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.

Overnight Challah

One of the silver linings of being in a pandemic is that I’ve been home often enough to bake challah on Friday nights (granted, I’d prefer it had been for only for 6-8 Friday nights…but it’s 2020). And with endless Friday evenings, I’ve had time to play around with a bunch of different techniques. I’ve had even more time disappointing my husband and son by “forgetting” to put raisins into the challah.

The following recipe is the one I currently love. The technique may seem strange but it is very forgiving which is great for everyone: especially people who aren’t as comfortable baking bread. The process involves two long room temperature rises: the first, 8-10 hours and the second, 4-5 hours. I suggest kneading the dough Thursday evening, letting it rise overnight, then forming the loaves Friday morning. With this timing, you are ready to break the challah around 12/1PM on Friday.

And then comes the hardest part: waiting until the sun sets to eat it.

For step-by-step photos, take a look at my post here: https://www.minneapolisjewishlife.org/blog/2020/9/30/challah-bake-series-2

Overnight Challah
adapted from One Sarcastic Baker

6 ½ cups all purpose flour (795 g)
⅓ cups + 1 tbsp sugar (85 g)
2 ¼ tsp salt (14 g)
2 ½ tsp instant yeast (10 g) or 3 ⅛ tsp active dry yeast (12g)
8 large egg yolks (144 g)
¼ cup vegetable oil (45 g)
1 – 1.5 cups warm (90F) water (start with 1 cup) (340 g)
2 large egg whites

Add the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle on the lowest speed to incorporate all the ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and vegetable oil until blended. Add the warm water while whisking.

Add the egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for about 10 seconds. Let the mixture sit for one minute so that the flour becomes hydrated. After the minute has passed, mix the dough until it is mostly hydrated and looks like a messy dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed for 5–7 minutes. The best way to tell if the dough is ready is by pulling off a little piece and stretching it between your fingers. If you pull it gently and it breaks immediately, it isn’t ready.

Remove the dough and gently form it into a ball. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a thin layer of oil and cover with plastic wrap.

Allow the dough to rest and rise for 8–10 hours—overnight is perfect!

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Divide each half into as many pieces as you would like and roll them into long strands for braiding.

Braid the strands into your desired shape (I prefer a four-strand braid). Place the loaves onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and let rise for 4-5 hours.

Brush the dough with the egg whites, making sure to get into the crevices of the braid. Sprinkle on seeds, if you so desire. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the center registers at 190°F with an instant read thermometer. Remove and let cool on a cooling rack.

Brown Butter Chocolate Pecan Tart

There are two types of desserts that I don’t like: cheesecake and pecan pie. Oh, and coconut macaroons. So, I guess three types of desserts I don’t like. Because of that, I don’t make them often, if ever.

As we head into a new school year with no way to plan for the day after tomorrow, I take solace in the time I was kind and baked a dessert for other people. Also, that pattern is hypnotizing and I think we could all use a bit of a distraction right now.

Brown Butter Chocolate Pecan Tart
from Browned Butter Blondie

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
16 graham crackers
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 egg white

Filling
4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, browned
3 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
¼ tsp salt
1½ - 2 cups whole pecans

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease the bottom and sides of a removable 9 inch tart pan with either butter or a non-stick spray.

In the bowl of a food processor, add graham crackers, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Pulse together until it is all finely ground. Add the melted butter and combine until the mixture is fully coated. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the egg white. Mix until the crumbs are evenly coated.

Scoop the mixture into the prepared tart pan and use your hands to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a glass/your hands to firmly press the mixture in place. Once this is complete, bake for 9 minutes until the crust is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Make the filling: While the crust is baking, brown the butter: in a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat until it has completely melted. Stir it off and on while it begins to bubble and foam a bit. Continue stirring until you start seeing golden brown bits in the pan (~5-6 minutes). The butter will make a crackling sound and once that has stopped, and once you see a decent number of nutty-smelling brown bits, remove the pan from the heat and pour into a small bowl to let cool.

In a microwavable bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments (or use a double boiler) until smooth. Set aside to cool until ready to use.

Once the crust is baked, combine the corn syrup, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Combine the browned butter and melted chocolate until fully incorporated. Add this to the brown sugar and egg mixture and stir to fully combine. Pour mixture into tart crust and then arrange the pecans on the top of the filling.

Bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes or until the edges of the filling are set and the center jiggles slightly. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour and then chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.