Since it is now the middle of Passover, I wanted to write a recipe that was both Kosher for Passover and also enjoyable for the rest of the year. I landed on macaroons, which are very versatile and make a great dessert or snack.

I listed a number of optional mix-ins, but feel free to let your imagination run wild. And, of course, if you are keeping Passover, you will want to make sure that your ingredients have a hechsher l’pesach.

In case you are looking for something to more sufficiently satisfy your Passover choco-late cravings, I have also included a recipe for flourless chocolate-walnut cookies.

KOSHER FOR PASSOVER

MACAROONS

2 cups of shredded coconut

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp of salt

3 egg whites (use large eggs)

Optional mix-ins: Almond extract, fresh

orange or lemon zest, 8 oz of melted

semi-sweet chocolate – you can mix the

chocolate in or use it as a coating for

the finished macaroons; coffee, chopped

dried fruit, chopped nuts or chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease it with cooking spray or butter/margarine.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut and sugar.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and salt. Using a whisk or an elec-tric mixer beat until they become white and form medium-firm peaks (when you pull the whisk up, the egg whites will form a point, or a peak, that will then fold back on itself ).

4. Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

5. Stir in optional mix-ins.

6. Form heaping teaspoon-sized balls of batter and place on the cookie sheets.

7. Bake for 17-23 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool and serve.

FRANCOIS PAYARD’S FLOURLESS

CHOCOLATE-WALNUT COOKIES

(adapted from New York Magazine, 4/13/2008)

2 3/4 cups of walnuts, chopped

3 cups of confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons of unsweetened

Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 tsp of salt

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 tbsp of pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a large baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes until toasted but not burnt. Let them cool slightly.

2. Lower the oven temperature to 320 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parch-ment paper and then grease with cooking spray or butter/margarine. These cookies have a tendency to stick to the plain parch-ment, which is why it is important to grease the parchment.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the con-fectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt, then add in the walnuts. Next, whisk in the egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat just until moistened – do not over-beat!

4. Using a tablespoon, spoon the batter onto the baking sheets. The cookies will not spread very much, so it is okay to place them close together. At this size, the batter will make about three dozen cookies, so you may have to bake them in batches.

5. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked. Let them cool completely and serve.

Contact Emily Suskin at

[email protected].