Ridding your kitchen of all things not kosher for Passover is always a bit of a scramble. While cooking with my Mother for this Friday night dinner I was a bit stumped when it came to making a dessert. Having a dwindling amount of ingredients, I began my search for the perfect pre-Passover dessert (this is also a good year-round recipe!).
Ingredients
1 cup (Earth Balance) butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
7 oz. almond paste
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1 jar seedless black raspberry jam ( I recommend using Smucker's Simply Fruit)
3 egg whites
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
1/2 unsweetened flaked coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and set aside.
Crust
In a large bowl, combine butter, almond paste, and turbinado sugar until smooth (use an electric hand mixer to cut down on time). Beat in one egg as well as the almond extract. Gradually add the 2 cups of flour until the ingredients are fully combined. Press the dough into the pan and back for 20-25 minutes until it is golden brown. Set aside to allow it to cool slightly.
Raspberry Filling
Empty the jar of black-raspberry jam into a small/medium size mixing bowl. Whisk until the jam becomes loose and smooth. Spread jam across the top of the crust.
Meringue Top
In a large bowl, whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar until the egg whites form stiff peaks and have a glossy appearance. Spread on top of jam and sprinkle the flaked coconut on top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. Allow to cool and then cut bars with a sharp knife.
Music Suggestions:
- Reverie- Claude Debussy
- Moon River- Lawrence Welk
