Passover brownies are almost always disappointing. Not these. How could they be with matzo meal for Pesach, bittersweet chocolate, sugar, butter, eggs, brandy, and nuts. They’re slightly crumbly outside and splendiferously fudgy inside.
Unlike most disappointingly dry and bland Passover brownies, these are ever so slightly crumbly at the edges and splendiferously fudgy on the inside. This recipe uses matzo meal instead of regular all-purpose flour to make them kosher for Passover or Pesach. But you’d never guess it from the taste. Kindly note that if you’re expecting traditional chocolate brownies, you’re in for something of a surprise. They’ve got something of a different taste and texture from classic brownies, yet they’re still rich and chocolatey through and through. Originally published March 26, 2012.–Renee Schettler Rossi
Passover Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup matzo flour or matzo meal*
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup brandy or chocolate liqueur
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (optional)
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C). Butter an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
- 2. In a large bowl, mix together the matzo flour or meal, sugar, and vanilla.
- 3. Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a medium-ish to large-ish saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Or you can opt to toss them in a glass microwave-safe bowl and nuke them until the chocolate just starts to lose its shape, checking every 30 seconds or so. As soon as you stir the chocolate, it will melt completely. Stir until smooth.) Be careful not to scorch the chocolate or it will taste, you know, scorched.
- 4. Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, brandy, walnuts, and chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, if using, and stir just until incorporated.
- 5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 45 minutes. You should probably start checking the brownies for doneness at 30 minutes. Let the pan of chocolatey goodness rest at room temperature for a few minutes, if you can stand the wait, before cutting into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
*Matzo Flour Or Matzo Meal
- Matzo flour or matzo meal can usually be found in most grocery stores next to the matzo during Passover. Matzo meal is slightly more coarse than matzo flour. You can make your own matzo flour from matzo meal by whirring matzo meal in a blender or spice grinder until it’s very finely ground. And you can make your own matzo meal from matzos simply by blending them in a blender until finely ground.
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Passover Brownies Recipe © 2013 Orly Ziv. Photo © 2013 Katherine Martinelli. All rights reserved.
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