SALTED PRALINE + DARK CHOCOLATE MATZO

It feels as though it has taken me lifetimes to come up with a fabulous matzo treat recipe. I finally think I have a winner. This was a hit with my family and I have to admit I have a bit of an addiction to it now. I always strive to make things a little less junky and higher quality than what you can find at even a high-end store. I ended up going back to one of my old staples - butter and maple syrup, as the base of my almond praline. Lightly baking the matzo really makes for a perfect crunch. Add on some good dark chocolate and sea salt and I'm hooked!

Ingredients:

4 Sheets of Matzo (I used gluten-free)

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1/2 (1 stick) butter

1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 - 3.5 Oz. Bar of Dark Chocolate (I like 70% so it's not too sweet)

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the four sheets of matzo out on the paper. Don't worry if it breaks, We'll be breaking it up later anyway. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, until a light golden brown, and then put aside.

Place butter, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally as to not let it burn.

Bring mixture to a gentle boil, stirring more and more. Allow it to simmer and thicken for 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly.

Add vanilla and almonds. Allow to bubble and simmer for another 5 minutes. Lower heat as needed. Stir almost constantly so it never burns. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Once it cools slightly, it will have a nice caramel consistency.

Distribute the praline evenly to each of the four crackers. Spread it out GENTLY to cover the majority of the matzo surface. Allow to set for at least ten minutes. Even better if you can stick it in the fridge.

Break your chocolate bar into large pieces and place in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly, until it is melted. Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate over all of the matzo. Do this however you like, making your own modern art. Once you have all of the chocolate on the matzo. Place immediately in the fridge. Cool for 10 minutes.

Remove from fridge. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the matzo. Use as much or as little salt to your personal taste. Place back in the fridge and chill until the chocolate has hardened completely (at least 1 hour).

Break into large pieces and serve! Happy Passover! xx

LOVERS' SUNDAE

Since ice cream is my favorite food (Sis and I are lobbying to make it an official Food Group), I figured I should come up with a special Valentine's dessert, using it in all its glory. The dark chocolate ice cream and raspberry sauce combination was inspired by an Italian dessert, called a Tartufo, that our dad loved when we were growing up. There's a little bit of wait time between steps but there are only a few ingredients. You can (and should) make all of the components ahead of time and throw it together when you and your Valentine are ready for a sweet treat!

Ingredients:

1 Pint Good Quality Chocolate Ice Cream

1 & 1/2 Bars Dark Chocolate, Medium-Finely Chopped

One 10 oz. Bag Frozen Raspberries (plus extra fresh raspberries, optional) 

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1/4 Cup Water

1 Teaspoon Arrowroot Powder, Tapioca Starch or Corn Starch

Pinch of Salt

Let ice cream sit out so that it softens JUST A LITTLE BIT. Scoop ice cream into approximately 2 & 1/2 inch-sized balls. You should have four evenly sized scoops from one pint. Place each scoop on a plate covered in parchment paper. Return to the freezer immediately and let them re-freeze until hard (this could be 2 hours or more; overnight is fine too).

Now make the raspberry sauce. Place frozen raspberries, lemon juice, water, starch or your choosing and salt in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it starts to simmer, lower heat. Cook and smash with a wooden spoon until fruit is completely broken down. Remove from heat and push through a mesh sieve or strainer. Once the sauce has cooled, store in an airtight jar or container and refrigerate until serving. Can be made up to three days ahead.

Hand chop chocolate into small pieces.

Remove Ice cream balls from the freezer. If you refroze them overnight, let them soften ever so slightly, for 1-2 minutes. Roll each ball in the chocolate pieces, pressing the pieces into the ice cream as you roll, until the entire ball is covered in chocolate. Once all of the balls are covered, place them back on the parchment paper plate and return to the freezer until it's time to serve.

When you are ready to serve, place the ice cream in a dish (you and your valentine can share a sweetheart bowl... or if you are like me, you might not want to share at all!) and pour the raspberry sauce on top. I like to add fresh raspberries to finish it off!