These pralines are not the soft shiny kind found in New Orleans.  They are firm and opaque and so delicious.  A perfect ending to a great Fajita dinner.

1-cup sugar

1/2-cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1/2-cup milk

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

1-teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine the sugars, butter, milk and corn syrup in a heavy 2 quart saucepan and cook at a low boil for 15 – 20 minutes. Stir constantly.

1. Cook the mixture until it forms a soft ball when a small amount is dropped into a glass of ice water.

1. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

1. Add the pecans and remove from the heat. Stir to coat the pecans.

1. Pour the mixture by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper and allow to cool.

Double Coconut Chocolate Macaroons

8 ounces almonds

1 cup sugar

2 cups lightly packed coconut

9 ounces dark chocolate, 60% cocoa butter

3 egg whites (approximately 1/3 cup whites)

1/3 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)

1 teaspoon almond extract

1. Place almonds in a processor workbowl and pulse the machine on and off until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the sugar and coconut and pulse once or twice to combine
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. 1 minute @ 80% and 45 seconds @50%. This time is approximate and based on a 1 ½ inch thick block of chocolate. It might take less time. Watch carefully and stir the chocolate after the first 45 seconds to check on the melting time.
3. In a small glass measuring cup combine the egg whites, coconut milk and the extract. Set aside.
4. Add the chocolate to the nut mixture in the processor workbowl.
5. With the motor running, pour the egg white mixture into the workbowl and just process until the mixture comes together and is well combined.
6. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
7. Wet your hands or lightly coat them with oil. Dough is very sticky. Freeze for 5 minutes if it is too hard to handle.
8. Scoop up one Tablespoon of dough and shape into a ball the size of a small walnut. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
9. Bake the macaroons for 12-15 minutes. (Convection ovens only need about 12 minutes at 350F.)
10. Cool completely and then store in air tight container or freeze. Do not over bake as cookie will harden more when the chocolate solidifies at room temperature.

Yield: 5 dozen macaroons

Ingredients

8-10 sweet apples, Fuji, Gala, Honey Crisp or Jonagold
8-10 ounces pecans, toasted
1 Tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
1 cup Concord grape wine

Preparation Instructions

1. Peel, core and cut the apples into 8 pieces.

2. Place ½ of the apples in a processor work bowl and pulse until pieces are about ¼ inch. Remove to a large glass bowl and repeat with the remaining apples.

3. Toast the pecans at 350F for 5 minutes. Cool slightly and then add them to the work bowl. Pulse machine on and off until the pecans are finely chopped. Add pecans to the apples.

4. Add the cinnamon and sugar to the apple mixture and stir to combine.

5. Add the wine and mix well.

6. Cover and refrigerate overnight but preferably 1-2 days.

7. If mixture is watery, drain off excess liquid and then adjust cinnamon, sugar and wine as desired.

Makes about 1 quart.

Ingredients

4 ounces dried figs
4 ounces raisins
4 ounces prunes
4 ounces pitted dates
1 ½ cups peanut butter, or almond butter (peanuts are often excluded for Pesach)
2-3 cups brown sugar –according to taste
½ cup sweet kosher wine-as needed
Cinnamon-enough to cover balls of Charoset (approx 1 ½ ounce)

Preparation Instructions

1. Place the dried fruits in a processor work bowl and process the dried fruits until a relatively smooth paste is formed.

2. Add the peanut butter and brown sugar to the processor work bowl and pulse on and off a few times to begin to combine the ingredients. The machine will only begin the process as mixture will be thick.

3. Remove mixture to a bowl and continue to combine the ingredients kneading with your hands.

4. Little by little add the wine to the mixture until you obtain a firm ball of fruit. This mixture will be quite sticky. If necessary, refrigerate for ½ hour until mixture firms up a little.

5. Wet your hands periodically with cold water and form small balls of Charoset about the size of a small walnut.

6. Place balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and put in the freezer until frozen.

7. Once the balls are hard you can remove them to a freezer bag until needed.

8. Just before serving, defrost and roll each ball in cinnamon. Serve.

Yield 2 or more dozen balls depending on size.

Tina’s Tidbits:

• Do not double this recipe unless you have a very large food processor or the mixture will be too difficult to combine thoroughly.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds small grape tomatoes
¼ plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
8 ounces whole almonds
¼ cup honey
Zest of ¼ medium orange
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (325F for convection oven).

2. Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side up on a cookie sheet.

3. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of the sugar over the tomatoes and place in oven for 15 minutes.

4. Remove tomatoes from the oven and sprinkle them with another 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Return to the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until tomatoes are beginning to brown and sugar is caramelizing. Do not let the sugar burn.

5. Remove from oven when done and allow tomatoes to cool.

6. Meanwhile toast the whole almonds in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes until fragrant. Do not let almonds get too dark. Cool almonds and then finely ground in a nut mill or food processor using short pulses so that the nuts are ground fine without forming a butter. Place nuts in a 1 quart bowl and set aside.

7. Place tomato mixture in the processor work bowl and process until coarsely chopped. Add the honey, orange zest, and spices and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Process to a smooth paste.

8. Add 1 ½ cup of the ground almonds to the tomato mixture and then pulse on and off until mixture is well blended. Transfer to a storage container and place in the refrigerator for 3 days.

9. When ready to serve, either serve in a dish with a spoon or shape into ¾ inch balls and roll in the remaining ground almonds. Serve cold.

Tina’s Tidbits

• Roasting the tomatoes serves two purposes. One the flavor is enhanced by the caramelized sugar and juices and two, it helps the tomato dry out so that the mixture won’t be too thin and wet

• A Tablespoon of sugar and some cinnamon may be added to the remaining nuts for the coating.

Ingredients

• 18-20 large strawberries with leaves
• 8 ounces good quality chocolate, Scharffenberger or Lindt
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation Instructions

1. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
2. Place the chocolate in a 1-cup measuring cup. Set this cup in a 1-quart saucepan containing at least 1 inch of water.
3. Heat the water until it simmers and melt the chocolate. Stir only once or twice to insure that it is uniformly smooth.
4. Stir in the oil and remove from the heat. Allow to cool until tepid.
5. Hold the strawberry by the leaves and dunk the berry into the slightly warm chocolate. Lift up and rotate the berry in small circles to help the excess drip off.
6. When the dripping slows down a little turn the berry upside down with the point in the air. This allows the cooling chocolate to coat the berry more rather than create a big pool of chocolate on the paper.
7. Lay the coated strawberry on the prepared pan and straighten out the leaves a little.
8. Proceed with the remaining berries. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours. These will always do better if made the same day. The longer they sit the more chance that the strawberry will give off some of its juice and dissolve some of the chocolate coating.

Ingredients

• 3 cups matzo farfel
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• ½ cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut
• 2/3-cup pecans broken into large pieces
• 1/4-teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4-teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3-cup wildflower or clover honey
• 1 ½ cups chopped dried mixed fruit of your choice including raisins, or 7 oz. bag of dried fruits

Preparation Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine the farfel, almonds, coconut, pecans, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a 2 quart mixing bowl.
3. Melt the butter and honey in a small glass bowl in a microwave for 1 minutes until butter is melted and honey is more fluid.
4. Stir the butter mixture into the farfel mixture until all farfel is lightly coated with the butter.
5. Spread mixture over a large pan with 1 inch sides and bake for 15 minutes. Half way through baking stir to brown evenly.
6. Remove from oven. Cool slightly and then toss with the dried fruit.
7. When totally cooled, store in a zip lock bag or air tight storage container for all eight days of Passover!

Additional Notes

MIXTURE MAY BE MADE WITH PAREVE MARGARINE.

Ingredients

3 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups water
2 pounds apples, Granny Smith, Gala or Delicious
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tablespoon Rosewater or 1 teaspoon Vanilla
¼ cup slivered almonds

Preparation Instructions

1. Place the sugar and water in a 3 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
2. While the mixture is heating, peel the apples and grate them by hand with a coarse grater or use a coarse grating disc on your processor. Immediately add the apples to the hot sugar syrup along with the lemon juice.
3. Reduce the temperature to medium and allow to cook for 30 -45 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is quite thick. (Note: the amount of time depends on the variety of apple and its juice content.) Stir the mixture occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. While mixture is cooking, toast the almonds in a 350F oven for 4 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside.
5. When mixture is thickened (it will get thicker when it cools ) add the Rosewater or the vanilla and place in an open container until cool. The toasted almonds may be added to the mixture or sprinkled on top as a garnish. Refrigerate until serving.

Ingredients

• 2 12-ounce bags of white chocolate chips
• 5 ounces candy canes, Starlight mints, or one 5 ounces stick
• 4 ounces of small pretzels or pretzel sticks
• 4 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, optional

1. Place unwrapped candy canes (large stick is easiest to use) in a plastic bag and pound lightly with a rolling pin to break into small pieces. Some of the candy will be pulverized, that’s OK. You should have about 1 cup. Set aside.
2. Place pretzels in a plastic bag and lightly pound with a rolling pin until you have very small pieces. You should have about 1 ½ cups. Set aside.
3. Place the white chips in a large glass bowl and microwave at 70% for two minutes.
4. Gently stir the chips with a rubber spatula until a few lumps remain.
5. Return bowl to the microwave and microwave contents at 50% for 1 minute. Stir gently until smooth.
6. Reserving 2 Tablespoons of crushed candy, add the remaining candy and all of the pretzel mixture to the white chocolate. Fold ingredients together until well combined.
7. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil and then spread the hash with the back of the spatula until it is about 1/8- ¼ inch thick.
8. Sprinkle reserved crushed candy over top and then refrigerate until firm. Break into pieces and serve or wrap for gifts.
9. May be stored at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 2 cups red wine (I prefer Shiraz or Zinfandel)
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 1 three inch stick of cinnamon
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 three ounce pouch of liquid fruit Pectin

Preparation Instructions

1. Combine the wine with the spices in a two quart saucepan. Heat the wine until it is warm. Turn off the heat and allow the wine and spices to steep for 30 minutes.
2. Add the sugar to the spiced wine and then heat to a rolling boil. Stir constantly for a minute or until the sugar is totally dissolved.
3. Add the pectin and return mixture to a rolling boil. Stir for ONE MINUTE and then pour into clean glass jars.
4. Allow the jelly to cool at room temperature before covering and refrigerating.
5. A perfect decoration for this jelly is frosted grapes.

FROSTED GRAPES

1. To frost the grapes, either rinse them under water or toss them in slightly beaten egg whites.
2. Place a few Tablespoons of sugar in a small dish and roll the moist grapes in sugar.
3. Place the sugared grapes on a plate or rack and allow the sugar to dry completely before using as an edible decoration.

Additional Notes

NOTE: This mixture will stay in the refrigerator for weeks without spoiling. It can also be frozen. Because you don’t use sterilized jars and paraffin to seal the jelly, you can not store the jelly in your pantry, it must be refrigerated or frozen. NOTE: If you are uncomfortable using raw egg whites then water will work almost as well.