One of the joys of the Days of Unleavened Bread is preparing treats that we rarely make during other times of the year. As an aid to your joy, we are publishing a collection of recipes in this year’s Living Church News—hopefully you will find something new to try!
Of course, there is no requirement to bake your own bread, and you can also find appropriate unleavened bread items at many grocery stores. After a few minutes of reading labels, you take your choices to the cashier, and you have unleavened bread to remind you of lessons of these special days. However, when feasible, preparing recipes ourselves also highlights and enhances the pleasure and delight of God’s ways in a way that commercial products cannot, and usually adds the extra benefits of sharing with and serving others. We presume that everyone will adapt these recipes to fit their personal needs.
This year, the girls of Living Education–Charlotte teamed up with ministers’ wives here at headquarters to bake each of these delicious dishes, and our photographers were there to capture the fun! One of the benefits of time at the “on campus” Living Education program is special opportunities just like these.
We hope that this will be a most inspiring, encouraging, and joyous Festival season for all of you! And may the food we enjoy during these days remind us to take in the true unleavened bread of sincerity and truth as we observe the Festivals God has designed for our blessing.
Breads and Crackers
Passover Bread
Several Passover bread recipes have been circulated in the Church over the years. This recipe is based on Mrs. Isabell Hoeh’s, published by the Radio Church of God and Ambassador College in 1960, and should be used for any homemade Passover bread, scaled up as necessary.
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender, as for pastry. Combine oil and water and mix well, then pour over flour mixture and mix lightly with a fork. If more water is needed, add no more than a tablespoon at a time, just enough for dough to form a ball. When dough forms a ball, knead on floured board until dough is smooth. Working with one ¼-cup to ⅓-cup portion at a time, roll out on floured board until thin. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and trim edges neatly before baking. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until lightly browned and slightly puffed.
Grandma’s Unleavened Bread (Gluten-Free)
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if already in your flour)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix butter and cream cheese together with a mixer. Add flour, sugar, salt, and xanthan gum. Mix well. If using a hand mixer, you may need to knead in the last of the flour, as the dough will have the consistency of roll-out cookie dough. When dough comes together, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Roll out dough and cut into crackers or use a biscuit-cutter or cookie cutters. Bake for about 10 minutes
Note: You can add some flaxseed meal for a nutty flavor, or if you are new to gluten-free baking, or to add a whole-grain texture.
Herbed Unleavened Bread
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or thyme, basil, oregano, sage, or Italian seasoning)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup water
Method:
Combine flour, salt, and herbs. Stir the oil and water into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms a dough. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes, until it becomes smooth. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each one into a ball. On an ungreased work surface, roll out each piece of dough to ¼-inch thickness. Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook each dough round for 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Don’t overcook.
Soft Unleavened Bread
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups milk
- 3 eggs (4 if using whole wheat flour)
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix flour and salt together. Mix eggs and oil together. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, then add milk. Beat hard for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour into greased pan or baking sheet with sides. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Note: This recipe works very well for sandwiches.
Easy Cheesy Crackers (Gluten-Free)
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese or grated Parmesan
- Optional: “Everything bagel” seasoning
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter. Set aside to cool. Mix the almond flour, xanthan gum, cheese, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly. Pour in the butter and mix until evenly combined. Add the lightly beaten egg and knead until it forms a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 5 minutes to allow the butter in the dough to firm up. Roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper, then remove top piece of parchment. If desired, sprinkle with “everything bagel” seasoning and lightly roll the seasoning into the dough. Cut crackers to desired size and carefully place them on a baking sheet. (Dough will be fragile so a small cake spatula will be helpful.) Bake for 8–12 minutes, until the crackers are lightly golden. Time may vary depending on the thickness of the crackers.
Note: The cheese can be omitted if you prefer.
Einkorn Crackers
- 2½ cups whole wheat einkorn flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup oil or melted butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon “everything bagel” seasoning
Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine flour and salt in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add butter or oil, honey, and water, and mix until fully incorporated. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and spread the dough on it. Pat dough out evenly (about 10 inches by 16 inches). The dough will be thin. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over the dough. Using a knife, slice the dough into 1½-to-2–inch squares. Bake 6 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness.
Cookies and Bars
Joyful Almond Energy Bites
Makes 20
- 2 cups Medjool dates, pitted (about 1 pound)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract (or almond extract, or additional vanilla extract)
- Optional: 2–3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Method:
Add dates, almonds, coconut, cocoa powder, vanilla and other extracts, and salt to food processor. Cover and blend until the mixture comes together in a ball. Depending on the freshness of the dates, the mixture may be a bit dry. If it does not come together into a ball, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time, blending between additions until mixture becomes a ball. Add chocolate chips, if using, and pulse or fold in with a spatula to incorporate evenly. Scoop out 1-tablespoon portions of dough and roll between hands to form into smooth balls. If mixture is sticky, you may need to dampen your fingers very slightly with a drop or two of water. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for about a month.
Jam Bars
- 3 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups quick oats
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 370°F. Sift together flour and salt. Stir in oats and sugar. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until crumbly. (May need to add a bit of water to make dough hold together.) Pat 2/3 of the dough evenly into 13”x9” or 15”x10” ungreased baking pan. Spread with 2 cups of any kind of jam. (Jam will spread more easily if stirred with a fork before spreading it.) Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over the jam layer. Bake 30–35 minutes.
Desserts
Chocolate Cassis Cake
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter
- 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons crème de cassis liqueur
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 extra-large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare pan: Spray 9-inch springform pan with baking spray containing flour. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray again with baking spray.
Melt butter and chocolate together in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder, cassis, and vanilla, and set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until pale yellow and tripled in volume. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and gently but thoroughly fold them together with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until just barely set in the center. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, and then release the sides of the pan. Invert the cake carefully onto a flat serving plate, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely.
Glaze:
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 to 3 tablespoons crème de cassis liqueur
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Method:
Melt the chocolate and cream together in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Off the heat, whisk in the cassis and vanilla. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and spread over just the top of the cake.
Berry Sauce:
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup crème de cassis liqueur
Method:
Fifteen minutes before serving, toss the berries gently with the sugar and cassis. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with the berries on the side.
Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gluten-Free)
(To make this dairy-free, use a plant-based butter of your choice and dairy-free chocolate.)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) or margarine
- Mint sprigs and assorted berries for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and butter and melt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and blended. Remove from heat and let cool. In large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, and salt with a whisk until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add 1/3 of chocolate mixture and stir until incorporated. Repeat with remaining 2/3 of chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. Cake should be just set but still soft in the center. Let cool completely. To serve, sift powdered sugar over the top of the cake and garnish with mint and berries.
Fruit Peak
- 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup frozen blueberries or 1 can cherry pie filling
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together the butter, sugar, almond flavoring, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour until fully incorporated. Spread thinly on oiled jelly roll pan. Drop spoonfuls of the fruit onto the dough, spacing them evenly. Gently press the fruit into the dough. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the dough is cooked through.
Noisette Tulipes
Serves 10
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts (or pecans), finely chopped or ground
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
- 2 large egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon almond or rum extract
- 1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. In shallow pan, bake hazelnuts for 10 to 15 minutes in preheated oven until skins crack. Remove from oven, wrap in towel. When cool enough to handle, roll nuts in towel to remove as much skin as possible. (Bake pecans for 7–10 minutes.) Chop nuts very small.
Spray two large cookie sheets with baking spray containing flour. In small saucepan, melt butter then set aside to cool. In small bowl, whisk egg whites with the sugar, salt, and extract until mixture is foamy. Whisk in melted butter, then flour. Add finely chopped nuts.
Trace ten 5-inch circles on prepared cookie sheets. Spoon 2 level tablespoons of batter onto each circle and spread evenly to fill circle. Bake 5 minutes or until edges are brown. Lightly spray the bottoms of five 6-ounce custard cups or grease them. Using pancake turner, lift cookies from baking sheet and invert onto greased bottoms of custard cups. By hand, mold each cookie into a tulip shape around the cup (tulipe is French for “tulip”). If the cookies are too brittle, reheat them briefly in the oven. Cool completely on the cups over a wire rack, then lift the cookie tulips off the cups. Bake and shape five cookie tulips at a time.
Sauce and topping:
- 1 package (12 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed. Honey to taste. Gently simmer raspberries with honey for 20–30 minutes.
Serving Suggestion:
- 1½ quarts vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
- ½ pint fresh raspberries
- Mint leaves
To serve, fill cookie tulips with scoop of ice dream. Drizzle lightly with raspberry sauce, then scatter fresh berries over each tulip and plate. Garnish with mint leaves.
Note: This recipe is super easy after you have made it once or twice.
Pastries
Danish Almond Pastry
Step one:
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons water
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut ½ cup butter into 1 cup flour. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons (or more) of water over mixture and mix with fork. Round into a ball, then divide in half. On ungreased baking sheet, pat out each portion to make a strip 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. Strips should be about 3 inches apart.
Step two:
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 eggs
Method:
In medium saucepan, heat ½ cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil. Remove from heat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about one minute. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs all at one time and beat until smooth. Divide mixture in half and spread each pastry strip with half of mixture, covering completely. Bake about 1 hour, or until top is crisp and brown. Cool.
Frosting Glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- ½–¾ teaspoon almond extract or ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- Chopped nuts
Method:
Mix together until smooth. Spread half over each of the two baked pastries and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Note: This recipe also works well with gluten-free flour.
Unleavened Fruit Pastry
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½–3 cups all-purpose flour
- Jam or jelly of your choice
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine softened butter, sour cream, and salt. Add 2½ cups flour. If dough is very sticky, add remaining flour. Allow dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, and then roll out to even thickness, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut circles out of the dough with a biscuit cutter. You will need an even number of circles. Put half of the cut circles onto a baking sheet. Spoon a desired amount of jam or jelly onto the circles. Use the remaining circles to cover the jellied halves and crimp the edges together with your fingers or a fork. Brush a little milk or beaten egg over the tops of the pastries. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are lightly golden.
Walnut Tarts
Makes 24
Pastry:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sifted flour
Method:
Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add the flour and mix well. Roll into 24 balls. Chill for 20 minutes and then press into small (2-inch) tart pans.
Filling:
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix filling ingredients together. Divide filling evenly among the tart shells. Bake for 25 minutes.