Matzo crunch is a sweet treat that’s all about the texture. As the name implies, it’s a crunch-fest. Between the crisp, airy matzo, melty chocolate and crackling caramel, there’s never a dull moment (in your mouth). The beauty of this Passover-friendly dessert lies in its simplicity and decadent flavor. There’s no need to complicate a good thing. Make this quick, shareable, vegan dessert with only three ingredients.
Matzo crunch is a layered confection of whole matzo crackers, hard-crack caramel, and dark chocolate. After it sets, you break the dessert into small jagged pieces, similarly to what you would do with chocolate bark or peanut brittle. The matzo is crisp, light and flaky, the caramel is snappy and sweet, and the chocolate is silky and bitter. I like to use salted wheat matzo because I simply can never get enough of sodium chloride, but the unsalted variety is readily available in many grocery stores. Your preference and dairy limitations will dictate the kind of chocolate you use. I enjoy the bitterness of dark chocolate paired with the caramel, but you can use any type, whether it’s vegan, milk, white, or non-dairy; all it has to do is melt. Garnishes are completely optional. They can add to the flavor profile and aesthetic, especially if you use something like hazelnuts or crumbled, salty potato chips, but it’s certainly not necessary.
The assembly is almost as simple as the ingredients list. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and lay out a couple squares of matzo side by side. In a stainless steel pan or pot, make a straight caramel. I usually use a frying pan and add a couple tablespoons of water to the granulated white sugar to ensure even caramelization. This will take eight to ten minutes over medium heat. Once the caramel is a medium brown color, like the color of strong tea, turn off the heat and quickly drizzle the caramel over the matzo. Use a heat-resistant rubber spatula to spread the caramel over the crackers in a thin layer, as evenly as you can manage.
The following recipe makes excess caramel. I do this because I think it’s easier to spread an even layer with extra caramel than to stretch a small amount with precision and speed. You’ll have extra left in the pan, and any caramel that you don’t want on the crackers (it might pool, for instance), can be swiped off the edge of the matzo, and broken off once it hardens. A little might sneak underneath the matzo, and that’s fine too. After about a minute, the caramel will begin to harden in the thinnest areas. Scatter a couple handfuls of chocolate chips over the surface of the caramel-coated matzos and pop the whole tray into a 300°F oven for two minutes. It’s just long enough to completely melt the chips; there’s no baking happening here.
Remove the tray from the oven and, using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into a thin layer, completely covering the surface. If you’re adding fun little bits like nuts or chips, add them now. Place the tray in the fridge for about 20 minutes, or until the chocolate has set. Break the matzo crunch into pieces and serve. You can save any remaining pieces in an airtight container, but they might lose some of their snap if you live in a humid area.
3-ingredient Matzo Crunch
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 matzo squares (I prefer salted matzo.)
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- Sprinkle of flaky salt, chopped nuts, coconut, or other toppings for garnish (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of water for the caramel (optional)
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange two whole matzo crackers next to each other on the tray.
Make the caramel in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and water (if using). The sugar will liquify and after about 7 minutes or so it will begin to brown. If the caramel is browning unevenly, gently lift the pan and give it a swirl. (Swirling the pan will effectively “stir” the caramel without you having to use a utensil or agitate the caramel in a way that might cause crystallization.) Take it off the heat when it’s a medium brown color.
Drizzle half of the caramel over the matzo and spread it into a thin layer over the top. Use the extra caramel to address any “naked” areas on the crackers. Let this set for a minute. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the caramel. Place the entire sheet tray in the oven for two minutes to melt the chips. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate into an even layer, covering the entire surface of the matzo. Sprinkle with optional garnishes and place in the fridge to set. Once cool, break into pieces and serve.
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