Kosher for Passover Cupcakes - Charoses Cupcakes

Kosher for Passover cupcake Photo disclaimer: The Kosher for Passover cupcake featured in the photo above was taken by the esteemed St. Louis food photographer J. Pollack Photography. However, the photshopping of the cupcake onto the Seder plate was done by me and he does NOT approve of such photo mutilation.

Charoses cupcakes will surely be the "wow" dessert on any Passover table. They are lemon-flavored Kosher for Passover cupcakes with baked-in charoses and topped with brown sugar charoses frosting!

Last year, I featured Kosher for Passover chocolate cupcakes. I got many comments from people complaining that they couldn't eat the cupcakes after a traditional Passover Seder because the cupcakes were dairy.

These charoses cupcakes can be served two ways. Without the frosting, these cupcakes qualify for a Kosher for Passover fleishig meal (no dairy); don't worry, even without the frosting, they are still better than macaroons. With the frosting, you could serve the cupcakes with a dairy meal.

Charoses Cupcake Recipe

I found the recipe that I used for the charoses cupcakes from Key Ingredient. I modified it slightly to make it a cupcake. I'm listing the recipe with my modifications below.

Makes about 16 cupcakes

• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 1/4 C sugar
• 3/4 C safflower oil
• Juice of 2 lemons (4 to 5 T)
• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1 1/4 C matzo cake meal (not matzo meal)
• About 2 C charoses (Use my charoses recipe if you don't have your own go-to one.)
  

1. Mix egg yolks and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl, combine oil, lemon juice and zest.
3. Add matzo cake meal to yolk and sugar mixture alternately oil mixture.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
   
5. Using rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture until well blended.
   
6. Fold in remaining beaten egg whites.
7. Fill cupcake liners about halfway with batter.
8. Put a spoonful or more, of charoses on top of the batter on each cupcakes.
9. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Charoses Frosting Recipe

For my charoses frosting I used a basic penuche frosting (brown sugar frosting) and just added charoses to it. It's a bit gooey (kind of like the frosting on a German chocolate cake) - only even yummier (if you love charoses)! In fact, I just ate an apple and totally enjoyed dipping it in all the leftover frosting. I'm typing with sticky fingers now.

I got the penuche frosting recipe from Southern Food on About.Com. I used this same frosting minus the charoses on my Gluten-free quinoa cupcakes. The recipe made twice as much frosting as I needed. Unless you want extra frosting around for snacking, you could definitely cut this recipe in half.

• 1/2 C butter
• 1 C brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 C milk
• 2 C sifted confectioners' sugar (I only used about 1 1/2 C)
• 2/3 C charoses (Use my charoses recipe if you don't have your own go-to one.)

1. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter.
2. Add the brown sugar.
3. Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium low and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
5. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually add sifted confectioners' sugar. (I would highly recommend sifting this confectioners' sugar. It's such a pain to sift, but it ensures that the frosting will be extra smooth.)
6. Beat until thick enough to spread.
7. Mix in charoses.
8. Pour over cupcakes.
   

Speaking of Passover

Don't expect many new posts over Passover. I'll likely be passing over the blog during that time, but, you never know.

Charoses Recipe - Mom's Recipe

Charoses is a reason to look forward to Passover. I would eat charoses year round, but then I wouldn't enjoy it as much over Passover. I could eat it by the bowl - cold or hot. Charoses is almost always served cold, but it's actually great after 30 seconds or so in the microwave - try it!

While I typically experiment and drastically change recipes, there is no messin' with Momma's charoses. Well, except for the fact that I used up this charoses in a Kosher for Passover charoses cupcake.

Charoses Recipe

Mom's charoses recipe is actually from The Complete American-Jewish Cookbook. As I look at this digital picture of the cookbook, I can picture the more worn out version of it sitting in Mom's kitchen and feel all warm and fuzzy. If you want your own worn out version, you can get used copies of this book for only $4 on Amazon!

Here is the recipe twice removed from the book - emailed by my mom and then edited with notes by me:

• 1 C chopped apples (Mom uses a couple of different apples to make it
• interesting.)
• 1/4 C chopped nuts (We always use walnuts.)
• 1 t sugar or honey (This is not a choice. Use honey!)
• Grated rind of 1/2 lemon (I ended up using a whole lemon. The more lemon, the merrier.)
• 1/2 t cinnamon or more to taste
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine (about) (Don't go for fancy wine here. You want Manischewitz Concord Grape. I can't imagine charoses with any other wine. It's really an essential ingredient.)

1. Mix all ingredients.
   
2. Add enough wine to bind the mixture.