DIY Whole Wheat Matzo Meal and Cake Meal

Homemade WW cake meal (left) and WW matzo meal (right)

Why Bother?

Years ago, I needed just a little more matzo meal for a brownie recipe but I was all out. In desperation, I ground up a matzo in my food processor or maybe it was a blender since I may not have owned a processor back in those days. At any rate, the processor works better for me and I've stopped using a blender.

I like to eat as much fiber during Pesach as I do the rest of the year, so I gradually switched to eating whole wheat matzos and using only whole wheat for all my Passover recipes – everything from matzo balls to latkes to cakes and brownies.

Sometimes I'm lucky enough to find whole wheat matzo meal at the store, others not. Forget about whole wheat cake flour; no one makes it. So, I started to experiment. Now that I know what I'm doing this recipe is quick and simple.

Works with All My Recipes

Thus far, none of my Passover recipes require any adjustment for this ingredient change. I suspect matzo is so dry it behaves the same no matter which flour is used to make it. By the way, I was most concerned my matzo balls would look dingy, but they look just fine.

Passover Chocolate Cake 2012

Every year, I revise my recipe for Passover chocolate cake. Here's the link to the 2013 edition -- the best ever! It's even better than this recipe!

This cake is better the second day -- if it lasts that long! And (shhh, don't tell anyone) it's made with whole wheat matzo!

Edits
I started with  the recipe for Mrs. Strait's Passover Chocolate Cake and made so many edits, I decided it was time for a new post. Here's what I changed:

Passover Brownies - Double Recipe

For the story behind this recipe and a discussion of the ingredients, see the single recipe.



This is a dairy recipe. If you substitute Kosher for Passover (KFP) margarine for the butter, it will be parve.

Passover Brownies - Single Recipe

Click here for double recipe.

These brownies make a delicious Passover treat.  I've been making some variation on this recipe for years -- ever since I noticed that some brownie recipes do not require baking powder or baking soda. This year I used whole wheat matzo meal and they are just as delicious! I suspect the addition of chopped dates would be a great way to make these brownies a little more moist, sweet, and dense . . . and add a little fiber. First, a few comments about the ingredients.

Passover Apple Cake

Note, if you do not like coconut, you may not care for this recipe. On the other hand, if you love coconut but are not supposed to eat it (because of the saturated fats) this recipe may be a Godsend. It has no coconut, but it sure seems like it does!

I started with a recipe from The Kosher Gourmet Cookbook by Mildred Miller and Bascha Snyder and found a few ways to add fiber (typically lacking in Passover foods). Here are my changes:

Mrs. Strait's Chocolate Passover Cake

1935 Seder. Adelyn Strait Raich (3rd from L); Rose and Harry Strait (4th and 3rd from R) Click on photo to enlarge it.

Note: I finally made this recipe, but with so many edits that I've posted it separately over here.


As I recall, this is a moist chocolate cake. The recipe is from Mrs. Strait, my Hebrew teacher's mother-in-law.

My Hebrew Teacher
Abe Raich, worked as a statistical quality control specialist at the local steel mill, CF&I (Colorado Fuel and Iron). I was in seventh grade; Abe's second son, Ken, was my classmate. Years later, at age 57, Abe retired and began a four-year course to become a rabbi. Read more about Abe and Adelyn (Addy), his wife, here. Get a taste of Abe's teaching, by reading this.

1969: Addy Raich; Mrs Rose Strait

The Seders
Perhaps because we lived close by (across the alley and down a few houses) my family was lucky enough to be included in a number of their seders -- lengthy events with 20+ people of all ages. No doubt, that's how my mother ended up asking Mrs. Strait for this recipe.

Matzo Balls -- Whole Wheat or Traditional