Passover, Seder and a Modern Twist

We are only a week away from Passover.  If you are wanting to brush up on your Seder and Passover Celebration knowledge or learn more about the Festival of Freedom Chabad.org is an incredible site with tons of information. The site is filled with information about the Seder, stories, history and a special site for kids with fun videos explaining the festival, its significance and its symbolism.

Epicurious has some great ideas from table settings to recipes, various menu inspirations and kosher wines.  You could even give your meal a twist with a South-of-the-Border Seder.  They also have recipes for the perfect Matzoh balls, Gefilte fish and Passover sweets. 

I am told that usually Passover sweets have little desirability but Marcy Goldman came up with several recipes and I love her thoughts on the matter, “”If you put a dessert on the table and have to shrug and say, ‘What do you want, it’s a Passover dessert,’ then you shouldn’t serve it at all.”

My Trademark, Most Requested, Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

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.