Dark Chocolate Matzo Crisps

These easy-to-make matzo crisps were real hit on both parties - our friend's Passover celebration and my family's Easter brunch. On multiple requests, here is the recipe.

Blog's Category: Awesome Findings, International, Snacks, Vegetarian

Intro

At this time of year, isn't it cool that me, Christian with Ukrainian roots, makes matzo Passover treats, and another girl, who is a 100 percent jewish, makes Ukrainian easter "pisanki" or colored eggs? In my understanding that is what real "world peace" means.

Yep, it's all about matzo in this post. There are endless options for using matzo for your meal. This year I've made something sweet, yummy, undeniably tempting and almost-perfectly healthy: Caramel Chocolate Pistachio Matzo Crisps. My friends and family lo-o-o-ved it and requested to post the recipe ASAP!

It's really hard to point directly the source of my recipe because hundreds are there, all over the internet. This particular recipe is the result of free interpretation of one of those. The process is a little bit messy, but easy and extremely rewarding:)


What is it?

It's plane matzo sheets, briefly baked with caramel sauce, then smudged in dark chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios.

Taste Description

This guilt-free dessert is medium-sweet, with all that indulgent flavors that come with dark chocolate and beautiful pistachio crunch on top of it (literally!).

How to Serve/Store

Store in a closed container to keep moisture away. I think it would keep for about 2 weeks inside your "cookie cabinet" (I didn't have chance to check it as mine disappeared too quickly).

Dark Chocolate Matzo Crisps



• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 8 matzo sheets
• 2 dark chocolate bars (or 4 small ones), broken in pieces
• 1 cup pistachios, shelled and partially crushed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used a pinch of crystallized vanilla)

- Preheat oven to 330F.

- Place silicon mats (or greased parchment paper) inside your largest baking sheets. Place there your matzo pieces. Make sure they lay horizontally - on a "slopped" sheets caramel will run on one side and other side of matzo will burn then.

- Make caramel sauce - on medium heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook on a low heat for 3-5 minutes until smooth and bubbly. Take off the heat, add salt, vanilla and stir.

- Quickly spread caramel sauce evenly over matzo pieces and bake in a preheated to 330F oven for about 10 minutes.

- It will be a little bit smoke when you open an oven door and caramel will be bubbling. Take baking sheets out, sprinkle pieces of chocolate on top and pop in an oven for 2 more minutes.

- Take sheets out of oven and spread melted chocolate evenly using silicon spatula.

- Sprinkle pistachios on top and let matzo crisps cool down for an hour or two until chocolate hardens. To speed up the process, you can move matzo sheets in cool place or fridge.

- When chocolate is completely hardened, break matzo into large pieces and enjoy!


Variations

- When sprinkling with pistachios, add some fun and zing by sprinkling also with some black or cayenne pepper. But remember it would be rather for adventurous adults than;  kids don't like this type of cruel jokes :)

- Any type of nuts will do! Not just pistachios, I just like that green pistachio color over the dark chocolate :)

- Unleash your imagination and make savory matzo crisps. But that's completely different story, it's on my to-do list and I will let you know what I've got out of this idea.



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IN PICTURES

This caramel sauce is so easy. It's basic recipe and can be used anywhere - over your ice cream, for pies, etc.

You will have about 10 minutes before your sauce becomes too thick. If for some reason it's gotten thick too quick and become un-spreadable, place it for a minute or too on a burner, stirring to melt it down. For a worst case scenario, add a table spoon of butter while doing it.

Use your favorite dark chocolate - good dark chocolate makes everything a-m-a-z-i-n-g-l-y good. I used 4 small bars of my favorite 72% dark chocolate from Trader Joe's.