I made this on a whim once–I like trying new things and had never made chocolate bark before, let alone on a matzo cracker. What I like about this combination is that the layer of matzo means that the chocolate bark is no longer overwhelming — as much as I love chocolate bark the confection’s thick pieces can at times feel like an inordinate mouthful of cocoa and sugar that I just don’t know how to process.
Like the soba salad, this is more of a recipe outline since there are so many different combinations of ingredients that can be used. All to your taste preferences! Instead of using semisweet chocolate, you could try milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even a combination of the two. How about dark chocolate smothered with salted caramel and topped with toasted almond slivers? White chocolate with chopped cashews and cherries and sprinkled with cinnamon? Those were examples off the top of my head that I may need to investigate later, but examples of the endless possibilities and balances of sweet and savory that would complement one another. How heavy or light you want to go on toppings is also up to you.
Prep and Assembly: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes (to melt the chocolate)
Yield: 18-20 pieces
Ingredients
- 6 matzo crackers (or more if there are leftover ingredients)
- 10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- 1.5 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup pepitas (dark green pumpkin seeds), chopped
- The peel of two oranges, minced
- 2/3 cup orange-flavored cranberries, chopped (I found some at Trader Joe’s that were infused with orange flavor, but feel free to use the plain kind as well)
Instructions
- Put the chocolate and butter in a heat-safe bowl and place over a saucepan of hot water. Make sure this is a bowl that will fit snugly on top of the saucepan without gaps. As the butter and chocolate begin to melt, stir to make sure things are melting evenly and to develop a smooth consistency.
- Once the butter and chocolate chips are melted, turn the heat to low and begin spreading it on the matzo crackers with a spoon or spatula. Keep the chocolate on heat so it does not harden.
- Before the chocolate has set, sprinkle on the pepitas, orange peel, and cranberries. Push the toppings down if it looks like they will fall off.
- Refrigerate for a half hour or until they set, then break each cracker into several pieces. In order to retain as much of the chocolate and toppings as possible, I carefully chipped different sections off with a knife.
What I liked most about this was the combination of beautiful jewel tones thanks to the cranberries and oranges with the dull jade of the pepita on a rich chocolate canvas.
Purple Honey 