Instead of running myself ragged and cooking/baking a bunch of food that nobody would eat—or even requested—I tried something different this Passover and went super simple. Only 3 desserts were on the table: fruit salad, cookies, and a cake. No chocolate matzo, no Boston fruit slices, no macaroons, no meringues  no dipped strawberries, no apricot candy, etc. (Been there, done that, learned my lesson!)

The Chocolate Espresso Cookies from My Jewish Learning were so good. It does require using three mixing bowls, but isn’t complicated otherwise. The secret ingredient is substituting cake meal for flour and it makes a big difference. They’re light and chewy, not dense and dry.

The Paleo Orange Cake from Elena’s Pantry only requires 6 ingredients. It suggests washing, boiling and blending fresh oranges, but if you’re rushed, I think it would still be good with straight orange juice. 

As for the fruit salad, I just tossed bananas, blueberries, kiwis and flaked coconut together, then drizzled with honey. So quick, so tasty.

Elaborate feasts can be fun, provided we have the time, money and energy needed to create an epic event. Sometimes, however, a simple spread is actually better. The trick is planning a menu, using wholesome, fresh foods and not taking on more than we can comfortably do. I’ve enjoyed Passover Seders with 15 different desserts and I also liked this little version. Variety!

How was your Passover? What did you serve?