Diary of a Secret Housewife: Salted Caramel Chocolate Matzoh Crunch

Passover is coming up soon, which means matzoh galore.  And when one has had enough of matzoh with margarine, matzoh with peanut butter and jelly, and matzoh brei, the only thing to do is to cover matzoh with caramel and chocolate.  Sprinkle the concoction with a little fleur de sel, and you'll get a confection so heavenly you'll never kvetch about going breadless again.

My recipe is adapted from Marcy Goldman's "Trademark, Most Requested, Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch."  Let me assure you that the name is right on target. The result is a chewy, crunchy, sweet, and savory delight.

Here's what you need:

• 4-6 unsalted matzohs
• 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
• Fleur de sel, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment — on top of the foil.

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. [Be careful not to boil the mixture for too long, or else the caramel will get burnt and bitter.]

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. Sprinkle the fleur del sel on top of the chocolate. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set.

[BTW, it's fun to try variations on this recipe: use white chocolate chips or peanut butter cups; add chopped nuts or marshmallows; or mix salt into the caramel for a salted caramel base.]