I try to make sense of chocolate toffee matzah crunch but cannot. These unleavened crackers are coated with crunchy toffee and rich chocolate and they are popping up in fancy grocers this time of year. I live in a neighbourhood with significant Jewish population so supermarkets dedicate aisles of kosher for Passover items for a while. Out of curiosity, I looked up the symbolism of matzah and that was how I started going “huh?”.
For those who are unfamiliar with Passover and do not feel like looking it up, it marks the exodus of Jews from Egypt. They left in such hurry that the bread had no time to rise so eating unleavened matzah is the custom for Passover. Matzah also symbolises humility whereas risen bread signifies arrogance. I did not know a simple piece of bread can be so loaded with cultural significance. In this context, it makes absolutely no sense to create a decadent sweet loaded with chocolate and toffee.
From culinary perspective, matzah crunch is pretty awesome. The uniquely thin crackly matzah offers a sturdy base for the equally thin toffee. I used Liddabit Sweet’s recipe (available online at Oprah) which began with one to one ratio of butter and brown sugar. A few minutes of cooking on the stove turned them into thick gooey butterscotch sauce. You spread a thin layer evenly over the matzah and bake until the toffee turns bubbly all over. It turns brittle when you pull it out of the oven and dark chocolate is slathered generously on top. I decked mine out with toasted almond and Maldon sea salt too.
If you enjoy toffee brittle, this is one addictive treat to have around the house. The added crunchy element from matzah makes it more appealing, if it is even possible. I brought extras to the office to share with only a vague knowledge of Passover customs. When my Jewish coworker dropped by my cubicle, I had to ask. Is this the right time of year to eat matzah because they’re everywhere in the store? Instead of laughing at my ignorance, he explained that there’s still quite some time until Passover but it is okay to eat matzah any day of the year except for the last day of Passover. Phew! So adding lots of toffee and chocolate may not make sense during the Passover holidays. But for now, we can sit back and enjoy these fun treats without any guilt…except guilt for the waistline.
