1 month ago
On Passover, dessert options tin consciousness limited. No leavened foods are allowed, truthful nan accustomed recipes for cakes, cookies and nan for illustration are disconnected nan array (literally).
Flourless desserts and/or desserts made pinch matzo repast are adjacent game, and location are immoderate awesome recipes retired location (and plentifulness of not-so-great ones). For me, location is only 1 non-negotiable, must-have Passover dessert: chocolate-covered caramel matzo.
Or, arsenic it’s much commonly known, Matzo Buttercrunch.
The talented baker Marcy Goldman came up pinch and named this look successful nan mid 1980s, and printed it successful her first cookbook, “ The Treasury of Jewish Cooking.” It became a word-of-mouth sensation, shared from navigator to navigator first connected insubstantial and now each complete nan internet.
Sometimes, it’s called Matzo Crack (it’s that addicting).
But location are still folks who person not knowledgeable it, and I can’t carnivore that thought.
The basal premise: You make a elemental caramel/toffee substance pinch melted margarine aliases food and sugar, pinch a spot of salt. This substance is poured and dispersed complete sheets of matzo, and past baked to further caramelize it and origin it to set. Chocolate chips are radiated complete nan hot, caramel-covered matzo, allowed to soften, and past dispersed successful a apical furniture of melted chocolate, which cools and firms up.
I for illustration to decorativeness pinch immoderate flaky oversea brackish aliases chopped peanuts, radiated connected correct aft you dispersed nan melted chocolate. (Make judge location are nary allergy concerns if you usage nuts.)
Then, nan cooled matzo is trim aliases surgery into pieces.
A Montreal native, Goldman trained arsenic a pastry chef. “We learned that conscionable because thing is Passover-appropriate doesn’t mean it deserves a spot connected nan table. It has to sensation fantastic,” she says.
“It’s a misconception that we person to strengthen Passover food, particularly nan baking.”
There is simply a similar, non-Passover, chocolate- and toffee-covered cracker dessert, usually made pinch saltines aliases soda crackers. There are besides versions made pinch graham crackers. Looking to appease her picky toddler, Goldman wondered if would activity pinch matzo. And it surely did.
“I ne'er dreamed it would go truthful viral,” she says of nan look that’s go a Passover dessert staple/phenomenon.
Goldman makes her Matzo Buttercrunch passim nan period starring up to Passover, explaining that nan first batch ne'er makes it to nan Seder dinner. Over nan years, she has played pinch tons of versions, a favourite being 1 pinch achromatic cocoa marbleized pinch apricot jam. Pistachios are besides a celebrated topping, she says.
TIPS
— Before you moreover statesman making nan caramel, prep your rimmed baking sheet. Line it pinch aluminum foil, covering nan cookware completely, including up and complete nan edges. Then spot a expanse of parchment complete nan foil. This keeps nan caramel from spreading nether nan foil and makes nan matzo easy to propulsion disconnected of nan pan.
— Look for kosher-for-Passover cocoa and different ingredients if you want a kosher array during nan holiday. If you’re preparing a dairy-free meal, usage margarine alternatively of butter.
— Don’t beryllium tempted to dispersed retired nan pouring cocoa chips excessively quickly. They person to soften from nan power of nan caramel.
— Before breaking nan cocoa matzo, I often put it successful nan fridge it for 30 minutes aliases much to patient up fully. Then break it up and shop successful a cool place, moreover successful nan fridge, until soon earlier serving.
— I for illustration to adhd a spoon of vanilla to my caramel mixture.
If you’re utilizing margarine, Goldman recommends looking for nan artifact margarine, not nan whipped worldly successful a tub. She besides says you person to whisk nan caramel vigorously if you usage margarine, truthful nan caramel doesn’t separate.
This look tin beryllium made up to 4 days up of time. If it’s refrigerated, region it astir 15 minutes earlier serving to travel to room temperature.
RECIPE
Here it is, adapted from Goldman’s website. She notes that nan look doubles easy and freezes well. She suggests serving mini pieces successful confectioners’ insubstantial cups arsenic a candy.
INGREDIENTS
4-6 unsalted matzo boards aliases sheets
1 cup unsalted food aliases unsalted Passover margarine
1 cup ray brownish sugar
3/4 cup cocoa chips aliases semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking expanse wholly pinch foil, and past screen that pinch a portion of parchment paper. This is important, arsenic nan substance becomes sticky during baking. On apical of nan parchment, statement nan cookware evenly pinch matzo boards, cutting other pieces of matzo arsenic required to fresh immoderate other spaces connected nan cooky expanse arsenic evenly arsenic possible.
Combine food and brownish sweetener successful a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook complete mean heat, stirring constantly, until substance comes to a boil. Continue cooking 3 much minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from power and spoon aliases move complete matzo.
Bake 15 minutes, checking each fewer minutes to make judge substance is not burning. If it seems to beryllium browning excessively quickly, region it from nan oven, little power to 325 F and replace.
Remove from oven and sprinkle nan matzo boards instantly pinch chopped cocoa aliases chips. Let guidelines 5 minutes, past dispersed nan melted cocoa complete nan matzo. While still warm, trim into squares aliases overseas shapes. Chill successful refrigerator until set.
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Katie Workman writes regularly astir nutrient for The Associated Press. She has written 2 cookbooks focused connected family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs astatine https://themom100.com/. She tin beryllium reached astatine [email protected].
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For much AP nutrient stories, spell to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes
