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Passover Hazelnut Torte

March 17, 2021
Passover Hazelnut Torte

When I converted to Judaism, I of course had to learn to prepare traditional Jewish dishes: gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, kugel, cholent, etc. You’d think I would have had to give up favorite family recipes from my childhood in Germany. Not so! My German grandmother’s beloved hazelnut torte turned out to be the perfect (and easy to prepare!) Passover dessert.

Featured in: A Flourless Hazelnut Torte for Passover

Great for: Passover

Ingredients

  • 6eggs, separated
  • 3cups finely ground hazelnuts (for filiberts, use about 9 oz. ground)
  • 1 ⅓cups sugar
  • Grated rind of half a lemon
  • 1bar of semi-sweet chocolate
  • Canola oil* and matzoh meal for pan
  • 9"round springform pan
  • NOTECanola oil is considered kosher for Passover for those, most commonly in the Sephardi community, who eat kitniyot during the holiday. Similar mild oils that are kosher for Passover for those who abstain from kitniyot are cottonseed oil and safflower oil.

Preparation

  • Step 1

    Beat egg yolks until they are foamy, add lemon rind, then beat in sugar until creamy. Add nuts. Beat egg whites until stiff (peaks in the foam will stay when you turn off your beater).

  • Step 2

    Carefully fold the egg whites into the nut mixture. The nut mixture will be a little stiff but it will loosen up with careful folding in of the egg whites.

  • Step 3

    Coat the pan with oil and matzo meal. Pour batter into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Let cake cool off.

  • Step 4

    Melt the chocolate, add a teaspoon of canola oil* (to keep it just a bit soft for cutting), and spread it over the cake.

  • Step 5

    Enjoy, and happy Passover!