Chocolate Caramel Matzo

 
 
 

Passover is coming up and I want to remind people that there are amazing desserts out there that are naturally kosher for Passover and don’t require us to eat chalk for dessert :). Here’s one: chocolate caramel matzoh.

I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like it and added bonus, it is incredibly easy to put together.

 

Chocolate Caramel Matzo

4-6 matzo
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
½-1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350℉. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and lay out the matzo in a single layer.

In a pan over medium heat, cook butter and brown sugar for ~5 minutes (stirring constantly) until it is fully combined and starts to look more clear than before.

Evenly spread caramel over the matzo using a spatula to help coat each piece. Bake for 15 minutes (rotating the pan halfway, if needed). Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips all over the pieces of matzo. Put it back in the over for ~2 minutes in order for the chocolate to heat up slightly.

Remove from the oven and use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly across each piece. Add sprinkles or nuts or even drizzle white chocolate for added decoration. When it’s fully cooled, break into smaller pieces before serving.

Banana Caramel Cake

 
banana caramel cake.jpg
 

I often get requests for cakes with very specific flavors. Other times, I get a request for a cake that is simply salty and sweet. The first thing that comes to my mind is a reese’s peanut butter cup. Then a salted chocolate cookie. Then M&Ms dipped in salted peanut butter. Then pretzels dipped in marshmallow creme. Then pretzels dipped in caramel…covering a banana cake.

Banana Caramel Cake
with help from Serious Eats

 

Banana Cake
1 ¼ cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 large bananas)
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups full-fat sour cream

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
8 egg whites
640g sugar
4 ½ sticks unsalted butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Caramel Sauce to taste (recipe to follow)

Caramel Sauce
115g (½ cup) water
240g (1 ¼ cups) sugar
¼ tsp salt
225g (1 cup) heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9" round cake pans (I would also suggest using parchment paper, as well). Mash bananas and place them in a small bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat melted butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Fold in bananas. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. 

Make the frosting: Place a completely clean bowl from your stand mixer over a saucepan filled with simmering water ensuring that the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl, whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl no longer feels warm, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add the butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated. Continue beating until it has reached a silky smooth texture (this can take 7-10 minutes and almost always goes through a curdled stage). Add the vanilla and salt continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.

Add caramel sauce until you reach desired taste.

Make the caramel sauce: In a 3-quart pot, combine water, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Gently stir until the syrup comes to a boil, then simmer without stirring until syrup is honey-colored (~6 minutes). Swirl the pan to ensure caramelization and continue cooking until sugar syrup is light to medium amber, one more minute. Add the cream as soon as it hits that color and reduce heat to medium-low.

Continue to stir the caramel with a spatula to keep the foam down until it registers 225°F on a digital/candy thermometer (~3 minutes). Transfer to a heat resistant container, stir in the vanilla, and let cool to room temperature. Either use the caramel right away or refrigerate for up to one month.