Passover Recipe Round 2 – Matzo Brittle

This stuff is like crack. I couldn’t stop munching on it, neither could the mom’s at playgroup, or my boss. (I made a lot, and then someone else brought some too- so I brought A LOT home)
This stuff is so good, and so easy to make. This could be made anytime of the year I think and it would still be good. I think saltines could be substituted for Matzo and it would be just fine. Matzo is basically like a saltine cracker.
I got this recipe from Nosh With Me
Matzo Brittle


[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:
Matzo (also spelled Matzah)
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 small bag chocolate chips
chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with foil ( I used a disposable foil cookie sheet and I am glad I did)
Line cookie sheet with matzo, breaking them so they fit

Melt butter and add brown sugar, bring to a boil.


Pour over matzo

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 mins.
Take out and cover with chocolate chips

Put it back in for another min or 2 to help melt the chocolate
Spread the melted chocolate out even (add chopped nuts if you are going to use them)
 
Put in fridge and chill.

Break apart and eat.


SO GOOD. Try it!

Passover goodies round 1

Oh blog, how I have missed you so. I have so much to tell you, it will be so hard to break it up into smaller posts. But I will, because no one will read past this paragraph if I don’t. I have 2 YUMMY Kosher for Passover desserts to share with you. I also want to share my trip to NYC with you, but only the important parts, the food :-D. I also need to teach you how to make the best ice cream ever. OK see, my mind is going to explode with things that need to be blogged. So here I go.
So we were invited to a 1st night Seder, and it was potluck, so I signed up for dessert of course. Then I realized, Passover needs to be a special recipe. Not being Jewish, I was nervous I would screw it up and I knew most people there would be keeping kosher.  So I searched the internet for a recipe, and I would follow it perfectly, so I didn’t screw anything up.
I still hadn’t decided on anything until we were on the bus to NYC and I was catching up with my Google Reader. Smitten Kitchen posted a blog with a recipe for hazelnut thumbprint cookies filled with chocolate. I starred it, I found my recipe.
These did not disappoint.

Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
from Smitten Kitchen

[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and cooled, skin removed
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. Matzo cake meal 

1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter melted and cooled slightly
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
chocolate wafers


Directions:
Put Hazelnuts, sugar, cake meal and salt into your mom’s hideous 80’s food processor and pulse until finely ground.
 

Transfer to bowl and add butter, egg and vanilla, combine.

Chill dough (I chilled for about an hour the recipe called for 30 mins)

Roll 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet (I lined with parchment paper to make the process easier and clean up simple)

Press a wafer into the middle of the ball, flattening the balls (they will crack, you can leave them or try to shape them a little)

Bake for 14 mins at 350 degrees.


These cookies were amazing. I wasn’t used to the fact that they don’t spread out like other cookies. They took a little longer to cook for me than the recipe said. These tasted almost exactly like Ferrero Rocher yummies.
There is a flour version of the recipe at smitten kitchen.
You have to try these. Seriously.

Ice Cream Maker

The twins I nanny for gave me the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker for Christmas. This made my day (and Matt's too) They gave it to me Christmas eve, I washed it and put it in the freezer that night. Sunday after Christmas we made our first batch of ice cream.

I researched on Allrecipes.com for ice cream recipes. There are 2 types of ice cream recipes - ones that use eggs and ones that don't. The thought of making ice cream with 8 egg yolks grossed me out. Plus I wanted something simple.

So 3 Sundays in a row we made ice cream, chocolate twice and then vanilla. The 2nd chocolate was the best, so I will share that one and then I will share the vanilla (which tasted like McDonalds soft serve)

Chocolate Ice Cream:

[Printable Recipe]
Ingredients:
2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. half and half
a little less than 1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix all ingredients well, then pour into icecream maker while dasher is spinning. Let run for 30-40 mins (or until you hear the dasher clicking)

 

 

 

Right out of the ice cream maker

 

After a day or 2 in the freezer.

Vanilla

[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:
3c. Heavy whipping cream
1 c. half and half
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp vanilla

Directions
Mix all ingredients well, then pour into icecream maker, while dasher is spinning, Let run for 30-40 mins (or until you hear the dasher clicking.


This was so yummy, the first time around with the chocolate we used only 1/4 c. cocoa and more vanilla, it wasn't chocolaty enough for me. So I doubled the amt of chocolate and took away some vanilla.

When it first comes out of the ice cream maker, it is the consistency of a Wendy's Blizzard (the first run tasted almost exactly like it) I put it in bowl and let them firm in the freezer. Matt likes to eat the icecream with the leftover candy mixed in.

**As I sat down to write this post Matt declared that he wanted to make strawberry ice cream, so I found a recipe for him and off to the store he went to get the stuff we need. I will post that recipe another time if it is good. I am going to take a video of it with my new flip and attempt to put my first video on my blog!

The last of the Holiday goodies

The last thing I made was chocolate dipped pretzels. I love these, last year I made chocolate and chocolate/peanut butter, but this year I just made chocolate.

These are super simple.
Chocolate Dipped Pretzel

[Printable Recipe]
Ingredients:
Chocolate Flavored Almond Bark
Pretzel Rods
sprinkles or icing

Directions:
Melt chocolate

 

Dip Pretzels in chocolate

Decorate with sprinkles or icing.

After I made everything I bagged up the goodies and put them in baskets to give as gifts, everything else went in tins to be taken to Christmas.

 

My mixer took a beating and got SUPER dirty - I really think I should rename my blog- Confessions of a MESSY baker :-D

Cocoa Blocks

These chocolate blocks are so yummy and make great gifts. I gave them away with little mugs. If you stir them in hot milk it makes a really good creamy hot chocolate. You can also just nibble on them for a rich fudge taste.

I got this recipe from King Arthur Flour
[Printable Recipe]
Ingredients
1/2 c. heavy cream
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 c. milk chocolate chips
3/4 c semisweet baking chocolate
wooden sticks ( I used Wilton lollipop sticks from Michaels)

Directions:
Line a 8 x 8 pan with parchment or foil

Heat cream and condensed milk over low heat until steaming.

Remove from heat and add chocolate and allow to gently melt.

 

Return to low heat after 10 mins or so and completely melt the chocolate. Whisk until it is thick and shiny. (add flavoring if desired - coffee of hazelnut would be good)

Pour the chocolate mixture unto the pan, shake gently to level. Sprinkle with cocoa. Set aside overnight

 

Lift parchment or foil out of pan and slice unto 1 -1 1/4 inch cubes. Dipping knife into hot water and cleaning off after each cut will help.

Stick a wooden stick into the center and wrap with parchment paper.

I put these in a little decorative baggie, and put them in a basket with a mug. It was a great gift!!

I think I will be making myself some of these soon to get me through the rest of the freezing winter season. 

Peanut Butter Canes*

[Printable Recipe]

*Typically these are called Buckeyes, however, Matt saw the recipe sitting on the counter, and told me that I was not allowed to call them that. See Matt is not a fan of Ohio State because of  the 2002 Championship game where there was a blown call which cost Miami the win(or something like that). So now we don't like them. So I named them Canes in honor of the Miami Hurricanes. (My boss called them Terp Turds since I am a UMD grad, which is funny, but I can't eat something with turd in the name :-D)

These are really easy to make and were a big hit. I gave them away as gifts and took them to New Years party and everyone loved them. These will be my go to from now on.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, room temp
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar ( maybe a little more or less)
Chocolate Flavored Almond Bark (or any other dipping chocolate)

Directions:
Mix the peanut butter, butter and sugar together. Dough will be very thick and stiff. (shouldn't be crumbly or sticky- if crumbly add peanutbutter, if sticky add sugar)

Roll into 1" balls and set on cookiesheet

Store in freezer until firm - the more frozen they are the easier it is to dip
Melt Chocolate 30 seconds at a time stirring until all melted and smooth

Using a toothpick, dip them in the melted chocolate, leave a little bit of the peanut butter showing at the top.

Place back in the freezer.
When the balls get too soft put pack in the freezer to refirm up.

Store in fridge.

I bet you can't just have one!

UPDATE: I am linking this up to Bake at 350's Flavor of the Month link party.