Lauri Exley lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, four-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son.
Charoset, fried matzo, wine, matzo meal bagels, matzo pizza, marshmallows and family. All of these things, and more, are why Passover is and has always been my favorite holiday. Sure, people moan and groan about the dry, tasteless food, but I love it! My favorite memories are of my mother and me using matzo meal to make virtually everything and I have always enjoyed finding new ways to use it (even if bagels and donuts end up having the same taste). In recent years, it has become much easier to keep Kosher for Passover, with more variety and flavor in the food, but I am always searching for something new.
My mother-in-law loves to cook and bake. She has a treasure trove of recipes; each one tops the next. I discovered a recipe she had for something called “Saltine Chocolate Pieces” and after we made them together, and of course ate them, I knew this was a recipe I had to have. The end result is something similar to toffee brittle using saltine crackers. Having spent so many years suffering through store-bought Passover treats, I immediately thought about how great this would taste if I replaced the saltines with matzo.
Chocolate-covered matzo is one of the first items to fly off grocery shelves during the Passover season. So, using my mother-in-law’s recipe, I decided to make a variation of my own. (Upon writing this blog entry, I have discovered that other people have discovered this wonderful creation as well, so I cannot claim it as my own original idea).
Sure, I will continue to make matzo meal bagels and fried matzo every year (can’t forget the classics), but it’s nice to be able to add new, tastier foods to the mix – creating new memories and traditions with my kids.
Matzo Chocolate Pieces
(aka Matzo Crunch)
Ingredients:
– 4-6 unsalted matzo
– 1 c brown sugar
– 1 c butter
– 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
– 3/4 c chopped nuts
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 10×15-inch cookie sheet with foil; place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the foil (very important).
- Cover the cookie sheet with a layer of matzo.
- Boil sugar and butter in saucepan for 4 minutes.
- Pour mixture over matzo and spread evenly.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Let set and cool for 1 minute, then spread the melted chips over the matzo with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top, then press down lightly.
- Cool until firm and cut into diagonal pieces. Pieces can be frozen.
Yields approximately 30 pieces.
Looking for a camp-y Passover dessert to serve alongside this delicious treat? Try these yummy Matzo S’mores from ingredientsinc.com!
