Anybody who has been to my Grandma Mala’s home knows how delicious her chocolate chip cookies are. Being the dutiful hostess that she is, she always makes sure that her guests have a “little taste of something sweet,” and more often than not, that “something sweet” is her chocolate chip cookies. What most people don’t know is that her famous cookies that she makes all year round are actually KOSHER FOR PASSOVER!!!!!
Don’t let the matzah content fool you- these cookies are so good! Grandma Mala’s chocolate chip cookies are the #1 most requested food in my house, and this is coming from my husband, Paul, who isn’t Jewish and didn’t really eat any Jewish food until he met me in 2016. They’re literally his favorite cookie now, which is saying a lot- a fact that brings Grandma Mala no end of joy.
These cookies are very dear to my heart indeed, and not just because I grew up enjoying them when I’d visit Grandma Mala’s home. You see, if the Nazis had succeeded, there wouldn’t be any trace of this recipe, or my family, at all. My Grandma Mala memorized the recipe as a young girl when helping her mom, Ester, make these cookies, or “nutcakes” (ciastka orzechowe), as they called them. She was 15 years old when the Nazis invaded her hometown of Łódź, Poland. Shortly after turning 16, she was separated from the rest of her family, and had to fend for herself. Her mom, Ester, and her grandma, Hinde, who passed the recipe down to her from their mothers and grandmothers, sadly didn’t fare as well as Grandma Mala. Ester perished in a gas chamber at Auschwitz-Birkenau and Hinde perished in the Kozeinice ghetto. My Grandma, her two sisters Franka and Rosa, and our family recipes are all that remained.
The cookies, or “nutcakes,” that my Grandma Mala grew up with didn’t contain chocolate chips- she added those later after immigrating to United States and noticing chocolate chip cookies become such a prominent part of the American zeitgeist. With that in mind, feel free to leave the chocolate chips out of the recipe for a more authentic Ashkenazi flavor profile. I love the chocolate chips because like I said before, these cookies transport me to my Grandma’s home. Since saying goodbye to her physical form on July 11th, 2022, I’ve been more sentimental than ever when making this cherished recipe. So, I’ll likely always add the chocolate chips to mine. Either way, you can’t go wrong!!
When we bake these cookies, we do the mitzvah, or good deed, of bringing these incredible, strong, loving, vibrant women back to life in our hearts and our homes. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for visiting this page and learning about the origins of this precious recipe. I hope the flavors and aromas bring you fill your heart and soul with the same warmth they do for mine.
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To begin, whip the eggs with a mixer (using a whisk attachment) on high for 3 minutes.
Slowly add the sugar while the mixer is still running. Once the mixture has taken on a creamy consistency (takes about a minute), slowly add the oil while the mixer is still on. Run for another minute or so.
Add the potato starch and cake meal, and mix (using a spatula attachment, not whisk) on low at first so the dry ingredients don’t fly everywhere, then gradually increase the speed to medium.
Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, stop the mixer and add the walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix on low until fully incorporated and well distributed.
Put plastic wrap or beeswax wrap over the surface of the dough in the mixing bowl, and put into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, ideally 4+ hours (I like to chill it overnight).
Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a drinking glass with ice water. Dip a dinner spoon into the ice water, then scoop out about a Tbsp of dough. Keeping it mounded, press the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Dip the spoon into the ice water in between cookies, leaving about an inch between the dough mounds, and continue until the baking sheet is full. You will likely need two baking sheets to do the entire batch.
I like to bake the two cookie sheets separately, otherwise the cookies on the bottom don’t brown properly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes (interestingly enough, these are the only cookies I know of that aren’t better warm).
Grandma Mala’s Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- stand or hand mixer
- mortar and pestle for the walnuts (optional)
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, at room temperature (this is important)
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1½ cup matzah cake meal
- ¾ cup potato starch
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped or ground (I like a combination of the two, so I use a mortar and pestle)
- 5 oz chocolate chips (I like to use semisweet, but this is a personal preference)
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Whip the eggs with a mixer (using a whisk attachment) on high for 3 minutes. Slowly add the sugar while the mixer is still running. Once the mixture has taken on a creamy consistency (takes about a minute), slowly add the oil while the mixer is still on. Run for another minute or so.
- Add the potato starch and cake meal, and mix (using a spatula attachment, not whisk) on low at first so the dry ingredients don't fly everywhere, then gradually increase the speed to medium.
- Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, stop the mixer and add the walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix on low until fully incorporated and well distributed.
- Put plastic wrap or beeswax wrap over the surface of the dough in the mixing bowl, and put into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, ideally 4+ hours (I like to chill it overnight).
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a drinking glass with ice water. Dip a dinner spoon into the ice water, then scoop out about a Tbsp of dough. Keeping it mounded, press the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dip the spoon into the ice water in between cookies, leaving about an inch between the dough mounds, and continue until the baking sheet is full. You will likely need two baking sheets to do the entire batch.
- I like to bake the two cookie sheets separately, otherwise the cookies on the bottom don't brown properly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes (interestingly enough, these are the only cookies I know of that aren't better warm).
Thank you very much for sharing, I learned a lot from your article. Very cool. Thanks. nimabi