After surviving Auschwitz concentration camp, Elie Wiesel became a writer, professor, activist, humanitarian and Nobel laureate. Wiesel, who passed away in 2016, has been called “a messenger to mankind,” “a grandson to the Jewish people,” and notably by President Barack Obama “the conscience of the world.” Wiesel knew all too well what it meant to be enslaved, and enjoyed the upcoming Passover holiday because it celebrates life and freedom.
“I love Passover because for me it is a cry against indifference, a cry for compassion,” Wiesel said.
Also known as Pesach, Passover celebrates the biblical story of exodus — where the Israelites were liberated from slavery in Egypt. For eight days (this year from Apr.15-23) Jews abstain from fermented grains like wheat, splet, barley, oats and rye, in Hebrew known as Chametz. Chametz is not eaten during Passover to commemorate when the Jewish people were rushing out of Egypt, and did not have time to wait for their bread to rise. They left with unrisen dough called matzoh, instead. On Passover Jews eat matzoh to remind them of the freedom fought so hard for.
On the first night of Passover there is a festive meal called a Seder (Hebrew for “order”) where family and friends come together to read from the Haggadah, the prayer book recounting the story of Passover. There are special dishes, songs and other fun Passover traditions. For people not living in Israel it is customary for a Seder to take place on the second night as well. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar, Jewish communities outside Israel, uncertain of the precise days on which holy days should be celebrated, observe the holiday for two days. Each Seder also ends with the same sentence: “Next year in Jerusalem.”
The Seder revolves around a ceremonial platter with five symbolic Passover foods. All are eaten or referenced during the Seder meal and represent parts of the Passover story. One item is Karpas; a root vegetable (usually celery, parsley or potato) that is dipped in saltwater and eaten as a reminder of the tears wept by the enslaved Jews in Egypt. Marror, (meaning bitter herbs) are eaten to remind Jews of the bitter days of Egyptian slavery. Charoset, a sweet mixture often made with apples, nuts, cinnamon and red wine, reminds us of the dark mortar enslaved Jews used to build. Beitzah (a hardboiled egg), is on the plate because the roundness of the egg symbolizes rebirth and renewal. Lastly, the Z’roa is the lamb shank bone. It serves as a visual representation of the special Passover sacrificial lamb offered at the Holy Temple.
Many Jews fret when it comes to Passover desserts because most cakes require a leavener of some sort. Still, there are plenty of tasty dessert options available. We’ve included two that are sure to elevate your Passover dessert game.
3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 large eggs
16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease springform pan with butter and line bottom with parchment.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs in a large bowl until doubled in size, about 5 minutes.
Place chocolate chips, salt, and 1 cup butter in a large microwave-proof bowl. Microwave on high in 10-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until smooth and pourable.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the whipped eggs into chocolate mixture until incorporated. Fold egg and chocolate mixture back into remaining whipped eggs until incorporated.
Transfer to prepared pan; cover bottom and sides of pan completely with foil. Set springform pan inside a large roasting pan; add hot water to a depth of about 1".
Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and sides of cake begin to pull away from pan, 30–40 minutes. Let cool before serving.
Ingredients:
For the whipped cream:
2 cups of cold heavy cream
1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the chocolate ganache
3 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
For the cake assembly
8 large matzoh crackers
Chocolate shavings, for garnish
Directions:
Make the whipped cream: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until soft peaks form
Make ganache: Place chocolate chips in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream to simmer, then immediately pour hot cream over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 10 minutes, then whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate chips have melted.
To assemble cake, place a cooling rack inside of a sheet pan and place one matzo cracker on the rack. Spread ganache on top of cracker, then spread whipped cream over the ganache. Top with another matzo cracker and repeat the process until you’ve used up all of your whipped cream.
Pour extra ganache over the ice box cake, covering all the sides. Top with chocolate shavings. Transfer cake to a serving plate and refrigerate until the cracker layers have softened to become cake-like, about 4 hours.
Happy Passover to those who celebrate!