Baking for Passover

Just took the sliced brisket, gravy and chicken soup out of the freezer for a nice slow thaw before Friday’s Passover Seder dinner. Since I’m hosting this year, there’s a lot to do to prepare for our celebration. And it’s not just the food that will keep me busy since 19 family members arrive Friday evening for a sit down dinner. That’s why I made sure to get some of the shopping and cooking done weeks ago, freezing these key components to our meal several weeks ago. Jackie and I will also be baking desserts this coming Thursday, making our usual decadent chocolate chip macaroons and intensely sinful Flourless Chocolate Cake.

My holiday wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t spend a few hours in the kitchen with Jackie, beating egg whites, mixing coconut with sweetened condensed milk and melting chocolate. This will be our sixth year (in a row!) making macaroons, proof that our tradition is one we both look forward to. Not only to get dessert on our tables, but also to celebrate the holiday in our own way as friends since we part ways on the holiday itself. Holidays take on many meanings for people, as they come together with family and friends in celebration. Baking with my friend for Passover prolongs my holiday, adding an extra dimension of meaning to an already beautiful day.

Chocolate Drizzled Macaroons

8 ounces sweetened angel flake coconut
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 stiffly beaten egg white
1/8 tsp. of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix coconut, vanilla extract, salt and condensed milk together in a mixing bowl. Beat egg white until stiff. Fold the egg white into the coconut. Form the coconut mixture into balls and place one inch a part onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven until golden for approximately 12- 14 minutes. Melt the chocolate chips in the oven for 1 minute until melted. Cool cookies on a cooling rack and drizzle melted chocolate over the macaroons using a small spoon.