Today marks the first day of Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the freeing of the Jews from slavery. People all over the world will be reciting the Passover tale, cleansing their homes of hamaetz (products and foods deemed to be unsuitable for Passover) and swearing off leavened baked goods.

At one time, what to eat during Passover was the cause for quite a bit of worry, especially when it comes to baked goods. In A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking, Marcy Goldman has a whole chapter completely devoted to Passover baked goods. The general consensus here at the Whitecap office is that the best recipe in this chapter (and possible the entire book) is by far the Caramel Matzoh Crunch. Check out the recipe for this delicious treat below.

Another great option for Passover is quinoa. While it tends to look and taste like a grain, quinoa is actually more closely related to spinach or beets. Unfortunately, quinoa flour or flakes aren’t considered kosher for Passover, so stick to the seed form. For great quinoa recipes (including tonnes that are Passover-approved) check out Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming.

My Trademark, Most Requested, Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch

An outstanding, unique, and easy confection. If you make only one thing at Passover, make this.

4–6 unsalted matzohs

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large (or two smaller) cookie sheet completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment—on top of the foil. This is very important since the mixture becomes sticky during baking.

Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces, as required, to fit any spaces.

In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter or margarine and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325°F, and replace the pan).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chopped chocolate or chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over the matzoh. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set.

This makes a good gift.

VARIATION: You can also use coarsely chopped white chocolate (or a combination of white and dark), and chopped or slivered toasted almonds (sprinkled on top as the chocolate sets). You can also omit the chocolate for a caramel-alone buttercrunch.