Marcy Goldmans Matzoh Crunch Recipes

MY TRADEMARK, MOST REQUESTED, ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT CARAMEL MATZOH CRUNCH

Steps:

• 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.
• 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).
• 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. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set.
• This makes a good gift.
• 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). You can also omit the chocolate for a caramel-alone buttercrunch.

SALTED PEANUT AND CARAMEL MATZO BRITTLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a rimmed 11-by-17 or 12-by-18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, covering the pan and extending over the sides.
• Lay 2 matzo squares in the pan, positioning the concave side up to best retain the caramel. Then, like a puzzle, fit the remaining matzo onto the baking sheet, carefully breaking pieces to fill the entire baking pan in one layer. (Don't worry if they are not perfect; the brittle will be cut up later.)
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, about 6 minutes. Boil just until very bubbly, another 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from heat and pour over the matzo, covering completely. Working quickly, spread the caramel using a heatproof spatula, then spoon it on top if it spills between the cracks in the matzo.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, checking to make sure the edges and top are not burning.
• Once the matzo is almost done baking, heat the peanut butter in a microwave until slightly warmed and easily pourable, about 20 to 30 seconds on high.
• Remove the matzo from the oven and drizzle the warmed peanut butter on top, then sprinkle with the peanuts, then the salt. Cool, break into pieces then transfer to a lidded container. Brittle is best - and at its snappiest - when chilled. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or freeze for 15 until peanut butter firms up. Brittle will keep up to 1 month frozen; let it thaw for about 10 minutes before serving.

MACAROON MATZO CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut flakes on 1 baking sheet and almonds on another. Toast until golden brown, about 3 minutes for the coconut and about 7 minutes for the almonds. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Arrange matzo on parchment with no gaps in between (it's ok if they overlap slightly).
• Whisk together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium pot. Whisking occasionally, bring to a high simmer over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Once mixture is simmering, whisk constantly, until it turns a light brown, thickens, and starts to pull away from the sides of the pot, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour onto matzo, covering completely. Using a spatula, quickly spread caramel so matzo has an even coating.
• Bake matzo until caramel is golden brown and bubbling, 14-16 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure caramel doesn't burn. If it starts to darken too quickly, remove from oven and lower heat to 325°F; return to oven after a few minutes and continue to bake, watching closely.
• Meanwhile, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small pot of simmering water and stir occasionally until melted. (Or, place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst, until melted.)
• Remove matzo from oven and sprinkle immediately with reserved coconut and almonds. Drizzle with chocolate. Let cool slightly, then place the baking sheet with the matzo crunch in the refrigerator until cooled and set, at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Break matzo crunch into pieces and serve.