Goodbye winter: Spring forward with 3 fresh, colorful desserts
It’s been a long winter. The beginning of spring, warm weather, new produce and the appearance of locally-grown fruit are causes for joy. I tend to focus on savory foods, but this is a great time of year to do some spring baking.
The first night of Passover is on April 15, and Easter Sunday falls on April 17. Both of these spring holidays are great excuses to do some baking. For Easter, a Meyer lemon tart with strawberries and pistachio dust would be ideal. It’s colorful, refreshing and an ideal end to a rich holiday meal. Angel food cake is also light and airy, served with whipped vanilla-scented cream and first-of-the-season strawberries or raspberries.
Passover or Pesach is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. Throughout the eight-day holiday, Jews do not eat any grains that can ferment and become leavened. The story goes when Jews escaped Egypt they didn’t have time to allow their bread to rise before fleeing. Wheat flour is permitted only when it is baked into Matzah, or unleavened bread. So for Passover this year I’ll bake a flourless chocolate and orange cake.
Three new desserts for a new season.
Separation anxiety: How to separate egg yolks from whites
The angel food cake and the lemon curd call for separating egg whites from yolks. Always crack the eggs in a small bowl rather than cracking them directly into the batter or cake mix – that way if you get a drip
