For some families, heirlooms take the form of Revolutionary War-era art, a wedding band passed down through generations or a dollhouse that shaped countless childhoods. While my family also has treasures like these, our most beloved pass-downs are ones that ensure flavorfully invigorating experiences. In my experience, and likely that of many of my living relatives, my great-grandmother — “Grammy Sis” — left behind a Passover brownie recipe that has become our single most cherished inheritance. Rich, fudgy and unforgettable, it outshines any flourless or “chametz” free dessert you could find online.
In the Jewish tradition, Passover is a commemoration of the Israelite’s exodus and escape from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the 15th day of Nisan, a month in the Hebrew calendar — which this year, falls on April 1 and lasts for seven days in accordance with Biblical command. Throughout the duration of Passover, observing Jews will abstain from eating any leavened food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that has risen or fermented.
Within the Jewish community, this leavened food product is known as “chametz.” In their abrupt and hasty exodus from Egypt, the Israelites did not have time to wait for their bread to rise. As a result, many Jewish people eat matzah, a flatbread cracker made simply from flour and water, during Passover.
My great-grandmother never intended to share this recipe with anyone. She measured each ingredient with her heart rather than with cups, never writing down the process, instead baking these brownies year after year from memory. But as a gift for my mom’s wedding shower, she finally put pen to paper, carefully outlining the steps on a classic recipe card. Grammy Sis did not share the recipe with just anyone, so my mother takes her obligation in baking these brownies each year very seriously. In fact, my Nana — Grammy Sis’s daughter — will not even attempt the brownies because my mom’s are too perfect to compete with.
These brownies have played a role in my Passover tradition since I was old enough to digest solids. After spending our Seder with family and friends, my mom would announce dessert, and her brownies took center stage. As a kid, I would pack extras in my lunch box to share with friends and open up their worlds to the endless possibilities of flourless Passover dessert.
Part of what makes this recipe so special to me is the way my great-grandmother so effortlessly wrote out the instructions for my mom. The card itself is marked with cocoa-smudged fingerprints and has creased over the years. It preserves her distinctly capitalized handwriting, her imperfect penmanship and traces the passage of time in its worn edges. Just reading the recipe makes me feel closer to both her and my mom.
Grammy Sis’ Passover Brownies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Yields: approx. 36 inch-wide brownies (size can be adjusted based on your preference, but my mother always makes them bite-sized)
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup melted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for greasing the pan
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup Hershey's dark cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons matzah cake flour *can sub regular flour for non-passover recipe*
- 1 12-ounce Nestle chocolate chip package
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease a 9x13 pan with 2 tablespoons of butter.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs and sugar until creamy. Once combined, add the melted butter and salt to the bowl and mix until combined.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, sift together the Hershey's cocoa and matzah cake meal and whisk until combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl. Mix very well, ensuring there are no clumps.
- Once the ingredients are well-combined, fold the chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check if it's fully cooked with a tooth pick, but the consistency should be fudgy and moist.*
- Let brownies cool for 15 minutes in the pan.
- Once cooled, cut into one-by-one inch squares
- Enjoy!
Grammy Sis Tip — place the squares into mini petit four paper cups for a more aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable culinary experience.
*Do NOT overbake — it makes them far too dry and causes them to lose the rich, fudgy consistency that makes them so spectacular.
These brownies can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature or chilled. For longer storage, feel free to keep them in the freezer.
No matter your religious affiliation, I hope these brownies bring you as much joy as they have brought me over the past 19 years. I hope every bite gives you a taste of my See’s Candy-loving, Yiddish-adoring, feisty great-grandma “Sis” and makes you feel like part of my favorite Passover tradition.
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