Chocolate-Caramel Matzo Toffee

Recipe from Marcy Goldman

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Updated April 6, 2022

Chocolate-Caramel Matzo Toffee
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich
Total Time
50 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
4(811)
Comments
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Matzo toffee is the Passover-friendly take on saltine toffee. A layered confection of matzo crackers, brown sugar caramel and melted chocolate, you can top it with practically anything you like, from the most elegantly minimal sprinkle of sea salt to a surfeit of nuts, dried fruit, potato chips, or a combination. This recipe, adapted from Marcy Goldman’s cookbook “A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking,” keeps well when stored airtight at room temperature — up to one week, if you haven’t finished it by then. —Melissa Clark

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 dozen pieces
  • 4 to 6sheets matzo, preferably salted
  • 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 1½packed cups/315 grams light brown sugar
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Large pinch of fine sea salt
  • 7ounces chopped bittersweet, milk or white chocolate, or a combination (about 1 cup)
  • Toppings, as desired (see note)
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, allowing it to go up and over the edges of the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment. Arrange matzo over parchment in an even layer, breaking pieces to fit as necessary.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring butter and sugar to a boil, whisking, until thickened and smooth, about 3 minutes. The mixture may separate, and that is O.K. Stir in vanilla and salt. Quickly pour mixture over matzos. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate evenly over caramel and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Use an offset spatula to spread chocolate smoothly over surface of toffee. If you’ve used different kinds of chocolate, you can swirl them together decoratively.

  4. Step 4

    Immediately sprinkle melted chocolate with desired topping. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and chill toffee 1 hour to set chocolate. Break matzo toffee into large pieces for storing and serving.

Tip
  • The matzo toffee is delicious on its own, but any number of toppings add flavor and flair, such as flaky sea salt, crushed potato chips, chopped dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates), chopped nuts (pistachio, walnuts, pecans, almonds), chopped candied ginger or lemon peel, or pomegranate seeds (if using, serve within 1 day).

Ratings

4 out of 5
811 user ratings
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Comments

Cbl

Make sure your parchment paper does not go outside the pan. Mine must have touched the sides of my oven and caught fire. Had to use a fire extinguisher. What a mess...on Passover. Believe it or not I googled it and found out the cause later. Maybe everyone else knows this but I didn’t. :(

mama wass

Just a note to answer one of one comments- Rose Levy Beranbaum’s toffee recipe calls for corn syrup, which you can’t use at Passover.

mornston

This is insanely delicious. If you melt the butter and sugar in the microwave the caramel is pretty grainy. Recommend cooking it on the stove. Delicious with Maldon salt on top!

Lisa

I used semi sweet chocolate chips as well as chocolate that I chopped ans the chocolate chips did not melt. I would advise against using them

Anne

Just made this for Passover and it was terrific. Cut it into brownie-sized pieces and they were gobbled up. Used salted butter and Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chocolate, sprinkled with kosher salt. 5 stars for sure.

Zelda

I would definitely cook the caramel for longer to get rid of the graininess. And I would use salted butter if using non-salted matzoh. This recipe needs salt to combat the overwhelming sweetness. Otherwise, easy to put together.

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