Passover starts a week from tomorrow, and for someone who’s not even Jewish, I’m pretty excited about it.
Growing up in Los Angeles, almost every one of my best friends was Jewish. I’ve partaken in countless Passover seders, Shabbat dinners, and Hanukkah candle-lightings over the years and I find so much to love about Jewish culture and traditions…and FOOD! Many of my favorite comfort foods are rooted in Jewish culture (thank you, Jewish friends’ moms and awesome Jewish delis). Give me matzah ball soup, latkes, or a fresh-baked loaf of challah and it brings me right back home to LA.
During the week of Passover, leavened bread is a no-no for my friends who observe the dietary restrictions of the holiday. That’s where matzah, an unleavened bread with a cracker-type consistency, comes in. If you haven’t tried it before, it kind of tastes like a saltine cracker. And in my personal opinion, this chocolate-covered matzah toffee with sea salt is the best way to eat it.
This candy is so simple and is a perfect example of how when you take ingredients that pair beautifully together (chocolate, toffee, and sea salt) you don’t have to do anything too crazy with it. Matzah is covered with a homemade toffee mixture, topped with semisweet chocolate, sprinkled with sea salt, and refrigerated to harden. Done and done! It’s so insanely delicious, too – the sea salt takes it totally over the top. I’m biased because this sweet and salty flavor combination is one of my absolute favorites, but I could NOT stop eating this matzah toffee. Like, had to physically remove myself from the situation. Maybe don’t make it on a weekend when your boyfriend is out of town and you’re sitting at home by yourself on a Saturday night drinking wine and watching TLC?
Basically, whether you’re celebrating Passover or not, this recipe is amazing and a great way to make use of the seasonal surge of matzah in grocery stores. (If you can’t find matzah, you can also make this recipe with unsalted Saltine crackers.) It’s serious sweet and crunchy perfection and will make you the most popular person at the party if you can bear to share it!
Also, a disclaimer: depending on how strictly you follow the Passover dietary guidelines, you probably want to check out every item on this list. I’m no expert on the details of the dietary restrictions! I’m sure kosher versions can be substituted for any ingredient; if you have any questions ask me or ask Google!
- 3-4 sheets unsalted matzah
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- Sea salt
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- 1 11.5 oz (approx.) package semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet completely with aluminum foil, then cover that with parchment paper. (You do not want ANY toffee on your baking sheet!) Cover the entire bottom of the baking sheet with matzah sheets, breaking pieces when necessary to fit.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and the brown sugar together over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture comes to a boil, boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Take off the heat and add the vanilla and a big pinch of sea salt; stir to combine. Pour the toffee over the matzah, spreading with a heatproof spatula.
- Bake the matzah toffee for about 15 minutes, checking every so often to make sure it’s not burning. It will definitely bubble but should not burn. Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bag of chocolate chips. Let the chocolate melt for about 5 minutes, then use a spatula to spread to cover the whole sheet of toffee-covered matzah. While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle liberally with sea salt.
- Put the pan in the refrigerator to firm up for about 30 minutes. At that point, break up the matzah toffee with your hands into desired pieces. Store in the refrigerator in plastic baggies for up to a week or freeze for later!
- As I mention above, if you are following strict Passover guidelines please check the other ingredients and substitute as necessary!
