I have a lot of friends who like to munch on matzah plain, au natural. That's fine for the first day of Passover, for ritual purposes and whatnot, but...why...when you could turn it into these amazing salty-sweet glorious ice cream treats?
Easy to make, maddeningly addictive and sure to impress, whip up a bunch of these sandwiches early on and enjoy them all eight days...and the rest of the year as well!
Matzah Toffee Ice Cream Sandwiches
(slightly adapted from the amazing Smitten Kitchen blog)
You'll need:
2 matzah sheets
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces = 1 stick
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 oz. choc. chips
2/3 cup toasted, chopped almonds (smoked almonds are amazing!)
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling (we use Alaska Pure Sea Salt)
1 1/2 to 2 cups ice cream (we recommend Wild Scoops)
Heat oven to 350°F.
Prepare cookie sheets: Line the bottom and sides of baking trays with foil and set the matzahs side by side on them.
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together. Stir until it begins to boil, then whisk for 3-4 more minutes until dark brown. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Pour over cracker-lined pan(s) and use an offset spatula to evenly spread the caramel.
Bake in heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, checking in at 10 minutes to make sure the corners aren’t darkening too quickly. Remove from oven and scatter chocolate chips over caramel crackers. Wait 5 minutes for them to soften, then use a spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer. Sprinkle with nuts and a couple pinches of sea salt.
Chill crackers: Transfer pan(s) to freezer until cold and solid, ~20 minutes. Using the foil to lift toffee sheet, carefully transfer the candy to a cutting board and remove the foil. Separate the two matzah pieces (using knife if necessary)
Assemble ice cream sandwich block: Line the bottoms and sides of your baking pan (now foil-free) with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Place your first sheet of matzah chocolate side down in the bottom of your pan. Scoop your desired amount of ice cream over the sheet and spread it into an even layer. Place second sheet of matzah, chocolate side up, on top, pressing it onto the ice cream. Return to freezer for several hours (ideally overnight or else the ice cream will stay too soft and squeeze out when you try to cut the individual sandwiches.
When sandwich block is frozen solid, transfer to a cutting board (you can also freeze your cutting surface for 10 minutes before using, to give you more time before things get too melty) and use a sharp serrated knife to very, very carefully saw your block into ice cream sandwich squares. I cut my 8×8-inch blocks into 16 2-inch sandwiches. This is definitely the peskiest part. If things warm and melt too fast, just place the whole thing back in the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.
Once cut, return sandwiches to freezer to let them firm up again for easier eating. Enjoy!