Been away awhile....

Time has just kind of flown by. I have had some health stuff and just needed an unspoken break I guess.  Passover has come and gone...but I still have a few boxes of Matzah left. So I thought I would share my favorite recipe for Matzah Caramel Buttercrunch aka Matzah Crack. It is pretty hard to resist...hence the "crack" title. Maybe you can save the recipe for next Passover..or better yet use up the last of the Matzo, why not?

Matzoh Caramel Buttercrunch
adapted from Marcy Goldman...Jewish Holiday Baking
4-6 unsalted matzoh sheets
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar - packed firmly
3/4 cup chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate - coarsely chopped( I used Callebaut Bittersweet)
a nice big pinch of kosher salt
1 cup of toasted sliced almonds or coarsely chopped pecans(optional)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Preheat oven to 375 F.

Line a cookie sheet completely with foil. Cover bottom of pan with baking parchment - on top of foil. This is very important as mixture becomes sticky during baking. Line bottom of pan evenly with matzoh boards, cutting extra pieces of matzoh, as required, to fit any spaces on the cookie sheet as evenly as possible.

Combine butter and brown sugar in a 3 quart, heavy-bottomed, saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking 3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour over matzoh.

Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 F. Bake 12 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure mixture is not burning. If it seems to be browning too quickly, remove from oven, lower heat to 325 F. and replace.

Remove from oven and sprinkle matzoh boards immediately with chopped chocolate or chips. Let stand 5 minutes then spread melted chocolate over matzoh. Let cool completely. Chill in refrigerator until set. Break into odd shaped pieces. Keeps well in a tin for several days....if it lasts that long.

Variation:
You can also use white chocolate, coarsely chopped (or both white and dark) and chopped, toasted almonds (sprinkle on top as chocolate sets).
If you can not get Matzo you can use saltine crackers...in that case leave the salt out of the recipe

We also love these Macaroons....they are gluten free and they can be enjoyed all year long. These are one of my husband's favorite cookies...no matter what time of year. They are tiny little two bite babies...

Coconut Macaroons
 adapted from Danny Cohen/Food and Wine Magazine
One 14-ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut
One 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (I use Callebaut)
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut with the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until firm peaks form. Fold the beaten whites into the coconut mixture.

Scoop tablespoon-size mounds of the mixture onto the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 25 minutes, until golden; shift the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let the cookies cool completely.

Dip the bottoms of the macaroons into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Return the cookies to the lined baking sheets. Drizzle any remaining chocolate on top and refrigerate for about 5 minutes, until set.Or leave some plain.

I am a little bit late with my public thanks to my friend Stella creator of  Lola and Finn's Mum for recognizing me with a lovely award...You must go and check out Stella's fabulous blog full of wonderful recipes, her marvelous wit, and pictures of her adorable children. Thank you Stella...I truly appreciate you thinking of me...

 I would also like to thank all of you who continue to come and visit even though I have not been posting. I appreciate your presence...all of you.