Schnecken, honey cake and more

This Passover Short Dough can be used to make rugelach, schnecken, almond horns, almond macaroons, mirror cookies and many Jewish favorites. It’s a smooth, soft dough the texture of putty; you should be able to touch it without it adhering to your hands. Note the following:

» This recipe must be made hours in advance, at least 5 or 6 hours to let dough firm in refrigerator. Overnight is fine; dough also may be frozen and thawed before use.

» Almond paste is not marzipan; both products are available in the baking sections of most supermarkets.

» Although it’s easiest with a stand mixer, I’ve made this dough using a hand-held mixer. Creaming the shortening, almond paste, sugar and egg just takes a little longer.

Passover Short Dough

1-2/3 cups matzo cake meal
1 cup potato flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons almond paste
1/2 cup beaten egg (about 2 eggs), divided
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make cake meal in food processor (see tips). In a small bowl, combine cake meal and potato flour and set aside.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with mixing paddle, combine sugar, salt, almond paste and all but 1 tablespoon of beaten egg. (Save remainder for egg wash for schnecken.)

Beat at low medium speed until smooth. Add shortening, honey and vanilla and beat until blended. Add potato flour and matzo cake meal in three or four portions, blending as you go.

Turn dough out onto long piece of plastic wrap and pat gently into a thick, flat disc. Wrap well and chill until firm. Makes one 5- to 6-inch disc.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Filled with smooth jam, rolled and sliced, these slightly larger-than-bite-size pastries disappear fast. The conventional recipe calls for cake crumbs to thicken the jam; for Passover, use matzo meal or matzo flour, about 1/4 cup.

Passover Jam-filled Mini Schnecken

1 recipe Passover Short Dough (see above)
Matzo flour for dusting and thickening jam
2 to 4 tablespoons melted margarine
1 cup raspberry or apricot jam, whirred in food processor until smoothed, thickened with 1/4 cup matzo flour
Egg wash (1 tablespoon beaten egg, 1 teaspoon water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with baking rack moved to center of oven. Remove dough from refrigerator and "break" it: Place in bowl and use spoon to break it up. Knead gently with hands for a minute.

Place on length of kitchen parchment lightly dusted with matzo flour (see tips). Dust top of dough with matzo flour. Roll into rectangle about 18 inches long and 8 inches wide and 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, dusting rolling pin and dough as needed to prevent sticking.

Brush dough with melted margarine and spread filling evenly, leaving about 1/2 inch on long end farthest from you. Apply thin coating of egg wash to this long end, for sealing the cookies.

Starting at long edge closest to you, roll into long jelly roll and seal.

Use sharp knife to cut roll into 1/2-inch pieces.

Place cut side up, 1 inch apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with egg wash; wait 1 minute. Brush again.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes until schnecken are a rich, glossy brown. Remove to a rack. Makes 24 to 30 pastries.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 24 servings): 220 calories, 10 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 18 g sugar, 3 g protein

Honey cake is another everyday Jewish specialty that gets a makeover for Passover and can be eaten at dessert, as a snack or at breakfast. It can be filled with candied fruit and nuts or left plain. Much of the flavor comes from honey; Ginsberg prefers a dark honey, preferably buckwheat, but you can also try local honeys. Note that here you’re using potato starch; I got mine by begging nicely at Jerusalem Kosher Deli (in the Chabad Hawaii temple at Ala Moana Hotel); they sold me a 16-ounce can for $5. Otherwise, go online.

Passover Honey Cake

1-2/3 cup matzo cake meal (see tips)
1 cup potato starch
1-1/3 cups dark honey
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons beaten egg (about 5 eggs)
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup broken walnuts or hazelnuts (optional)
1 cup glace fruit (optional)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional) 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees (yes, it is 250), with baking rack moved to center of oven. Grease, flour and line with parchment three 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans.

Sift matzo flour and potato starch together; set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle blade, combine honey, sugar, egg and salt and beat on low until salt and sugar have dissolved, 6 to 8 minutes.

Dissolve baking soda and vanilla in water and add to honey mixture, mixing to combine. Add potato starch and matzo flour and mix until smooth. Add oil in steady stream and mix until blended. If using nuts and fruit, stir them into batter.

Fill pans one-half to two-thirds full and garnish with sliced almonds, if desired. Bake 2 to 2-1/2 hours and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes on rack before removing loaves from pans. Makes 3 loaves.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 10 slices per loaf and NOT including optional ingredients): 150 calories, 4.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 18 g sugar, 2 g protein

Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.