RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Dessert: Sephardic Almond Pudding - pareve
The Gomez Mill House in the Hudson Valley, NY is the oldest Jewish residence in America. It was built as a trading post by a Sephardic Jew 1714. A Bible owned by the Gomez family mentions Uriah Hendricks, a Dutch-born Jew who came to America in 1955. The recipe below is a Hendricks family recipe supplied by Ruth Hendricks-Schulson, a great-great-great-granddaughter of Uriah Hendricks. The following explanation accompanies the recipe: "Old recipes for sponge cakes or almond tortes today traveled with the Jews from Spain to Holland and throughout the Ottoman Empire, where sponge cake became known as pan d’Espana, the bread of Spain. Mentioned as a Jewish dessert in the 1855 edition of Eliza Acton’s MODERN COOKERY FOR PRIVATE FAMILIES, 'almond pudding' usually includes both bitter and sweet ground almonds or matzah meal, sometimes orange flower water, and always eggs and sugar." Karen Selwyn * * * * * * * * Sephardic Almond Pudding (KLP) 4 large eggs, separated 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 3/4 cup ground blanched almonds 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional) Oil for the pan Matzah cake meal for the pan 1 pint strawberries or 1 cup strawberry puree Preheat the oven to 350 degress F. Prepare an 8" souffle dish or a springform pan by coating lightly with oil and dusting with matzah cake meal. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until they are foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat until the egg yolks are pale lemon yellow colored and fluffy. Add the almonds and the extract (if using) and mix until well blended. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. (Note: Clean the beater well before attempting to beat the egg whites. Even the tiniest speck of egg yolk will prevent the whites from developing properly.) Taking care to deflate the egg whites as little as possible, fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Turn mixture into the prepared souffle dish (or springform pan). Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Let cool slightly. (Note: The pudding will rise slightly during cooking then settle as it cools.) Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Top with fresh strawberries or strawberry puree and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings Source: Gomez Mill House home page www.gomez.org/cooking.html
