By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 50 minutes, plus 1 hour’s chilling
- Rating
- 5(158)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Traditional matzo toffee — a Passover-friendly spin on saltine toffee — is an addictive three-layer confection of crackers, brown sugar toffee and melted chocolate. In this version, the chocolate gets a spicy boost from the addition of both fresh ginger juice and chewy candied ginger. Or substitute a topping of cacao nibs, sea salt and/or toasted, chopped nuts. Matzo toffee will keep for at least eight days, stored airtight at room temperature, which will take you through the holidays in the sweetest way possible.
Featured in: Closing the Seder With Something New
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:About 2 dozen pieces
- 4 to 6sheets matzo, preferably salted
- 1cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 200grams light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
- 2teaspoons ginger juice, optional (see note)
- Large pinch fine sea salt
- 6ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (1 cup)
- 3ounces chopped candied ginger (¾ cup)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
308 calories; 17 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 30 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 32 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, allowing it to go over the edges of the pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with parchment. Arrange matzo over parchment in one layer, breaking pieces to fit as necessary.
Step
2
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring butter and sugar to a boil for 3 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Stir in ginger juice and salt. Quickly pour mixture over matzos. Transfer pan to oven and bake 15 minutes until bubbly.
Step
3
Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle chocolate evenly over caramel. Let stand 5 minutes until chocolate is softened. Use an offset spatula to spread chocolate smoothly over surface of toffee. Immediately sprinkle with candied ginger. Place pan in refrigerator and chill toffee for 1 hour. Break into large pieces.
Tip
- To make ginger juice, grate a 3-inch piece of peeled ginger into a fine-mesh strainer and press out the juice.
Ratings
5
out of 5
158
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
shelley goldbloom
1. Squeezing the grated ginger in a small twist of cheesecloth is a simple way to extract all the juice.
2. For a really sumptuous variation, I experimented and doubled the brown sugar and butter quantities, and increased the chocolate to 8.8 oz. by chopping five 85% dark chocolate bars.
AJ
It's even better if you freeze instead of refrigerate the toffee.
Alisa
I added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 2 generous tsp of grated ginger to the cooking toffee for a little heat. I like spicy ginger and it was out of this world. Next time I may do a coconut version!
marlette
I make this family favorite with graham crackers and top with chopped pecans. Will have to try the ginger as it sounds very interesting.
Mine is the Irish Catholic version :-)
Aerobic Grandma
This is maddeningly, irresistibly delicious and very easy to make. Be careful to align or ever-so-slightly overlap matzo pieces. Otherwise, the caramel is going to seep through and it won't necessarily come up when you break the sheet into pieces. The ginger juice is not optional but essential. Don't grate; chop in your mini processor, wrap in cloth and wring out the juice. I would recommend 4 oz of crystallized ginger. Also, make the large pinch of sea salt extra large. SO good!
KAJ41
Brought this to a Seder last week and it was the hit of the show! Followed advice from another reader and froze toffee after taking it from pan and breaking it into pieces.
marian nachman
Irresistible even before Passover, and pretty easy to make. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chips, and dark brown sugar. Will certainly make this again, maybe with light brown sugar and toasted pecans.
Carol Bradford
I peeled the ginger, cut it into 1/2 inch chunks and squeezed the juice out with a garlic press. Easy.
delicious but add more chocolate!
I made this recipe without the ginger. Instead, I made one batch with just chocolate, and another with chopped pecans. Both were big hits during Passover— so much so that we make this all year round. The only change I’ve made is to add 50% more chocolate- I use about 9-12 oz per batch.
Louise
Our Sisterhood makes this to sell as a fundraiser for our Passover carry out. We use egg matzah. If you're using pareve chocolate chips they don't melt as well so microwave them with a little bit of oil and then pour the melted chocolate over the top. With the change for Conservatives in the kitniyot issue, Blue Bonnet margarine makes a pareve margarine which has very good flavor and our test batch came out exceptionally well. Fleischmann is good, too.
Alexandra
I loved this! read all the notes first and incorporated many of the suggestions about extra seasoning. But no one else mentioned that two baking pans were needed for 4-6 matzoh. 10 minutes seemed like more than enough time.
Jean
I made this without the ginger and it was such a big hit during Passover that we make it year round. Sometimes we add chopped pecans, sometimes not. Either way I would recommend adding more chocolate- I use anywhere between 9-12 oz perbatch!
CarolB
I've made this delightful confection several times over the years. Love the zing the ginger juice and Candied ginger add to the toffee. This year I used homemade smoked pink Himalayan salt P/O sea salt,forgot to put parchment over aluminum foil, & used 60% tiny bs chocolate chips. Still came out fabulous, one of my favorite holiday treats. Love the way the toffee seeps through the holes & coats the other side!
JJ
HUGE hit at Shabbat dinner. Followed the recipe exactly. Used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips. Adding ginger juice to the toffee gives it an extra zing.
Bracha
I made it with candied ginger and a second one with sliced almonds. I followed some of the recommendations made in the notes (frozen are wonderful, ginger juice made just by squeezing ginger pieces in the garlic smasher, increased chocolate and butter). The result is so yummy that we have been eating the two variations every day of Passover! Tomorrow is the last day ....... looking forward to 2022 Passover!
jo
CRAZY good
ANF
Spread caramel with silicon spatula Chocolate chips - stick matzoh back in turned off oven to help melt
Jennie
This is superb. Instead of ginger juice, I subbed a tablespoon of "Jin-Ja" syrup, a ginger-cayenne blend. I should have put in way more--I can't even taste it. It smelled divine and looked perfect at 12 mins, but I left it in the additional 3 mins and when I took it out it looked overdone--BUT those extra minutes got the toffee extra crisp and it tastes perfect so no biggie. Also, I subbed semisweet for bittersweet chocolate; not a fan except in brownies.
jhskier
Freezes like a dream..
Judy
I substitute two teaspoons of anise extract for the ginger juice. (add slowly because it will rapidly bubble up. I also double the amount of chocolate, and substitute ground hazelnuts for the candied ginger. Obviously, this is a different flavored toffee matzoh, but its been a big success over the last few Seders.
delicious but add more chocolate!
I made this recipe without the ginger. Instead, I made one batch with just chocolate, and another with chopped pecans. Both were big hits during Passover— so much so that we make this all year round. The only change I’ve made is to add 50% more chocolate- I use about 9-12 oz per batch.
Jean
I made this without the ginger and it was such a big hit during Passover that we make it year round. Sometimes we add chopped pecans, sometimes not. Either way I would recommend adding more chocolate- I use anywhere between 9-12 oz perbatch!
Alexandra
I loved this! read all the notes first and incorporated many of the suggestions about extra seasoning. But no one else mentioned that two baking pans were needed for 4-6 matzoh. 10 minutes seemed like more than enough time.
jnalv
I'm not sure if I did something wrong, but 15 minutes in the oven seems waaaayyyyy too long. I would recommend babysitting it through the oven glass after the first few minutes if you can, and pull it out once it's consistently bubbly. It can burn pretty quick!
Aerobic Grandma
This is maddeningly, irresistibly delicious and very easy to make. Be careful to align or ever-so-slightly overlap matzo pieces. Otherwise, the caramel is going to seep through and it won't necessarily come up when you break the sheet into pieces. The ginger juice is not optional but essential. Don't grate; chop in your mini processor, wrap in cloth and wring out the juice. I would recommend 4 oz of crystallized ginger. Also, make the large pinch of sea salt extra large. SO good!
Carol Bradford
I peeled the ginger, cut it into 1/2 inch chunks and squeezed the juice out with a garlic press. Easy.
pasta linquini
June. What about this?
Private notes are only visible to you.
