After a long and cold winter, the reminder of warmer weather, chirping birds and green trees is a welcome vision. Passover פסח (pesaH) is just that reminder! Another name for Passover is חג אביבה (Hag ha’aviv), the Holiday of the Spring.
The start of the holiday begins this year on Monday night, April 14th with the first of two Seders סדרים (Sedarim). Traditionally, this pilgrimage holiday ushered in the first grain harvest in Ancient Israel. During the time of the Great Temple, the Israelites would walk to Jerusalem with their offerings to God. Today, we mark this time with a ritual meal as well as special synagogue services.
Passover is better known as the holiday marking the Israelites freedom from slavery in Egypt. We celebrate this with a ritual meal, the Seder סדר. Seder literally means order. We follow a very specific order of customs, songs, blessings and foods that take us on a journey, which enacts our ancestors’ road from slavery to freedom. This is a holiday that renews the Jewish belief that freedom is a right of every person of every faith.
The מצה Matzah, the flat, crumbly ‘bread’, baked in very strict and precise conditions, represents the plight of our ancestors. In the Biblical book of Exodus, it is told that the Israelites leave Egypt in haste, giving them no time to allow their bread to rise. This מצה Matzah, was eaten at the very first Seder and in commemoration of that meal, it for all eight days of Passover.
Here is an easy and delicious way to take Matzah to a whole new level.
(Recipe is adapted from Marcy Goldman of Betterbaking.com)
Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzah
• 4 to 6 sheets unsalted matzahs
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
• A big pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (160g) semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)
• 1 cup (80g) toasted sliced almonds (optional)
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet completely with foil, making sure the foil goes up and over the edges. Cover the foil with a sheet of parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Line the bottom of the sheet with matzah, breaking extra pieces as necessary to fill in any spaces.
3. In a 3-4 quart (3-4l) heavy duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the salt and vanilla, and pour over matzah, spreading with a heatproof spatula.
4. Put the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 350F degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. As it bakes, it will bubble up but make sure it’s not burning every once in a while.
5. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread with an offset spatula.
6. If you want, sprinkle with toasted almonds and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
7. Let cool completely, the break into pieces and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. It should keep well for about one week.
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