Hanging around with friends is an under rated sport. With my recent move to a new house, I have been reminiscing about the mundane yet special moments I have spent with friends. I have also begun to create new recipes with the half empty, almost sell by date food items I found lurking in the back of my cupboard of kitchen-past. This brings me to my friends Bridget and Martin.
The day before passover, I spent the afternoon with Bridget and Martin as they were busy preparing brisket and Matzoh Pudding for Passover. I loved both the company and the tasting of the various renditions of matzoh.
As a student, around Easter and Passover, I filled my belly with matzoh and peanut butter so that is how I started off my visit. It was then followed by a little chicken soup with matzoh balls (thank you Manischewitz) and finally the “piece de resistance”, Bridget’s Sweet Matzoh Pudding.
All this matzoh eating made me realize that we seldom see this unleavened bread any other time of the year so what happens to all those half open boxes in the cupboard. It got me thinking and I realized that those boxes could be used for a number of other staple recipes.
Matzoh bread crumbs that can be kept frozen in the freezer
Matzoh peanut crunch by making a peanut brittle and throwing some crunched up matzoh into it.
Matzoh pizza by adding some roasted tomatoes, basil and fresh grated cheese to the matzoh and broiling it in the oven.
…but my favorite one is Sweet Matzoh Pudding.
Luscious feel good dessert
Needless to say, I have tasted a number of Jewish delicacies in my lifetime, but it was an honour to sneak a few mouthfuls of Bridget’s lushes and sweet treat. Even Martin was enamored with his wife’s dish. I love the fact that it can be served after Passover to finish up the matzoh in the cupboard.
It is similar to a bread pudding but lighter with a distinct apple and sugar cinnamon flavouring. I loved every bite and I have no doubt that you will too.
- 3-4 medium apples,peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 450g Matzoh (1 box or 2 half boxes)
- 1 lemon, juiced with grated rind
- 6 eggs separated
- ¾ cup water
- 125g (1/2 cup)butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ chopped dried apricots
- ¾ cup sugar
- Pre-heat oven to 190 C (375F)
- Grease an oven proof dish (size about 35 x 25 x 10 cm or 9 x12 inches)
- Toss sliced apples in lemon juice.
- Crumble Matzoh in a small bowl, cover with water until soft, then drain off the excess water.
- In a separate medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.
- In another larger bowl beat yolks then mix in water, melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, lemon rind, vanilla essence(extract) and ¼ cup of pecans to the yolks until well blended.
- Add the softened Matzoh to the egg mixture.
- Then fold in egg whites.
- Combine remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
- Place a layer of the mixture in the baking dish, followed by a layer of the apples. Sprinkle with a 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture and ½ the apricots and raisins.
- Repeat 1 more time finishing with matzoh mixture on top. Sprinkle the remaining pecans and cinnamon sugar on top.
- Place in pre-heated oven and bake until golden and bubbling.
Water and a firm hand softens the Matzoh
Chop the nuts and dried fruit together
Lemon rind ready to go!
The finished pudding is even better than it looks!
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