Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Matzah Almond Roca


Passover is my favorite holiday – I love its timing with the spring season, the telling of the Passover story of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt, the eight days of creative cooking, and the celebration of freedom. Each year, I clean and remove leavened foods from our kitchen in preparation for the holiday. When the Israelites escaped from Egypt there was not enough time to wait for the bread to rise so we commemorate this by abstaining from leavened foods. Which leads me to matzah ...


Over the eight days of Passover, we will eat a lot of matzah. We slather it with cream cheese and jam, spread tomato sauce and mozzarella on it for pizza, stuff it with feta and mashed potatoes and fry up sandwiches, and crumble it with eggs to make sizzling matzah brie (served with maple syrup it’s like pancakes). Let me tell you the best way to enjoy matzah, though: Matzah Almond Roca.

Simply stated, Matzah Almond Roca is unbelievably addictive. Crisp matzah is coated in rich, buttery toffee and topped with a layer of chocolate and a sprinkling of almonds. The matzah helps off-set the sweetness, allowing you to enjoy even more.


This has been our family’s favorite Passover treat for almost 20 years (the recipe is stained and torn and comes from a cooking class at the synagogue). We keep a stash in the fridge all week, perfect for sneaking nibbles or downright indulging in. Even if you don’t celebrate Passover I recommend you pick up a box of matzah and give this a try!

When planning my Passover menu, Matzah Almond Roca is first on my list to make (ahead of the brisket, gefilte fish and flourless chocolate cake). And when Passover ends and we have leftover matzah, well - there’s no better way to empty that box.

Matzah Almond Roca
From a synagogue cooking class

4 squares of matzah
8 ounces (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, plus extra to butter the foil
1 cup brown sugar
12 ounces of chopped chocolate (your choice of milk or dark)
1/2 cup unsalted almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and butter the top well. Lay the 4 squares of matzah in a single layer on the foil (you’ll have to break a couple to make them fit).

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the 8 ounces of butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and stir. It should be bubbling but not a rapid boil. Let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until it thickens and is golden brown. Pour the toffee evenly over the matzah spread so it is coated. Pop the pan in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove and immediately sprinkle the chocolate pieces over the toffee topping. When the chocolate has softened a bit, spread it evenly with a knife. Scatter the chopped almonds over the top. Place the baking pan in the freezer for 1 hour.

When completely chilled, break into pieces and store in a covered container in the fridge.

20 comments:

  1. I love this, I make a flourless chocolate cake when I go to my friends for Passover. This year I will make this. Wonderful, I love matzoh and almond roca. Thank you for a perfect recipe for the holiday.

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    1. You are so welcome, Suzanne! I'd love to see the flourless chocolate cake you make...I'm sure it's scrumptious.

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    2. this looks like just the right thing to get some oohs and aahs !

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    3. Matzah roca is a crowd-pleaser! I just made a double batch last night and we're already nibbling. Hope you enjoy it!

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  2. This looks sooo good! And even though we don't celebrate Passover, I can see making it often for my kids and grandkids. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. My pleasure, Pat! I think it will be a hit with everyone - I hope you enjoy it.

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  3. One of my favorite parts of reading your blog is being getting this under-the-curtain look at Jewish life. It's not just the food, but all of the stories such as your stained and torn recipe card. And, the recipe sounds like something I want to eat, Passover aside. Wonderful!

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    1. Oh, that makes me happy and I appreciate you saying so, Mikaela! I enjoy sharing. And I do think you'd enjoy the matzah roca. :)

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  4. Passover is my favorite too!! These look SOOO good!!! Such a great matzo use!

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    1. Thank you, Katherine - I hope you have a wonderful Passover!

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  5. Oh my goodness...these sound to die for! I made some yummy toffee this winter ( http://shutupandcook.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/winter-musings-old-english-toffee/ ) but this looks very similar to something my friend's mom used to make that we adored and inhaled! Can't wait to try this out!

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    1. Thank you! Your English toffee looks divine - I can't resist toffee, and it's such a marvelous gift, too. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I hope you enjoy the Matzah Roca!

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  6. Since this is the only time our grocery store has matzah, I need to run out and get some to try this recipe! Oh my goodness I love toffee.

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    1. I hope you enjoy the Matzah Roca, Lauren! I think you will if you are a toffee fan. :)

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  7. Oh these look so good! My kind of treat.

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    1. Thank you, Mairi! I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend!

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  8. Hannah, I made these today to use up some of my anticipated surplus of matzah, and as I've never gotten around to getting a recipe from my mother in law, I used yours. Very very good! I browned the butter a bit before adding the brown sugar and I sprinkled a bit of sea salt on top with the almonds. I love this stuff...probably too much. Chag Sameach!

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    1. Thank you for letting me know, Venessa! I'm delighted you enjoyed the matzah roca. I like that you browned the butter - I'll try that next time. I just made another batch yesterday. My boys inhale it (as do my husband and I). Definitely the best way to use up matzah! Chag sameach!

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  9. I just discovered your blog and I just posted about this too! (But w/out nuts because I'm allergic). The BEST part of passover for sure!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Lisa! You are so right - this is absolutely the best part of Passover! Hope you had a lovely holiday.

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