Blue Apron chef Annabel Epstein would never choose store-bought over homemade. Here’s how she made her own chocolate-covered matzo with a little help from Smitten Kitchen.
Sometimes you just need a treat, even if you’re keeping kosher for Passover. You can usually find pre-made chocolate-covered matzo at grocery stores, but the homemade version is always better. This recipe from Smitten Kitchen used basic pantry items I already had, making it a pandemic-friendly Passover dessert. I followed the recipe pretty diligently, and was sure to generously salt both the caramel and chocolate after spreading it—that salty/sweet combination is so craveable.
I used a mix of almonds and walnuts to top the chocolate layer, but any nuts would work great here. After letting the finished matzo chill in the fridge, my boyfriend and I immediately devoured at least 3 squares each—we had to move it to a tupperware far away from us to not eat the whole thing immediately.
Chocolate Caramel Matzo, recipe from the Smitten Kitchen
- About 4 sheets of matzo
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into eight large pieces
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- Sea salt, preferably flaky (such as Maldon salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips, or 9 ounces chopped semi- or bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup toasted almonds and walnuts, or a mix of your favorite nuts (optional)
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil by stretching a long sheet over the pan and crimping the edges over the side of the pan with your hands. Then, line the pan again with parchment paper. This double lining keeps you matzo from sticking to the pan and makes clean up easy.
- Spread your matzo over the sheet pan in a single layer, covering every part.If necessary, break some pieces apart to make sure the entire surface of the pan is filled.
- Make the caramel. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Melt the mixture and whisk it until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for 3 more minutes, whisking it the whole time. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, remove it from the heat and add a couple good pinches of sea salt and vanilla. Pour the caramel over the crackers and spread it out evenly using an offset spatula, a silicon spatula, or the back of a spoon. Don’t wait too long, or the caramel might set.
- Bake the matzo for 13 to 15 minutes. Check the oven periodically to make sure the edges don’t burn. If the caramel is getting too dark, turn down the heat.
- Take the matzo out of the oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate in an even layer over the caramel. If you’re using nuts, now is the time to sprinkle them over the surface. Don’t forget to add another dose of sea salt. (The extra sea salt is great on matzo. Let cool and enjoy.
Can’t find matzo? Try making your own at home.
