Chocolate Buttercrunch Matzoh

The only seder I've ever attended was at the home of my childhood best friend when I was ten. My entire family was there and the moment of highest drama came when my baby brother, who was sitting on my mother's lap, reached over and helped himself to some horseradish from the seder plate. He cried and made faces, and my friend Lizzy, realizing the comic potential of eating horseradish, also had some and made a dramatic show of how terrible it was and ran to the kitchen for water. There were six children at the table that night and I remember no sense of solemn occasion but rather great hilarity throughout the evening.

That Passover aside, there's something about Passover that seems more matched to Thanksgiving rather than Easter in terms of being a big holiday meal and a time to gather with family. I find myself for reasons of family and tradition regretting that the religion of my upbringing (culinarily known for giving the world fishsticks on Friday) does not have a Passover celebration.But even though I do not come from Passover-celebrating people I have not let that stop me from making this matzoh buttercrunch which is ridiculously easy to make (really, it could not be simpler) and ridiculously addictive to eat.

Matzoh Brown Sugar Buttercrunch

adapted from Marcy Goldman in the Los Angeles Times via The Best American Recipes 2002-2003 and Bakers Field Guide to Holiday Candy and Confections

4 to 6 whole lightly salted matzohs
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
6 to 8 oz of chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cover a jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil and on top of that a piece of parchment paper (or spray the pan with that non-stick spray stuff). Cover the entire surface with a layer of matzohs. You'll have to break them to fit around the edges.

3. In a saucepan, combine sugar and butter over medium heat, stirring until the butter and sugar melt, bring to a boil and then boil for two to four minutes. I did this for closer to four.

4. Pour the sugar butter mixture over the matzohs trying to cover all of them evenly and use a spatula to make sure they're covered evenly.

5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the surface with the chocolate chips and wait five minutes. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the surface of the matzohs.

6. Put the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes (says Marcy Goldman) or refrigerate for 30 minutes (says the Bakers Field Guide). I went with 30 minutes in the freezer because I had more room there. Break the matzoh into pieces. Store in an air tight container.

Comments

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

This is sure to become a favorite with the kids in our family (none of whom will eat horseradish....). Thanks for sharing this great recipe.

[Adele]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only non-Jewish blogger tinkering with Passover recipes. :)

I think this is going on my to-do list for the weekend.

[Claudia (cook eat FRET)]

i'm the jew who sadly has not been to a sedar in forever. i live too far from family and being in nashville means i am usually the token jew in the room. funny enough i have a standing invitation to one of the better sedars food wise. and it's in baltimore.

all this to say that if i were going - which i am not - i would bring this along as a gift because it sounds wonderful.

but otherwise, right now - my life is in no need of either chocolate or butter.

ever again for as long as i live. or tomorrow. whichever comes first.

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[Kristen]

My dad had a (decidedly non-Jewish) girlfriend who used to make these with saltines instead of matzoh, for anyone reading this out in the goy hinterlands.

[Kim]

I have never tried this before. I am a fan of matzohs,chocolate and butter so I have to make a batch. Thanks for your story.

[Dining Dish]

Nona Nielsen Parker, the former owner of Glasz Cafe made the matzoh candy and it was delicious. I'm going to make this recipe add some salt and dried cherries as well.

Good Yuntive Everyone!

[Kate]

My sister introduced me to saltine toffee, but these matzos look just as great (and would be BIGGER!). Such an easy and delicious treat.

[Lore]

Simple AND YUMMY? I'm in :).

[Fairfax]

In our Church of England household, we used saltines for this recipe... but we used saltines for almost everything!

[the bee]

This is what the cute ,sweet pope should have been crunching on during mass. That wafer he had was big and not tasty. I could tell.
This looks tasty and easy to make.
MMMMM....

[Lindy]

Wow, is this ever timely. When I was at the supermarket last week, I was wheeling past the Passover aisle, when I spotted some dark chocolate covered matzohs.
I brought them home, and they were good, but I was saddened that they were not salty, as I had hoped. I love chocolate and salt together (try a $7.50 Barcelona Bar and tell me it's not worth the absurd price- and Korova cookies, ow!). Now I can make my own salty ones. Thanks!

[Ann]

Ooh... this just looks fabulous!

[Anne]

I'll convert to any religion for a day if it has a big meal attached to it. And especially if I get to have some of that delicious chocolate buttercrunch matzoh!

[Sarah]

I am *so* making this. I think I've had the saltine version at a Methodist bake sale. Need I say that the only thing better than salty cracker things topped with butter is salty cracker things topped with butter and chocolate?

[White On Rice Couple]

Passover recipes is something I have always wanted to dive into. This dish is a great start is does look so "ridiculously easy"!! Oh goodness, there are only a few ingredients and they look soooo good!

[We Are Never Full]

Now this is clever. Kudos! Great post...

Happy Passover (belated!) to anyone who celebrated.

[Julie]

Yum. This was the third dessert I was going to make for the seder we were invited to, but I was so tired after the first two that I never got to it. It's still very much on my mind, however...

[Elizabeth]

OH Baby!! That looks delicious!!!

[laura]

This is absolutely delicious. Saw the recipe on a different site last week and started making them- very easy to make and consistently good. (And way cheaper to make then buy- saw a box at Whole Foods half the size of what this batch turns out and they were $9)

[Patricia Scarpin]

These are new to me, Julie, but I'm sure they're great - one just can't go wrong with chocolate. :)

I love the new template!

[Susan from Food Blogga]

I never knew you could make matzoh into sweet bites like this, Julie. They look terrific!
ps--I like the new look--simple and clean. Looks great.

[vasilisa]

This is such a great idea! I absolutely love matza, but never thought of it as a dessert alternative. Do you think it will work well with honey instead of sugar?

[vasilisa]

This is such a great idea! I absolutely love matza, but never thought of it as a dessert alternative. Do you think it will work well with honey instead of sugar?

[Michelle]

Julie, this looks stupendous and easy - you've got me thinking that I should definitely incorporate this into my own life (I'm always jealous of the passover menus this time of year anyhow)...now, where to find Matzoh in Hawaii...hmmm. I like the new look, too!!

[sher]

Julie, your recipes and photos are always a delight. Every single post is memorable..and droolworthy. This post is no exception. Loved reading it and looking at that picture.

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

OMG this looks good. I was recently introduced to motzoh w/ peanut butter and motzoh w/ cream cheese. I've got to try this one!

[Keegan]

My family makes a very similar version of this (not for seder) we call cracker candy, everything is the same except we use saltine crackers where you use matzoh. It's the biggest hit a Christmas parties! I am definitely going to try the matzoh next time!

[Julie]

Lydia, I don’t blame them for not eating horseradish. That stuff is wicked hot.

Adele, Passover seems like such a cooking event that I feel I should do something for it.

Claudia, Nashville and seder just don’t seem like they belong in the same sentence.

Rebecca, that’s a good cause. I hope you were successful.

Kristen, good to know. That way there’s an excuse to make them at any time of the year.

Kim, I’m a fan of those things too.

Dara, I just tried googling yuntive – a word I’ve never heard before – and your comment was the first entry.

Kate, I can attest: easy and delicious.

Lore, simple and yummy is one of my favorite combinations.

Fairfax, this saltine thing seems to be widespread.

Bee, I think the pope would like this.

Lindy, I think you’ll like your own much better.

Ann, they’re pretty darned good!

Anne, I feel the same way!

Sarah, that saltine version seems to be everywhere. I don’t know how I’ve missed its existence up to now.

WoRC, I enjoy recipes that have a limited number of ingredients but yield something great.

WaNF, Thanks and Happy Passover to you too.

Julie, both your Passover desserts sounded wonderful. I don’t think you missed these at all!

Elizabeth, they really are delicious.

Laura, way cheaper to make them yourself!

Patricia, I agree – one can’t go wrong with chocolate. That’s a good motto.

Susan, thanks!

Vasilisa, I’m not sure honey would get crunchy the way buttercrunch made from sugar does.

Michelle, thanks! And while I bet you can find matzoh in Hawaii I guess it will cost a fortune.

Sher, that’s so nice! Thanks.

OCG, matzoh with peanut butter, huh? I bet that’s good.

Keegan, and I’m going to try it with saltines!

[Cass]

Oh my goodness. I've never been so excited to raid my mother in laws matzoh supply in my life!

[sher]

Good Lord! if I hadn't eaten all of my matzo, I'd be making that right now!

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