unleavened bread

Gluten Free Passover Almond Danish Pastry

A Gluten Free Passover Delight

The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts on April 9^th. That means you have just a few short days to finish off all those leavened goodies in your pantry before it is time to remove the Chametz (leavening products) from your house. If the thought of giving up fluffy breads and cakes seems too much to bear—don’t worry. Giving up leaven does not mean you have to sacrifice flavor, as demonstrated by Susan Boyd’s Gluten Free Almond Danish Pastry.

This Passover pastry perfectly combines brunch and dessert. It is characterized by a light and flaky crust, a hint of honey goodness and has been likened to modern-day manna. This recipe can easily satisfy a family of four with leftovers. But why not double it and share with some neighbors?

Gluten Free Passover Almond Danish Pastry

Base Layer

½ cup butter

1 cup GF flour blend*

2 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut butter into flour until the size of small peas. Sprinkle water over mixture with a fork. Gather pastry into a ball; divide in half. Pat each half into rectangle, about 12”x3” on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 1/4 inch thick.

Egg layer

½ cup butter

1 cup water

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup GF flour blend*

3 eggs

Heat butter and water to a rolling boil and then remove from the heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and flour. Return to low heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball, about one minute. Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time; beat until smooth and spreadable.

Spread half of the topping over each rectangle and bake for 50-60 minutes or until topping is crisp and golden brown. While that is baking, prepare your cream cheese frosting.

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

¼ cup softened butter

¼ cup honey

½ tsp. almond extract

Sliced almonds (optional)

Beat together and spread on cool pastry. Top with sliced almonds.

Recipe Notes:

You will need to make sure your GF flour blend does not contain any leavening products

If you make this treat (and you should), be sure to share a picture on our Instagram!

Unleavened Bread (Why We Eat it and How to Make it)

Unleavened Bread: What is it?

When the people of Israel fled Egypt during the first Passover, there was no time for their bread to rise. So as they journeyed to the land promised by God, they relied on unleavened bread to sustain them. To remember their journey, and to commemorate our own yearly walk into new freedom, we are a people that celebrate the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread.

This year, the Feast runs April 9^th-15^th, so mark your calendars! Today we rid our lives of common leavening agents. The major culprits of today are yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. Not only will we be preparing food without them, but we also remove them entirely from our pantries and homes.

Just as a little leaven affects an entire loaf, unchecked sin multiplies in our lives. The Spring Holidays invite us into freedom. And the Feast of Unleavened Bread invites us into holiness and freedom from sin. And by removing leavening products, we are renewing our commitment to the removal of sin in our lives. As a result, we eat matzah, or unleavened bread. And we eat a lot of it…

With a little creativity, matzah can find a place in almost all your favorite recipes—bread, pizza crust, and lasagna noodles. I have even seen some pretty creative matzah cakes and matzah-bread houses (in lieu of gingerbread houses).

If you are new to unleavened bread, here is Susan Boyd’s fail proof recipe.

The Recipe: How to Make it

¼ cup white flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup oil

2 Tbsp. cold water

Sesame seeds (optional)

Stir flour and salt together. Add oil to flour and mix with a fork. Sprinkle the cold water over the dough and mix it in. Roll the dough onto a cookie sheet, score it into squares, and pierce with a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Because of the small number of ingredients and the quick turnaround time, baking unleavened bread is a great way to engage your kids during the holiday. Not only does it create an opportunity to share the stories of Passover, but it also builds traditions that your children will pass along to their future generations.

Unleavened bread may sound intimidating, but like most things Yahweh invites us into, it is pretty simple. And it is full of rich goodness. So go ahead, start planning your unleavened recipes. You won’t regret it.

Be sure to look for our post sharing Susan’s GF Passover Almond Danish Pastry.

Six Ways to Make Passover Fun for Your Kids

PASSOVER 2023

Mark your calendars! April 5th, 2023 begins the 8-day celebration of Passover fun for parents and kids alike. Each year, we remember the miraculous journey that Moses led the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery. Simultaneously, we begin walking into new freedoms in our own lives. Just as Yahweh confronted the idols in Egyptian culture to declare freedom for the Israelites, He invites us to witness His redemptive plan for our lives in new ways each year.

With so much good in a holiday, it only makes sense to include our children. If the sheer love of sharing hope and miraculous victory isn’t enticing enough, you can study the commandment to share this story with our children in Exodus 13:14.

To help give you inspiration, here are 6 easy ways to help your children engage in the holiday. Remember, these ideas don’t replace the day-to-day narrative and relationship you share with your child that will help them enter into the holiday in meaningful ways. These are simply tools to help create opportunities. Let’s dig into some Passover fun for kids.

1. READ STORIES WITH YOUR KIDS

Stories are the foundation on which all other elements are built. Stories are relatable. They are interesting. And the Bible is full of them. So it makes sense to read (or tell) stories for Passover. Because our house includes children, we love to supplement the actual story of the Exodus with fun books. You can find books online, in the library, or even some stores.

2. LET KIDS BE CREATIVE

Creating 10 plagues finger puppets. Building a matzah house. Making felt Seder plates! Online, there are a ton of kid-friendly ideas to get their brain working. Crafts and family activities help kids enter into the festivities, and they are a great way to build family traditions.

3. PUT KIDS TO WORK

Resist the temptation to send your kiddos outside while you crank out your holiday preparations. Instead, let them help you. Let them hunt down the chametz (leavened food items) and toss them out. Give them a job, like cleaning around the house, to help build anticipation for the festivities. And even let them help with the food preparations.

4. SING AND DANCE

All kids love songs. All kids learn through songs. Songs are a big deal in our house. We love to be silly. Music helps us remember important things, like why we celebrate Passover in the first place. Here are a few of our favorites. We would love to hear some of yours!

“Jesus the Lamb of God”

5. WATCH THE PRINCE OF EGYPT

Sure, this kids movie isn’t totally accurate. But it is a great story, and it will help your children relate to the Passover story. It will get them emotionally connected, and is a good starting point for meaningful conversations. We love to watch this movie as a family each year.

6. USE THE FUN LINGO WITH KIDS

Holidays come with their own special words and associations and can seem like another language altogether. In the case of Passover, it actually is. Teach your kids the Hebrew words like afikomen, chametz, and other holiday words by using them around the house. And don’t forget to teach them the Passover greeting, “Chag Pesach Sameach.”

I hope you are inspired and ready to celebrate Passover with your family! Remember, these suggestions are only a few ideas to help bring your kids alongside you as you engage the holiday. The opportunities really are endless! The real magic of Passover for children comes not from a perfectly planned evening, but from sharing The Lord’s redemptive power with our children.

May your season be filled with freedom and hope!

Chag Pesach Sameach!

DOWNLOAD A KIDS GUIDE

Find Out More About Passover Here

Formation Community and Witness: Twenty Six Eight

Unleavened Bread: Formation and New Life

FORMATION IN UNLEAVENED BREAD

The Biblical Jewish Festival of Unleavened Bread commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from the land of Egypt. Moses led them out of the wilderness after the Passover and they fled so quickly, their bread didn’t even have time to rise. They realized in that moment that God had beaten the gods of Egypt, and their God was bigger than any other. As they were in the wilderness, God used this period of time to test them and grow them. They were formed to be more and more like the Chosen people God called them to be. Because of this, they were able to experience new life in the Promised Land of Israel.

UNLEAVENED BREAD TODAY

As Christians, like Israel, God called us out of our old life and into a new one. Not only did He invite us into the resurrection life of Jesus but He also drew us into a life of holiness. Unleavened Bread reminds us that because He freed us, we wanted to be different. We want to know the beauty of holiness and wholeness. We want to leave behind what we’d been and become something different.

As Christians, we learn during the season of Unleavened Bread, to tell our story by practically choosing not to each leaven. We demonstrate that we are convinced we can trust our God to rescue us. Because we have encountered Jesus’ love, now we get to choose to take up our cross and surrender wholly to Him. Because we experience Jesus’ death as the gateway into forgiveness, we now get to receive life and formation. We get to see how Christ living in us changes the way we live.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

During the season of Unleavened Bread, most people rid their homes of any leaven. This means many get rid of products like yeast, breads, baking soda and baking powder. The point of eating only unleavened breads during the season allows us to practically recognize the areas where sin has taken a hold of our lives. Not eating leaven brings this to mind each time we consider eating leaven. If you are worried about this, never fear! We have recipes on our blog available for you to try during the week of Passover! As you prepare for Unleavened Bread, consider ridding your home of leaven, and journal about the new life and transformation God wants to bring about in your life.

Find Unleavened Bread Recipes Here

Find Out More About The Spring Holidays Here

The Feast of First Fruits

THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS

The Biblical Jewish Festival of First Fruits comes a day after the festival of Passover. It was given to the people of Israel as a holiday to celebrate the first fruits of their harvests. Because Israel was an agricultural community, they were to offer to God a sacrifice of the first fruits of their harvest, commemorating their gratitude and thankfulness for his provision. The people of Israel were not to celebrate this holiday until they were in the Promised Land (Leviticus 23:10). This was because they were wanderers whose food was provided from God, not an agricultural community who grew their own food.

This day was commemorated as a Sabbath (Numbers 28:26). The people were resting on this day as a reminder that God was their ultimate provider, and it was his provision that gave them a harvest. The people of Israel celebrated this festival through their generations. Even today in Israel, many of the people who work on Kibbutzim (communal agricultural communities) will celebrate the day with a harvest, feasting and dances in the fields until late into the night.

JESUS IN THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS

First Fruits commemorates the day the Messiah rose from the grave. Because it comes right after the celebration of Passover, we see this day often falling on a Sunday. In a sense, Jesus fulfilled the holiday through his miraculous resurrection. He was the first to be raised and we have the promise that he will raise us up from the dead too. In this way, we see that the promise of First Fruits is that there is more to come! The harvest is just beginning and Jesus will continue to raise up his people!

CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS

On this feast day, we would encourage you to take the day off and rest in the abiding presence of Jesus’ resurrection. Because Jesus ate fish when he rose from the grave, many people will eat fish during breakfast, lunch or dinner on First Fruits as a reminder of Jesus’ resurrection. It is a wonderful day to spend with family and friends being reminded of the provision of God to his people, and the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus.

Fresh uncooked sea bream or dorado fish with lemon, herbs and spices on rustic wooden board over grey concrete background, top view. Healthy, dieting, clean eating concept

Find a Yummy Salmon Chowder Recipe Here

Find Out More About The Spring Holidays Here

Passover Recipes

Passover recipes are all over the internet. Passover poses challenges to even the most seasoned chef or baker due to the lack of leavening in the meals. During the seven days between Passover and Unleavened Bread, we are instructed to not eat leaven as a reminder of the Israelites who left Egypt in such a hurry they couldn’t let their bread rise in time.

Because of this, the internet has taken the challenge on, and Passover recipes working around the leavening component are found everywhere! We would encourage you to find your own recipes for desserts, baked goods and yummy dinners. The recipes listed below are our chef’s favorite recipes to try during the Spring season. All of them are wonderful additions to your Passover meal, and we hope you find great use in these tried and true recipes!

Gluten Free Passover Almond Danish Pastry

A Gluten Free Passover Delight

Gluten Free Passover Almond Danish Pastry

Unleavened Bread (Why We Eat it and How to Make it)

Unleavened Bread: What is it?

The Recipe: How to Make it

Six Ways to Make Passover Fun for Your Kids

PASSOVER 2023

1. READ STORIES WITH YOUR KIDS

2. LET KIDS BE CREATIVE

3. PUT KIDS TO WORK

4. SING AND DANCE

5. WATCH THE PRINCE OF EGYPT

6. USE THE FUN LINGO WITH KIDS

Unleavened Bread: Formation and New Life

FORMATION IN UNLEAVENED BREAD

UNLEAVENED BREAD TODAY

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

The Feast of First Fruits

THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS

JESUS IN THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS

CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS

Passover Recipes

Moroccan-Style Brisket with Dried Fruit and Capers

Chocolate Chip Walnut Mandelbrot:

Chocolate Macaroon Cake:

Passover Chocolate-Toffee Matzo

Passover Pistachio and Dried Fruit Haroset

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