S’mores Bars

Courtesy of Bernstein fam!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 10 graham crackers, broken into pieces and crushed into crumbs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1½ cups marshmallows

Makes:

16 bars

Directions

Prep

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
3. Line with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches overhang on two sides.
4. Butter the parchment paper.

Make the Dough

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together:
• flour
• baking soda
• salt
6. In a large bowl, beat:
   
• butter
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
  until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
7. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
8. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
9. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until blended.
10. Stir in graham cracker crumbs until combined.

Assemble

11. Press about ⅔ of the dough into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
12. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the dough.
13. Add marshmallows on top, packing them closely together.
14. Take the remaining dough and:

• pinch off pieces
• flatten them (about ½ inch thick)
• place over the marshmallows

15. Cover as much as you can — it’s okay if some marshmallow shows through.

Bake

16. Bake until the top is light brown, about 40 minutes.
17. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Finish

18. Lift out using the parchment paper overhang.
19. Place on a cutting board.
20. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

If you want, I can also streamline this into a super quick “glance version” for when you’re actually baking.

Matzah Brei

Ingredients:

• Matzah
• Eggs
• Milk
• Salt
• Jam
• Syrup

Directions:

1. Soak 6-8 pieces of broken up pieces of matzah in a colander under cold water for a few minutes to soften
2. Beat about 8 eggs in a large bowl, add splash of milk
3. Add matzah pieces to bowl of egg/milk
4. Sprinkle with salt
5. Grill on stovetop until set
6. Serve topped with jam and syrup

Passover

Buy as early as possible:

Matzah

Gluten free matzah

Matzah meal (matzah ball mix)

MAKE:

Matzah ball soup

Brisket

Vegetable side

Kasha varnishkas

Hardboiled eggs

Coconut macaroons

Cake?

SEDER:

Matzah

Charoset

Horseradish

Gefilte fish

Parsley

Salt water

Grape juice

Red wine

Wine

Butter 

SUPPLIES:

Haggadahs

Seder plate

Elijah cup

Afikoman wrap

Salt water cups

Soup plates, seder portion plates, big plates

Sparkling waters (La Croix)

Buy early in stores: Matzah

Horseradish

Matzah balls: use manischewitz recipe on box

Soup: Rotisserie chicken, broth, mirepoix

Devil's Food Cake

Devil’s Food Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (if using cake flour use 2 cups + 4 tbsp)

• 1.5 tsp baking soda

• 0.75 tsp baking powder

• 0.75 tsp salt

• 1.5 sticks (12 tbsp) butter, room temperature

• 2 cups white sugar

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 1¼ cups water

• ¼ cup milk

• 1–2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional but recommended)

---

Instructions

1. Prepare oven and pans
   Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment circles if possible.

2. In a small saucepan heat water and milk until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in 1–2 tsp instant espresso powder until dissolved. Let cool 2–3 minutes so it is hot/warm but not scalding.

3. Mix dry ingredients
   In a bowl, whisk together:

   • flour

   • baking soda

   • baking powder

   • salt
     

4. In a stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter until smooth, about 2–3 minutes.

5. Increase speed slightly and slowly add the sugar. Beat for 4 more minutes, until light and fluffy.

6. Add the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Beat for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

7. Turn mixer to low. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

8. Combine batter (alternate dry and liquid)
   With mixer on low, add ingredients in this order:

   • ⅓ of the flour mixture

   • ½ of the hot liquid

   • ⅓ of the flour mixture

   • remaining liquid

   • final ⅓ flour mixture

   Mix just until combined. Do not overmix! Finish gently folding with a spatula if needed.

   (The batter will be fairly thin — this is normal.)

9. Divide batter evenly between pans.

   Bake on the middle rack for 30–35 minutes, until:

   • the center springs back when lightly pressed

   • or a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs but not wet batter

10. Cool
    Let cakes cool in pans 10–15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Iced Tea Summer Cooler

Ingredients:

• herbal tea
• fresh mint
• meyer lemons or regular lemons, sliced

Using Fortnum & Mason Summer Cooler

Use medium pot, fill about halfway to 2/3 with water

Bring to boil, remove from heat

Add 5 teabags

Steep for 10 minutes

Add 1/4 cup sugar, dissolve/mix fully

Remove teabags, add approximately an equal amount of cold water

Refrigerate in pitcher for at least 3 hours

Garnish with sliced lemon and fresh mint

Greek Salad

 

Romaine

Cherry tomatoes

Feta

Red onion

Parsley

Cucumber

Kalamata olives

Artichokes

Dressing:

2 tbsp Red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Olive oil

Dried oregano

Minced shallot

Salt, pepper 

Southwest Chicken Salad

Romaine lettuce 

Lime

Grilled chicken

Black beans

Corn

Cherry tomatoes

Feta

Red onion

Red pepper

Avocado

Whisk together:

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 1 large lime

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• Salt + pepper