Caramel Matzoh Crunch, aka CRACK

Here is a great, and I mean fantastic, recipe for Passover. This comes from my friend Leslie Sacks. I like to call it Matzoh Crack because it’s addictive. Once you start eating it, it’s very hard to stop, no matter how full you are or how badly your tummy feels.

All of the notes in parentheses are from Leslie. This girl knows what she's doing - she makes about 6 batches per holiday. 

ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT CARAMEL MATZOH CRUNCH

4-6 unsalted matzohs (i can usually only fit 2 whole ones, then break up one more round the pan)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate (I use 1 cup Nestle Tollhouse semisweet chips)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line a large (or two smaller) cookie sheet completely with foil.

Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment - on top of the foil. This is very important since the mixture becomes sticky during baking.

Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces as required to fit any spaces.

In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine the butter or margarine and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely.

Mmmm butter and sugar

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325° , and replace the pan).

Hot from the oven

Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chopped chocolate or chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over the matzoh.

Passover Crack

While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill still in the pan in the freezer until set.

Variation:

You can also use coarsely chopped white chocolate (or a combination of white and dark), and chopped or slivered toasted almonds (sprinkled on top as the chocolate sets).

Leslie's notes:

i usually top a batch with sprinkles or chopped walnuts while the chocolate is still warm (before I put in the freezer).

When frozen, I store in ziploc bags. Doesn't last long!!!

Chocolate Fudge Pie. Mmmm, Pie.

Some days I crave pie. Chocolate Pie.  I’ve had this recipe since ripping it out of the November 2009 Real Simple and finally decided to try it. I even made my own pie crust (which I’ve always been terrified of doing but pie crust is super easy).  This recipe is pretty straightforward and if you want basic chocolate fudge pie, it satisfies your craving. It’s nothing exceptional, it’ll do.  Sadly, I forgot to snap some pics.

Chocolate Fudge Pie

Serves 8

Hands-On Time: 20m 

Total Time: 4hr 00m

Ingredients

Basic Flaky Piecrust

or 1 store-bought piecrust, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, plus more shaved for topping

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

3 large eggs

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375º

F. Place

the pie plate on a baking sheet. Prick crust with a fork and line with foil. Fill to top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 325º F. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, salt, and ½ cup of the sugar until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold a third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder.

4.Pour the combined mixture into the crust and bake until puffed and beginning to crack, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 1 hour, then chill.

5. Beat the cream with the remaining sugar until soft peaks form. Spread over the pie and sprinkle with the shaved chocolate. (I used whipped cream from the can)

By Sara Quessenberry,  November 2009

The only Brownie recipe you'll ever need

This brownie recipe has been my go-to since it was published by the Washington Post in 2007. Why use a box mix when more delicious brownies can be made just as easily?  Just try not to figure out the nutritional information, or you’ll gain 10 lbs just thinking about it. I recently made these for a Super Bowl party and cut the brownies into a football shape and then decorated with some white icing. So cute!

Man-Catcher Brownies

The Washington Post, February 7, 2007

Course: Dessert

Summary: This recipe is a result of the author's many experiments to create the perfect brownie: thick, moist and chocolaty. These are for purists who like nothing but brownie in their brownie, but chocolate chips or toasted chopped walnuts could be added.

Makes twenty-four 2 1/4 -by-2-inch brownies

Ingredients:

12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups cocoa powder, sifted (natural, not Dutch processed)

6 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking oil spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder, stirring to combine. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the sugars and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Add the cooled butter-chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and salt until just combined; do not overmix. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, making sure the corners are filled. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a crust forms on the surface and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack; cool completely before cutting the brownies.

Recipe Source:

From Food section editorial assistant Leigh Lambert.

Love the shiny pipe cleaner goal posts!!

The Best Thing You'll put in Your Mouth All Week, I Promise You

This recipe comes from the book, “The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love”. My former co-worker Mary gave me this to read and I copied some recipes from it. Not sure how long I’ve had it but Mary and I worked together from 2001-2003 so it has been a while. The recipe is in the chapter “What to Eat when Tragedy Strikes” and is good for what ails you. The beauty of it, too, is you’ll probably have all of the ingredients on hand and can whip it up whenever you need a dose of chocolate.  Here is the recipe as written in the book:

Chocolate Stuff

Beat two eggs with a cup of sugar and ½ cup of flour.  Add ¼ teaspoon of salt. In the microwave melt together one stick of real butter (I never use unsalted; I think it tastes flat) and 2 fairly heaping teaspoons of Hershey’s cocoa. Get regular Hershey’s in the dark brown box – anything else is different and will screw it up. Dump the butter-cocoa mixture into the other things, and stir it up good. Then add a running-over teaspoon of vanilla. I use the real vanilla, but the grocery store kind won’t ruin it. Stir that up, too. If you decided to go for nuts, use a whole bunch of pecans, chopped up fine.

Pour the Stuff into a greased loaf pan, set the loaf pan in a pan of water, and stick the whole business in the oven set at about 300 degrees. Depending on how your oven cooks, it needs to stay in there for 40 to 50 minutes. You can reach in there and tap on the top of it at 40 minutes. If it seems crunchy, I’d take it out. You can’t really undercook it, since it’s good raw, but you don’t want to overcook it and lose the gooey bottom so crucial to the whole texture experience.

Trust me. This will be the best thing that has happened to you in a very long time, possibly ever. From now on, for as long as you live, just the simple act of getting out the bowl to make Chocolate Stuff will have an incredibly assuaging effect on your psyche. I can say, without fear of contradiction, there is virtually nothing, not one situation, that can’t be faced with calm and grace and serenity if you have Chocolate Stuff. You can eat it and feel better fast, and when it wears off, you can just make another batch. Believe me, in no time at all, you’ll be grinning like a mule eating briars.