Gilda Weinfeld from Pikesville said that last year during Passover, an acquaintance sent her some homemade chocolate-covered matzo. She said it was absolutely delicious. But when she called her friend to thank her for the gift, she asked for the recipe — and her friend politely declined to give it to her.
Not to worry — there are plenty of good recipes for homemade chocolate matzo both online and in print. My go-to recipe for this holiday treat comes from "A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking" by Marcy Goldman. It's surprisingly simple to make, and her basic recipe lends itself to plenty of variations. Feel free to substitute coarsely chopped white chocolate for the dark, or drizzle the white chocolate over the dark or vice versa.
I like to add a sprinkling of sea salt or kosher salt, which gives the chocolate matzo a delightfully appealing sweet-and-salty taste. Chopped or slivered almonds or pistachios — even toasted coconut — also make a nice addition. Or you can omit the chocolate altogether to make a caramel-butter crunch version.
This highly addictive dessert is a great to make any time of year, but it's especially perfect for Passover when there is so much other cooking to be done. You can make it ahead of time and even double or triple the recipe so you have some for your guests to take home after the Seder. I'll bet, just like Weinfeld, they will be calling you for the recipe.
Requests
Steven Catlett from Baltimore would like to have the recipes for the crab cakes and creamed coleslaw that were sold at the long-closed Hasslinger's takeout restaurant in the shopping center at Hillen Road and Belvedere Avenue. He said the crab cakes paired with the coleslaw was fantastic.
Alice McKeehan from Elkhart, Ind., is trying to locate a recipe she has lost for Twinkie cake. All she can remember about it is that the base was made with split Twinkies.
If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Baltimore Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278 or email baltsunrecipefinder@gmail.com. If you send in more than one recipe, please put each on a separate piece of paper and be sure to include your name, address and daytime phone number. Important: Name and hometown must accompany recipes in order to be published. Please list the ingredients in order of use, and note the number of servings each recipe makes. Please type or print contributions. Letter and recipes may be edited for clarity.
Chocolate-covered matzo
Makes 5-6 servings
4-6 unsalted matzo sheets¿
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted kosher-for-Passover margarine¿
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate¿
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Line one large (or two smaller) cookie sheet completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment on top of the foil. This is very important because the mixture becomes sticky during baking. Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzos, cutting extra pieces as required to fit any spaces.
In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter or margarine and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzo, covering completely.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325 degrees and replace the pan).
Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, and then spread the melted chocolate over the matzo. If using nuts, sprinkle on top of melted chocolate. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill until set.