Passover means eight days of not eating leavened food for those who observe the holiday. Matzo, a flat cracker, replaces bread, and finding creative ways to eat it after a few days is challenging.
This is where the seven simple matzo recipes come in. There will be no more plain matzo. Instead, you can make matzo pizza, icebox cake, cheesecake, or even matzo lasagna with creativity. Begin scrolling to see what possibilities await!
1. Caramelized Matzoh Crunch
David Lebovitz, the legendary food blogger and former pastry chef dubbed this matzoh crack. You’ll understand why after just one bite. It’s super easy to make and requires no special equipment or ingredients. If you can’t find matzoh, substitute plain crackers like saltines and leave the extra salt in the recipe. Marcy recommends mixing it with margarine for Passover or vegans. This would also be delicious with any gluten-free cracker for our gluten-free friends. I’d love to hear about any modifications you come up with.
Ingredients
- 4–6 sheets of unseasoned matzohs
- 1 cup (8 ounces, 230g) chunked unsalted butter
- 1 cup (215g) (215g) light brown sugar that is tightly packed
- a generous pinch of sea salt
- a half teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (240g) (240g) chocolate chips, semisweet
- 1 cup toasted sliced almonds (80g) (optional)
Preparation
- Line a rimmed baking sheet (11 x 17′′, 28 x 42cm) completely with foil, ensuring that the foil extends up and over the edges. Next, wrap a sheet of parchment paper around the foil.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- Line the sheet with matzoh, breaking extra pieces to fill in gaps.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a 3-4 quart (3-4l) heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, constantly stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to boil. Cook, constantly stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and salt, and pour over the matzoh. Spread the caramel quickly with a heatproof spatula.
- Place the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 350oF (175oC). 15 minutes in the oven. It will bubble up as it bakes, but make sure it isn’t burning now and then. Then, remove from the oven, reduce the heat to 325F (160C), and replace the pan.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips right away. Allow standing for 5 minutes before spreading with an offset spatula.
- If desired, sprinkle with toasted almonds, flaky sea salt, or roasted cocoa nibs.
- Allow cooling completely before slicing and storing in an airtight container until ready to serve. It should keep for about a week.
2. Matzo Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta part-skim
- 2 cups cottage cheese (nonfat)
- 2 quarts tomato sauce
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 kale bunch, large
- Matzo sheets, lightly softened with water, enough to make four layers in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish
- mozzarella cheese, grated
- Pepper and salt
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brown onions and chopped kale in olive oil in a saute pan and set aside.
- Combine ricotta, cottage cheese, and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Pour 1 cup of tomato sauce into the baking dish. Cover with a moistened layer of matzo. Layer 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/3 vegetable mixture, and 2/3 cup sauce on top. Between each layer, season with salt and pepper. Repeat twice more. Finally, top with moistened matzo, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown (I turned the broiler on for the last few minutes of baking). Allow for 15 minutes before serving.
3. Homemade Matzoh Recipe
This homemade matzoh couldn’t be made easier and tastes incomparably better than store-bought. Here’s how to make it from the ground up.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour plus additional flour for rolling
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
- 2 tbsp. light olive oil
- 3/4 cup warm water plus up to 1/2 cup
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius). Ideally, a pizza stone should be placed on the bottom oven rack, but a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet will suffice.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, beginning with 3/4 cup water, until everything comes together to form a dough. If the dough appears dry, add a few drops of water at a time. Use caution when adding water, as too much will cause the dough to become sticky.
- Allow the dough to rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten a piece slightly and run it through a pasta maker several times, reducing the thickness each time until you reach the thinnest or minimum setting on your pasta machine. Alternatively, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough as thinly as possible with a rolling pin. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Cut the rolled-out dough into rectangles. Prick holes in the surface of the dough with a fork. If salted matzoh is desired, lightly brush or spray the dough surface with water and season with salt to taste.
- Place some of the rectangles on the pizza stone or baking sheet with care. They should be snug but not touching. Bake for 30 to 90 seconds or until the surface of the matzoh is golden brown and bubbly.
- Using tongs, carefully flip the matzoh pieces and bake for 15 to 30 seconds or until the other side is golden brown and lightly blistered. Keep a close eye on the matzoh to prevent it from burning; the exact baking time will vary from oven to oven and will grow longer with subsequent batches. You want to allow the matzoh to turn a few dots of light brown, but not completely brown, or it will taste burnt.
- Before serving, allow the matzoh to cool.
4. Toffee Crunch Cheesecake
This Easter or Passover, make this delicious Toffee Crunch Cheesecake for your family! The toasty matzoh crust, rich chocolate ganache, and creamy filling will delight them! Brulée the top to get a crackly burnt sugar topping!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 matzoh sheets
- 1/4 cup (55 g) (55 g) dark brown sugar
- a quarter teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) of salt that is kosher
- 1 ounce (28.35 g) milk chocolate, chopped 4 tablespoons (59.15 g) unsalted butter (28.35 g) 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped (59.5 ml) a lot of creams
For the Crust
- 680.39 g cream cheese, 24 oz (3 bricks)
- 1 cup (220 g) (220 g) dark brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch (or potato starch)
- four large eggs
- 1 yolk of an egg
- 1/4 cup (59.5 ml) (59.5 ml) a lot of creams
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- a quarter teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) of salt that is kosher
- For brulée, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar (approx.)
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Line an 8-inch x 3-inch (straight-sided) round pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
- Break up the matzoh and combine it with the brown sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Finely chop the ingredients.
- Stir in the melted butter and press the mixture into the prepared pan’s bottom.
- Warm the cream until it is steaming.
- Incorporate the chopped chocolate until smooth.
- Set aside the ganache after it has been poured over the crust.
Make the Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, corn or potato starch, and salt and beat on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition with a silicone spatula.
- Pour in the cream, vanilla, and salt and combine on low speed.
- Fill the prepared pan halfway with the batter.
- Place the cheesecake in a larger baking dish and fill it halfway with very hot water, about 1 inch up the sides of the pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300°F and bake for another 80 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center.
- Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for at least an hour to cool.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight.
- To loosen the pan, run a thin knife around the edge and wrap it in a hot towel.
- Invert the cheesecake onto a plate, then onto a serving platter.
- Sprinkle with granulated sugar and brulée with a kitchen torch, or broil briefly under the broiler.
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