Given that Passover starts tonight, and we're about to go to our first night's Seder, I wanted to spread some festivities through sharing a homemade chocolate caramel matzoh recipe. Also known as Matzoh candy, this easy-to-make and fun-to-assemble dish is always a hit, so I made a lot of extra and packed it in some to-go boxes as well.
Originally spotting the recipe on Smitten Kitchen, it can be made with Matzoh or even just regular crackers when it's not Passover. The homemade caramel is super easy to make, as all you need is good quality unsalted butter and brown sugar. After you pour this on to the matzoh (I used whole wheat Streit's matzoh), you then sprinkle on the chocolate and get creative with your toppings. My embellishments of choice included chopped pistachios, candied coconut, festive sprinkles and chopped Heath bar crunch. You can use anything else that strikes your fancy, such as dried fruit M&M's, sea salt, etc - get creative!
During this Passover season, I'm proud to say that I took on a huge task at the Seder, which involved making two large batches of homemade chicken soup - to feed 22 people! I was definitely in the mood for a challenge, and wanted to prove to myself that I can make a tasty, homemade chicken soup that would make my parents proud. I wanted to impress my mom especially since she's the chicken soup master, and my dad is quite the connoisseur too, eating chicken soup since early days when my grandmother used to make it each week, using their farm fresh chickens of course.
Anyway, on to my version, which I couldn't believe how simple it was to make. The key, as with most good food, is the quality of ingredients...so buying a really good, organic chicken, and fresh, bright veggies. The rest is really up to the soup gods, as you throw everything in one big pot, cover with with water and slow cook it for about 3 hours. You'll absolutely love the way your whole apartment (or house) smells while you're making it, and you won't think of anything but home sweet home.
Here's the recipe I used from the April issue of Food Network magazine.
While the recipe also helps you make the ever-so-coveted matzoh balls, I left those to the experts (aka Mom!)
Happy Passover to all my fellow Jewish readers! For those of you who celebrate, you'll know it's a fun time to see family and friends, remember and observe the unique dietary suggestions of this holiday, to not eat bread. While I don't exactly uphold this standard, I know many who do, making creative uses of matzoh - whether using it in place of sandwich bread, pasta, or what have you.
Something else that's pretty common to use during Passover, especially when indulging in desserts is coconut. Macaroons are a known sweet thing during this holiday and while there are many varieties available in the supermarket or your local bakery, it's also really fun and easy to make them at home. Here's my version, which I've adapted from a recipe from the April issue of Food Network magazine. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Homemade Macaroons:
Ingredients (serves 4)
3 egg whites
3 tbs of sugar
Pinch of salt
3 cups of shredded coconut
1/3 cup of golden raisins or currants (whatever you have in the house - you can also use chocolate chips)
1 tsp of orange or lemon zest
3 - 4 tbs of dark chocolate, melted
Directions:
Whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt until frothy. Stir in the coconut, currants or golden raisins and the lemon or orange zest (I used the latter). Drop by packed tablespoons onto an oiled or buttered baking sheet. Bake at 325 until golden for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and dunk in melted dark chocolate. Put in the fridge until the chocolate solidifies. The macaroons taste delicious when chilled.
