicago. It can be filled with a fruit preserve of your choice (we used raspberry).

6 eggs, separated

˝ cup granulated sugar

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Confectioners' sugar or superfine sugar

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan; line with wax paper. Lightly grease the wax paper.

2. Beat the egg yolks with the granulated sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Stir in the nuts; set aside.

3. Wash and dry the beaters. Beat the whites in a clean, medium bowl with electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, but not dry. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture; pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake tests done, when it springs back after lightly touching surface, 15-20 minutes.

4. Carefully invert the pan onto a smooth, clean kitchen towel sprinkled liberally with confectioners' sugar or superfine sugar. Remove pan; carefully remove wax paper. Carefully roll up the warm cake, starting at the short end and using the towel to roll it up. Set the rolled-up cake on a wire rack to cool.

5. Gently unroll the cake; spread preserves or your favorite filling over the cake. Reroll the cake without the towel. Garnish as desired.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 156 calories, 57 percent of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 127 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 42 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

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HAZELNUT DACQUOISE WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE AND HAZELNUT BUTTERCREAM

Prep: 1 hour

Cook: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Chill: 2 hours

Makes: 10 servings

This recipe, which tasters found rich, sweet and impressive, is adapted from one by Rafael Ornelas, head pastry chef at Sarah's Pastries & Candies in Chicago. Circles of meringue are layered with a chocolate mousse then finished with a hazelnut buttercream frosting. The meringue, mousse and buttercream can be made ahead. Serve this with a dairy meal, because it contains butter and cream. If you want a lighter dessert, simply enjoy the meringue on its own, with ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream.

Meringue layers:

5 ounces whole hazelnuts, toasted, skinned

1 Ľ cups sugar

6 large egg whites, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate mousse:

7 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 cups whipping cream

Hazelnut buttercream:

1 pound butter or margarine, room temperature

2 tablespoons each: almond paste, finely ground toasted hazelnuts

5 egg yolks

ľ cup sugar

Ľ cup water

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Cut three 7˝-inch circles from parchment paper. Position racks so oven is divided into thirds. Place hazelnuts and ľ cup of the sugar in a food processor; pulse to a fine cornmeal-like texture. Set aside.

2. Combine egg whites and salt in bowl of electric mixer; beat on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high; gradually add remaining ˝ cup of the sugar, beating until glossy and medium peaks form. Add vanilla. Turn speed to high; beat 30 seconds until medium stiff peaks form. Gently fold nut-sugar mixture into beaten egg whites in four additions.

3. Scoop batter into a pastry bag fitted with ˝-inch round tip. Place a parchment circle on a baking sheet. Starting in the center of the parchment circle, pipe meringue in a continuous spiral until you reach the outer edge; repeat with remaining two circles. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees; bake 1 hour. Let cool completely on baking sheets.

4. For mousse, place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at 50-percent power, stirring in 1-minute increments, until half-melted, about 3 minutes. Heat ľ cup of the whipping cream to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over the chocolate. Let cool to slightly warmer than room temperature, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Beat remaining 1Ľ cups of the whipping cream to stiff peaks with electric mixer; fold gently into chocolate mixture.

5. For buttercream frosting, stir butter, almond paste and hazelnuts together in a medium bowl; set aside. Place yolks in a large bowl; beat with electric mixer until light and pale in color, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat to soft ball stage (234-240 degrees on a candy thermometer or when a drop of syrup dropped in cold water creates a soft ball), about 25 minutes. Add hot sugar mixture to yolk mixture; beat on high until cool, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter mixture.

6. To assemble cake, line an 8-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap. Carefully place 1 meringue layer on the bottom. Fill a piping bag fitted with a ˝-inch round tip with hazelnut buttercream; pipe two rings around the edge of the cake, one atop the other. Fill the inside of the ring with chocolate mousse; spread evenly. Repeat with remaining meringue layers. Refrigerate cake to firm, 2 hours.

7. Carefully invert pan to unmold cake onto a serving platter; remove plastic wrap. Frost top and sides of cake with buttercream. Use any remaining chocolate mousse to pipe rosettes with a pastry bag on torte, if desired; top each rosette with a toasted hazelnut. Slice carefully with a serrated knife.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 909 calories, 72 percent of calories from fat, 75 g fat, 40 g saturated fat, 395 mg cholesterol, 57 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 101 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

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CHOCOLATE-ALMOND SPONGE TORTE

Prep: 1 hour

Cook: 28 minutes

Chill: 2 hours

Makes: 6 servings

This torte, adapted from "Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts," has a simple elegance. She uses a buttercream frosting, but for a non-dairy meal, you could fill and top the cake with melted apricot preserves or another fruit jam.

1 cup whole almonds, blanched, see note

4 eggs, separated

˝ cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon rum or Cognac, optional

˝ teaspoon vanilla

Ľ teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Buttercream:

1 ounce each: unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate

1 pasteurized egg

1/3 cup superfine sugar

1 teaspoon powdered instant coffee or espresso

3 ounces unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature, cut in 8 pieces

˝ teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate shavings, almonds, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with wax paper. Grease the paper; dust insides lightly with cocoa powder. Invert pans and tap to remove excess. Place almonds in a food processor; pulse to grind to a fine powder.

2. Beat egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer at high speed until light and pale, 5 minutes. Add cocoa, rum, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat at low speed just until mixed; set aside. Clean beaters. Place egg whites and salt in a clean bowl; beat with electric mixer on high speed until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Fold a large spoonful of the beaten egg whites into yolk mixture. Lightly fold remaining whites in three additions into yolk mixture. Pour batter into the cake pans; smooth surfaces.

3. Bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed and cakes begin to come away from sides of the pans, 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around sides of each cake to release. Invert each onto a wire rack. Remove pan; peel off wax paper. Invert cakes; cool completely.

4. For buttercream, place both chocolates in microwave-safe bowl; microwave on 50 percent power, stirring, until melted and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Cool. Beat egg, sugar and coffee in small bowl of electric mixer, 5 minutes. Add cooled chocolate; beat to just mix. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating until smooth. Add vanilla; beat until mixture is the consistency of whipped cream, 2 minutes. Spread about one-third of buttercream over cake layer on the plate. Cover with second layer, top side down. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream. Garnish with chocolate shavings and almonds. Refrigerate cake 2 hours. Serve chilled.

Note: To blanch almonds, place in heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over them; let stand about 1 minute or until skins slip off easily. Drain; slip off skins. Dry thoroughly before grinding.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 456 calories, 59 percent of calories from fat, 32 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 207 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 117 mg sodium, 4 g fiber

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© 2009, Chicago Tribune.