Matzo Crack AKA Matzo Toffee

I'd been given this matzo bread along with some other items in a bag the Senior Center was distributing (before Covid 19). I'd heard of matzo ball soup and that's about all I knew of matzo.  I began Googling "matzo"  to find out more about this Jewish bread and what else I could do with  it.

That's when I came across the recipe at That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Here is the recipe:

Matzo Crack AKA Matzo Toffee

A delectable toffee treat made with matzos! Recipe adapted from Marcy Goldman's Caramel Matzoh Crunch, Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking

Ingredients

·          4-5 matzos

·          1 cup (2 sticks) butter

·          1 cup dark brown sugar

·          12 ounces (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

·          1+ cup chopped, toasted pecans

Instructions

1.      Preheat oven to 350º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then top with a sheet of parchment paper. Cover surface with a single layer of matzos, breaking as needed to fit. Set aside.

2.      Combine butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat till it comes to a boil, then continue to stir and boil for 3 more minutes.

3.      Carefully pour hot mixture over matzos and spread evenly.

4.      Bake for 10 minutes or till caramel mixture is bubbling. Remove from oven and evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips. Wait about 5 minutes for chocolate to melt, then smooth over surface and sprinkle with pecans.

5.      Refrigerate till chocolate is firm, about 45 minutes. Using parchment, remove toffee from pan to large cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: approximately 3 dozen pieces depending on size

                                        *****

The ingredients needed

3. Pouring the brown sugar and butter mixture on the matzo bread
4. Bubbling caramel after being taken from the oven to bake
5. Adding chocolate chips to the hot caramel
6. Spreading the melted chocolate chips over the caramel

The final tasty product.

I can see why it's called crack.  It's addictive and once it's hard you break it into pieces, the same as you would peanut brittle.

Some recipes suggested sprinkling on a little Kosher salt while it's still hot. I opted not to do that. It's best to leave well enough alone.

This recipe has also been done by some using saltine crackers.

That's it😋

The Green Book

I attended the play, The Green Book a couple of weeks ago at Red Mountain Theater. 

The Negro Motorist Green Book (at times styled The Negro Motorist Green-Book or titled The Negro Travelers' Green Book) was an annual guidebook for African-American roadtrippers, commonly referred to simply as the Green Book. It was originated and published by New York City mailman Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966, during the era of Jim Crow laws, when open and often legally prescribed discrimination against non-whites was widespread. Although pervasive racial discrimination and black poverty limited car ownership, the emerging African-American middle class bought automobiles as soon as they could. In response, Green expanded the coverage in his book from

The play was fantastic. It gave so much history on how and why the Green Book came about. There were limited motels and hotels for Blacks.In many cases private homes offered rooms . Few people would be willing to take such a risk with strangers in their home in this day and time. But that was another era. These families showed compassion  by providing a safe haven to travelers  as they rested before continuing their journey. 

In one scene the Davis' (the host family) is in a dilemma, when a Jewish man asks to lodge with them. Outwardly he is a white man and Jim Crow laws forbid the mixing of races.  The visitor  explains that he too is familiar with the Green Book and is thankful for it because many places will not allow Jews. This having been the case when he sought shelter at a hotel, he turned to the Green Book. The Davis' reluctantly agree to accommodate him.

Later during a heartfelt chat with one of the Green Book's salesmen, the Jewish visitor imparts the various turmoil he too has experienced as a holocaust victim.  

At the end of the production, the audience was allowed a Q and A
with the cast and crew.

Cast and crew of The Green Book 

 I recommend seeing this play.  It is well written with so much detailed information. It examines the discrimination of not only African Americans but of people of other creeds and nationalities. 

If you would like to see original copies and pages of the Green Book click the link.

That's It