L.A. Burdick

Delicious macaroons from L.A. Burdick are sure to make your Passover meal even tastier.

Passover starts March 25 and runs through April 2, and as Jews around the world prepare to give up leavened bread for eight days and nights, they have more options than ever to fill their Seder tables. Here are some of the most delicious ways to bring haute Hebrew goodies home.  

Gefilteria
These days gefilte fish is the sexiest Jew, next to Bar Rafaeli. This New York-based company makes their fish quenelles with salmon, pike and whitefish caught from the Great Lakes, then gently poaches the loaves in an onion broth. The result is airy, mild and elegant, closer to fine French food than the stuff in jars at the supermarket. It is shipped nationwide and arrives at your door frozen and ready to be consumed on Pesach.

Matzel Toff
Standard matzah isn’t the most exciting stuff. But, cover it in buttery toffee, rich dark chocolate and a touch of sea salt, and you have a treat that isn’t only Passover-approved, it’s year-round delicious. Beloved by celebrities like Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray, this sweet and crunchy treat is sure get your kids to try some matzah without bribing them with gelt (money).

Sarah Durlacher

Ish
Horseradish is always served at a Seder, both on the Seder plate and as an accompaniment to gefilte fish. But now it’s actually tasty instead of overly acidic and sulfuric. Ish makes artisanal prepared horseradish with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it is so tasty that you will never believe it’s related to the neon pink stuff you are used to choking down. From traditional earthy and hot beet horseradish to Asian-inspired ginger horseradish, this really elevates a traditional Seder meal.

William Greenberg Desserts

William Greenberg Apple Macaroon Cake
Though Passover is often a holiday filled with chalky jelly rings and insipid matzo meal cookies, it doesn’t have to be. Legendary New York City bakery William Greenberg (yes, you may have seen Betty from “Mad Men” carrying some of the bakery’s goods to a dinner party) treats Passover as an excuse to roll out the big guns, especially with its apple macaroon cake. This soft almond sponge cake is crusted in buttery pecans and topped with fresh apple slices. The cake ships nationally, but be warned, it might not make it to the end of the meal before guests finish it off.

Vermatzah
Remember the cardboard-like stuff that you are used to? Well, forget it. Vermatzah is here to save the day. This small batch, handmade matzah from Vermont is truly the Cadillac of matzohs. It is made from Vermont-grown wheat, is hand formed and wood fired, and the company prides itself on creating a hearty texture and taste.

Distillery 209 Vodka and Gin
It isn’t only bread that observant Jews must avoid during Passover. Oh no, it’s all forms of wheat other than matzah, as well as legumes, rice and other grains. Because of this, most liquor is not kosher for Passover. Luckily for those of us who need a little liquid courage to get through a night with our families, Distillery 209 has created kosher vodka and gin. The vodka tastes clean, the gin is lightly herbaceous without being too floral, and both go well with your favorite mixer.

L.A. Burdick’s Coconut Macaroons
What is Passover without a macaroon? This year, go for the high-end stuff from renowned chocolatier L.A. Burdick. While some macaroons can taste dry and dusty, these luxurious cookies are anything but. The macaroons are sweet, pleasantly sticky and loaded with fragrant coconut flavor. Dipped in the company’s trademark rich dark chocolate, they will make you wish that the holiday came more than just once a year.  

For more from Sarah Spigelman, visit her blog, Fritos and Foie Gras.

Francesco Tonelli

Warm Valrhona chocolate cake with cocoa bean brittle and vanilla bean ice cream prepared by chef Jean Georges and Chris Beischer of Mercer Kitchen in New York City.

In a world where food trends are fleeting, it's comforting to know that some things stand the test of time. Jean-Georges Vongerichten's molten chocolate cake is one of those dishes, acting as a sweet and steady beacon of warm cocoa amidst decades of chef shifts, dazzling  fusion, and mind-bending modernist technique. The dessert has become so popular since the Alsace-born chef introduced it in 1988, in fact, that it's now on Arby's fast food menu.

But it's not just chains that have glommed on. Everyone from the likes of fast casual concepts such as Chili's to the esteemed kitchens of Daniel Boulud have riffed on the idea. It's a natural pick-up because the dessert is inherently decadent, surprising and romantic.

And it's easy to play with. Its malleability and simplicity are what make it so attractive to chefs.

Chocolate pairs really well with so many flavors, like coconut, raspberry, passion fruit and caramel, so sorbet or ice cream flavors of that nature go perfectly alongside the ooey gooey cake.

Vongerichten likes to toy around with those flavors, as well as adding a little something special to the center on occasion.

 “Keep the cake neutral and then play with the embellishments,” he told TODAY.com. “You can put nuts or dried raisins or even a fried banana in the center. I baked one with raspberry, and it was delicious.”

When asked how he feels about Arby's adapting his recipe for the masses, Vongerichten seems flattered instead of being peeved. “When you deal with dessert and pastry, it’s a very exact science. They did a great job. I've tried it,” he said with a chuckle. “The original is better, of course. ”

It's a fascinating progression for a dessert that resulted from a kitchen mistake.

“It started with a warm moist sugar cupcakes we were preparing for a big party of 500 people,” Vongerichten told TODAY.com. “The temperature dropped with that many in the oven. I almost ripped my hair out. I got a standing ovation for it.”

Twenty-five years later, you'll still find the warm chocolate cake on menus. Which isn't at all surprising if you've had a taste. As soon as your fork pierces into the warm center, a lava flow of luxurious chocolate oozes out. It's a visual pleasure that's similar to bursting the yolk of a perfectly fried egg.

“It's very sexy,” Vongerichten said. We agree.

Want to make these gorgeous cakes for your Valentine? Here's how it's done by Vongerichten:

Chocolate molten cake
Makes 4 individual cakes

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

Preheat the oven to 450°. Butter and lightly flour four 6-ounce ramekins. Tap out the excess flour. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.

In a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the butter with the chocolate. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt at high speed until thickened and pale.

 Whisk the chocolate until smooth. Quickly fold it into the egg mixture along with the flour. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are soft. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn each one over, let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold. Serve immediately.

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Our mouths watered almost every day of 2012, thanks to the many delicious dishes we had the pleasure of discovering and sharing with all of you here on TODAY.com. But some recipes rose above the rest. So your favorites don't get lost in the shuffle, we've rounded up the most clicked-on edibles of the past year. Comfort food takes the cake. And is anyone surprised Giada DeLaurentiis' kitchen creations made the list three times? (We didn't think so.)

Presenting the Top 12 of 2012 (in reverse order):

TODAY

12. Mark Bittman's vegan dishes — black bean burgers and more
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11. Giada's pasta alla formiana and chicken with tarragon and white wine
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Anne Zimmerman

10. Homemade granola, low-cal risotto and chicken cutlets
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TODAY

TODAY

8. Giada's winter comfort foods: Baked gnocchi and beef stew
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TODAY

7. Four ways to spice up your grilled cheese sandwich

TODAY

6. Chris Kimball's apple desserts
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TODAY

5. One-pot chicken cacciatore for an easy weeknight meal
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Getty Images

4. Vanilla, rum and salted cashew milkshake
Get the recipe

TODAY

3. Dr. Pepper pulled pork
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TODAY

1. "World's best" mac and cheese
Get the recipe 

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• Skip Champagne! Go for a beer to toast the New Year
• 7 creative holiday cookies to drive your taste buds wild
• What happens to unsold holiday candy (and how long can you eat it)?