The new chestnut is that everything's better with bacon, but obviously that's not going to work for Passover. But the old chestnut that everything's better with chocolate? That's a go.
It turns out that matzah is better -- way better -- with chocolate ... and toasted almonds ... and copious amounts of butter and sugar ... and a sprinkling of sea salt.
At our office holiday party last year, one of my coworkers brought brickle, basically sugar and butter and chocolate over saltines. Sounds weird, but it was a huge favorite, very addictive, and disappeared fast. I mentioned it to my husband, and he made some, too. At some point we were talking about what else you could use besides saltines, and it dawned on us: matzah! We were scarcely the only people to have that revelation -- plus, people have been making this stuff for a while. But after chancing across a couple of mentions of toffee matzah last week, I decided to give it a try.
The matzah isn't quite as absorbent as the saltines, but it's still good. And a vast improvement. Salty. Sweet. Chocolate. Unleavened. Bring it on. If saltine brickle can have a renaissance, surely this can, too.
Matzah Brickle
Adapted from this recipe from Serious Eats and this recipe from the NYT
5 sheets salted matzah (broken into large and small pieces to fit the pan)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/3 cup toasted, slivered almonds
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a sheet pan or large cookie sheet with sides with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper. Arrange the matzah in a single layer on the foil.
In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar and butter, stirring constantly until they bubble and the sugar dissolves. Pour evenly over the matzah and, using a spatula, spread to cover evenly.
Bake immediately. After 7 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the matzah. Return to the oven and bake for 2 minutes more. Spread the chocolate evenly over the crackers with a clean spatula. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and sea salt.
Cool for 20 to 30 minutes before transferring the tray to the freezer. The next day, peel off the foil or parchment and break the brickle into pieces. Keep frozen or refrigerated.
Yield: About 2 pounds.
(Photo by me)