Ruth Seligman remembers “the nightmare” of Passover macaroons, which were (and still are) sold in a can and made by a prominent kosher-food manufacturer. “All kids growing up in my era remember when those were the only thing to snack on” during the eight-day holiday, says Seligman, a mother of three in the Bronx, N.Y.  “We disliked them so much — we didn’t serve them or make them for our kids.” Her husband, Jonathan, when asked about macaroons, said merely, “Yuccch.”

Cookies, cakes and other “snacky” items can be a challenge for the home baker at Passover, because the use of flour is proscribed. Jayne Cohen, author of the new “Jewish Holiday Cooking” (Wiley, 2008), explains the reason for this prohibition. The holiday celebrates the story of Exodus, when Moses — with God’s help in the form of plagues and curses — successfully won freedom for his people and led them out of Egypt. The night they fled, they dined on lamb and unleavened bread, eaten in haste, writes Cohen, “lest he (Pharaoh) change his mind.”

Hence, matzoh — bread made without leavening — is eaten at the Seder, the meal that celebrates the Jewish liberation from slavery. But, explains Cohen, the matzoh recalls not only the bread eaten in flight; “It also suggests the humility of the Hebrews, first as slaves and later as grateful worshippers.

“They had become acquainted with yeasted bread in Egypt, so leavened bread (and by extension, any form of leavening), puffed and swollen as with vanity and pride, symbolized their Egyptian oppressors,” she writes. Thus, during Passover, Jews are prohibited not just from eating leavened bread (or flour that might have begun to leaven) but must fastidiously remove every crumb of it from their homes.

This stricture, however, has served as a culinary stimulus to legions of Jewish cooks, who have developed — especially in recent years — dozens of cookbooks featuring all manner of kosher-for-Passover goodies. Flourless tortes, pies with nut crumbs, mousses and meringues — these all can be made so that no one is relegated to eating canned coconut macaroons. Even that famous Catholic Polish-American, Martha Stewart, has contributed to the Passover table with a recipe for chocolate-chip cookies from her new book, “Martha Stewart’s Cookies” (Clarkson Potter, 2008).

The recipes here are from that book, as well as from Cohen’s, who offers as an alternative to coconut macaroons a delicious hazelnut version. Put away the can opener and get ready to feast.

Cook’s note: If you are an observant Jew, you will want to make sure that the other ingredients you use in these recipes, such as extracts and margarine, are labeled “kosher for Passover.”

CHOCOLATE-CHIP COOKIES FOR PASSOVER

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup matzoh meal

1 cup matzoh farfel

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

Spread the nuts in one layer in a small skillet or a baking pan and bake until toasty-smelling, about 8 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove the skillet from the oven and remove the nuts from the skillet. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the matzoh meal, farfel, sugars and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir the egg mixture into the sugar mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and the toasted nuts.

Roll dough into 1-3/4-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking. Place the sheets on wire racks to cool, then remove the cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

Recipe from “Martha Stewart’s Cookies” (Clarkson Potter, 2008)

RICH FUDGE BROWNIES

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup walnut, avocado or other mild oil, or 1 cup unsalted margarine (melted and cooled) or butter

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or coffee-flavored liqueur

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (do not use Dutch-process cocoa)

1/2 cup matzoh cake meal

1-1/2 teaspoon finely ground espresso coffee or instant espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 11-by-17-inch baking pan or a 9-inch square baking pan with baking parchment, or grease it lightly.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars with the oil (or margarine or butter). Add the eggs and vanilla (or liqueur) and beat until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, stir together the cocoa, cake meal, coffee and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and blend until smooth.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. The brownies should be moist. They are done when the batter is just set, the top dry to the touch, but no crust has formed around the edges. A toothpick inserted in the center will emerge with some moist batter clinging to it.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until cool. Cut into squares. Store, well wrapped, in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Yield: 16 to 20 squares

Recipe from “Jewish Holiday Cooking” by Jayne Cohen (Wiley, 2008)

HAZELNUT MACAROONS

2-1/3 cups shelled hazelnuts (about 12 ounces)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher-for-Passover pure almond extract, hazelnut-flavored liqueur (such as Frangelico) or other nut-flavored liqueur like amaretto

3 large egg whites

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the nuts in one layer in a small skillet or a baking pan with sides and bake until toasty-smelling, about 15 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Wrap the nuts in a dish towel and let them cool slightly. Rub them against each other vigorously in the towel to remove most of the loose skins. Turn off the oven.

When the nuts are completely cool, pulse them with the sugar in a food processor until chopped fine. With the machine on, add the extract (or liqueur) and egg whites, a little at a time. Process just enough to combine the ingredients into a smooth paste. Scrape the mixture  into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

Drop tablespoons of the batter on the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. The batter will be sticky. Smooth and flatten the tops slightly. Bake for about 15 minutes, until just dry to the touch, puffed and beginning to color. Remove from the oven and transfer the sheet to a rack to cool, or slide the parchment paper off. The macaroons will be very soft but will harden as they cool.

When completely cool, separate carefully from the parchment. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Yield: about 2 dozen