Desserts for Passover

By Food & Wine
Updated April 08, 2019
From an extraordinary hazelnut-and-chocolate meringue cakes to fudgy chocolate walnut cookies, here are superb Passover dessert recipes.
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Hazelnut-and-Chocolate Meringue Cake

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This extraordinary dessert, made with crisp chocolate-hazelnut meringue and whipped cream, is simple to make. But pastry chef Daniel Jasso has nicknamed it “the beast,” because slicing it can be tricky—the meringue tends to crumble. The solution: Freeze the cake, cut it with a serrated knife and let it return to room temperature before serving.

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Strawberries with Buttermilk Ice and Balsamic Vinegar

Credit: PHOTO © TINA RUPP
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Pastry chef Deanie Fox makes this fluffy granita with buttermilk, which is low in fat, high in calcium and easy to digest. She spoons the creamy, tangy ice over lightly sweetened strawberries, a vitamin C-loaded fruit.

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Fudgy Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

Credit: PHOTO © QUENTIN BACON
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New York pastry chef François Payard’s divinely gooey chocolate cookies are flourless, which makes them ideal for Passover baking.

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Tropical Fruit Cobbler with Coconut Macaroon Topping

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Because they don’t contain leavening (or dairy, which is prohibited at meat-based meals), coconut macaroon cookies are commonly served at seders. Adam Perry Lang wanted to play on the idea of a macaroon in this clever dessert, so he turned the cookie into a fluffy meringue with toasted coconut and ground almonds, which he then uses to top a juicy mixture of pineapple and mango.

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Triple-Layer Chocolate Macaroon Cake

Credit: PHOTO © ANNA WILLIAMS
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François Payard layers chewy coconut cake with silky chocolate ganache. The beauty of the recipe is its simplicity: It has only six ingredients.

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Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème

Credit: PHOTO © QUENTIN BACON
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Mexican chocolate, which is flavored with ingredients like cinnamon, almonds and vanilla, lends a distinct flavor to Stephanie Prida’s rich custard. Look for it at Mexican markets and specialty-food stores.

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Cocoa Nib Pavlova with Raspberries

Credit: PHOTO © JOY THE BAKER
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“Cocoa nibs taste like this cool mix of chocolate and espresso,” says Joy Wilson. The bitter nibs give this Pavlova a hit of chocolate flavor. “I eat it with a cup of mint tea to get a mint-chocolate-chip situation,” she says.

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Citrus Salad with Candied Ginger

Credit: PHOTO © DAVE LAURIDSEN
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The key to making this simple fruit salad with candied ginger: Use a sharp knife to cut the citrus. “The better your knife, the better this dish will look,” says chef Jason Travi.

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Coconut Pavlovas with Tropical Fruit

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The kiwis and mango that fill these airy, low-fat meringues are high in vitamin C and other antioxidants. The low-calorie passion fruit seeds add tartness and intense tropical flavor.

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