Passover
Passover is the holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, during the 7-8 days over which it is celebrated people can only eat unleavened grains, any fermented grain is banned. Flour can used in making matzah however the whole cooking process can’t take more than 18 minutes from when the water and flour touch.
Matzah
Matzah or matzo is a flat, crisp bread that must be baked before is has time to rise, it is the only bread permissible to eat during Passover. This type of bread is thought to reflect that when the Israelites left Egypt they were in such a rush that they could not wait for their dough to rise. It symbolises both freedom and a remembrance of life in servitude.
Ingredients –
- flour
- water
- salt
- olive oil
Baking without Leavened Grains
There are many alternatives to baking with standard flour, so your cake creations do not need to be halted during Passover. Almond, Coconut, and Quinoa flour are all acceptable alternatives, although they may take a little bit of getting used to using. Many people also use potato starch during Passover – the ration for this is generally to use 5/8 of a cup for every cup of flour that would’ve been used. Alternatively, matzo meal can also be used, this is ground up matzah which lends itself to denser, courser bakes.
Desserts without dairy
Different households follow different timescales when it comes to not mixing meat and dairy however this can mean that a meat meal cannot be followed by a dessert containing dairy.
Here’s some handy ideas for desserts without dairy or flour products –
- Sorbet
- Flourless dark chocolate cake (just use a dairy free butter alternative)
- Passover cake
- Avocado chocolate mousse