Life is What Happens
By Lisa Zaslow Segelman
Passover starts this Saturday, April 12, at sundown, which means by now the cleaning, cooking, shopping and schlepping are in full swing.
Maybe you prepped and froze some dishes on a cold and rainy early spring day and now your main dishes – whether brisket, apricot chicken, or even salmon – are on deck. Your side dishes are planned and most likely, you haven’t even had time to think about dessert.
Let’s be honest: by the time your guests have the four cups of wine, gefilte fish and chopped liver, matzo ball soup, an array of mains and a mix of traditional and maybe even some modernized sides, dessert is probably the last thing on their minds. Most of them will be too full to care.
The other reason? Passover desserts tend to be mediocre since they’re made without flour or butter (most Passover meals are meat-based and kosher laws prohibit mixing milk and meat at the same meal). So, the average Passover dessert is often just air and sugar masquerading as a treat.
You could certainly make a rich, flourless chocolate cake or classic coconut macaroons (which are always better homemade). But if you’re looking for an easy, knock-it-out-of-the-park Passover dessert that’s so good it’s gaining popularity year-round – let me introduce you.
Toffee Chocolate Matzo
(aka Matzo Crack)
It gets its name because once it hardens, you break it into smaller pieces. The size and the number you consume depend entirely on your self-control.
This confection, a cross between a cookie and candy, is a modern addition to a holiday that dates back 3,000 years. Dark, chocolate-covered matzos have been commercially available from brands like Manischewitz since the early 1960s. At the time – truth be told, I remember it well – it was all oohs and ahhs. But 60 years later, most foodies would consider it bland and basic compared to Matzo Crack.
This updated, over-the-top treat gained popularity thanks to Jewish cookbook author Marcy Goldman, who published a version in the 1990s. Home cooks and bakeries have since adapted the recipe, adding toppings like coconut flakes and peanut butter, while those avoiding nuts offer a plain version.
Since butter is a key ingredient, some variations use margarine or coconut oil to keep it kosher for meat-based seders. The butter version is perfect for dairy meals or just snacking on its own.
Matzo Crack’s sweet and salty magic makes it an instant winner – think chocolate-covered pretzels or pretzels with ice cream.
It’s made by layering sheets of matzo with homemade caramel toffee (sugar and butter mixed on the stovetop), baking it briefly, melting chocolate over the bubbling toffee and adding sea salt, blanched almonds, or chopped walnuts.
Once cooled, it’s broken into small pieces, resembling brittle or bark. At this point, a short prayer (in English or Hebrew) is often recited:
“Please, let me not eat too many little pieces, I need to save room for one big piece.”
And of course, there’s still a second seder to get through.
Matzo Crack also makes a fantastic hostess gift if you’re invited to a seder. I’m hosting this year, so my guests will find small, 3×3-inch boxes of Toffee Chocolate Matzoh at their place settings as little Passover favors. My kids will get pretty Tupperware containers to stash in their freezers so they can sneak out just one cracked piece at a time to satisfy a sweet tooth and relive seder memories.
Do I really need to tell you to double or triple this recipe? I think not.
A Zizen Pesach – Wishing all those who observe in Atlantic and Cape May counties a Happy Passover!
The recipe
Servings: 30 pieces
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Equipment: baking sheets, silver foil, baking parchment
Ingredients:
- 4–6 unsalted matzos
- 1 cup unsalted butter (or unsalted Passover margarine)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet), coarsely chopped
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large cookie sheet with foil, then cover it with parchment paper.
2. Arrange the matzos in a single layer on the baking sheet, cutting pieces to fit if necessary.
3. In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter (or margarine) and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and let it bubble for 3 minutes, still stirring. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour the mixture evenly over the matzos.
4. Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F. Bake for 8-11 minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning. Once the mixture is bubbling and golden, remove from the oven.
5. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Let sit for 5 minutes, then spread evenly. Top with nuts and a sprinkle of sea salt.
6. While still warm, break into squares or irregular pieces. Transfer the pan to the freezer and let it set.
7. Once fully cooled and hardened, break into bite-sized pieces.
8. Serve in a pretty bowl at your seder, or store extras in the freezer for gifting, snacking, or late-night cravings.
