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Quick: Passover is only two days away and\u00a0 you’ve been invited to a seder.\u00a0 What can you bring for dessert?<\/p>\nQuick: Passover is only two days away and\u00a0 you’ve been invited to a seder.\u00a0 What can you bring for dessert?<\/p>\n
That question can be challenging enough for cooks who were raised in the Hebrew tradition and understand all the dietary restrictions on flour and leavening associated with this celebration of the Jews’ escape from Egypt in biblical times.<\/p>\n
For the rest of us, there’s matzo crunch.\u00a0 This addictive treat pairs bland and brittle matzo\u2013an unleavened bread that could qualify as the poster food for Passover\u2013with the caramel and chocolate flavors of toffee.\u00a0 It’s crisp, sweet and impossible to resist.\u00a0 Only the most self-disciplined can eat just one piece.<\/p>\n
Best of all, you can throw it together in minutes and no one will guess how easy was.\u00a0 There are only four ingredients\u2013matzo, butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips.\u00a0 You can add toasted sliced almonds, if you want, and a sprinkle of sea salt is a great addition. But neither is really necessary.<\/p>\n
If your hosts keep strictly kosher, you may need to substitute Passover margarine for butter and make sure you buy kosher brown sugar and chocolate chips, such as those made by Guittard.<\/p>\n
You may be familiar with this sweet treat if you’re Jewish.\u00a0 It’s been making the rounds of\u00a0 Jewish kitchens\u00a0 for a couple of decades.\u00a0 Cookbook author Marcy Goldman<\/a> first published the recipe in the 1998 edition of “A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking” (republished in paperback <\/a>by Whitecap Books, 2009). She likes to tell the story<\/a> of a neighbor giving her a faded photocopy of the recipe, then laughing off Goldman’s comment that she developed the recipe.<\/p>\n I stumbled across the recipe last year about this time on David Lebovitz”s great blog<\/a>.\u00a0 If a renowned pastry chef was making it, I figured it must be good.\u00a0 Even then, I was amazed by how terrific it was.<\/p>\n Since then, I’ve found the recipe in myriad minor variations all over the web.\u00a0 Some cooks follow Goldman’s recipe to the letter.\u00a0 Others add vanilla and increase the chocolate chips dramatically.\u00a0 I like it best with bittersweet chocolate chips in double the amount called for in Goldman’s recipe.<\/p>\n I also bake it at a little lower heat because my first batches came too close to burning.\u00a0 And I wait until the candy has totally cooled before I break it into pieces.<\/p>\n This confection is so good, I now eagerly await Passover season\u2013when boxes of matzo appear on the shelves of ordinary grocery stores\u2013just so I can make several batches. Some recipes suggest you can use saltine crackers instead of matzo in a pinch, but that sounds too salty for me.<\/p>\n You don’t have to be Jewish to adore matzo crunch.<\/p>\n 4-6 unsalted matzos Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a rimmed 12-inch by 17-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, overlapping the rim.\u00a0 Place a sheet of parchment paper over the bottom.\u00a0 Alternatively, spray the foil with baking spray or use easy-release foil.<\/p>\n Line up sheets of matzo in a single layer along the bottom of the baking pan.\u00a0 You will need to cut some of the matzo to fit.\u00a0 I’ve found a long serrated knife works best for this job.\u00a0 The bottom should be entirely covered.<\/p>\n Slice each stick of butter into 4 or 5 pieces and melt with brown sugar in a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-low heat.\u00a0 Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, and cook for 3 minutes.\u00a0 Remove mixture from heat and slowly pour syrup over matzo in a zig-zag pattern, covering completely.\u00a0 Use a spatula to spread syrup evenly over the matzo.<\/p>\n Place baking sheet on middle shelf of oven and lower heat to 325 degrees.\u00a0 Bake for 15 minutes, rotating pan about halfway through.<\/p>\n Take baking sheet out of oven and place on a heatproof surface.\u00a0 Immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips.\u00a0 Wait 3-5 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then spread evenly over the caramel and matzo.\u00a0 This is the time to sprinkle sliced almonds or about 1 tablespoon of good sea salt over all, if you wish.<\/p>\n Let candy cool until the chocolate has set thoroughly, which may take a couple of hours. Or chill it in the freezer if you’re in a hurry.\u00a0 When firm and crisp, break into chunks and store in an airtight container.<\/p>\n Adapted from Marcy Goldman<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Quick: Passover is only two days away and\u00a0 you’ve been invited to a seder.\u00a0 What can you bring for dessert? That question can be challenging enough for cooks who were raised in the Hebrew tradition and understand all the dietary restrictions on flour and leavening associated with this celebration of the Jews’ escape from Egypt … Continue reading Matzo crunch gilds Passover staple<\/span> CARAMEL CHOCOLATE MATZO CRUNCH<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine
\n1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
\n1\u00bd cups bittersweet chocolate chips
\n1 cup toasted, sliced almonds (optional)<\/p>\n