Yes, April is almost over and my March recipe is going up. Eeek. I promise that I did make this in March!

Passover and Easter came early this year. We celebrate both in my household which made for an interesting Easter brunch (more on that later). For Passover dinner I was assigned the task of making dessert. The tricky thing about Passover is that you are not suppose to use any leavening agent. For the record, baking powder and baking soda are two very close friends of mine in the kitchen. For that reason, it gave me the perfect opportunity to try out a new recipe from Martha Stewart- walnut dacquoises with apples and ice cream.

Here are my take aways if you decide to make it:

• Be prepared to buy a lot of walnuts and honey: These are probably the most expensive ingredients. Watch for walnuts on sale or it may be worth the trip to Costco.
• Skip the pastry bag: I did not have a tip large enough to use my pastry bag. To skip the headache of running to the store, I put the walnut mixture in a ziplock bag and cut off the corner. It makes for a beautiful clean up. This is also not a recipe where you need a fancy tip.
• Reduce the butter: I love butter. However, the ratio of honey, butter and apples seemed off. The apples were swimming in the sauce. My goal was to just infuse additional flavor into the apples. I think you could cut the butter and honey in half. It should be noted that I did double my recipe.
• The ice cream is delicious by itself: This was my first time adding things into store bought ice cream. I did two varieties: (1) Breyers Natural Vanilla and (2) vanilla almond milk (for the lactose intolerant crowd). The honey walnuts added a delicious flavor. I would consider making just the ice cream part again for an easy dessert.
• It is a rich dessert: Everyone seemed to enjoy the dessert. However, it is very rich. After a big meal it may push you into the uncomfortably full zone. This would be best served with a lighter dinner.

One last thing I did want to share was our Passover friendly Easter brunch menu. Here is what was served:

• Vegetable hash with eggs: Awesome recipe that makes you feel healthy. I cut down on the potatoes and added some butternut squash to the mix.
• Chicken apple sausage: Standard Aidells sausage.
• Fruit salad
• Champagne
• Homemade fruit juice: Apple and pear.
• Tea

Setting the table is always fun. I did geek out and fold the napkins into bunnies. Yes, my brother and I spent a fair amount of our free time as children practicing napkin folding techniques. Don’t judge 🙂