Chocolate almond toffee bars

These are Anna Olson’s Chocolate Almond Toffee Bars by way of a video on the Chatelaine web site. They're a variation on the Hello Dolly or my mom’s Goody Bars, which I’ve been eating my whole life. But these are a little different because they’ve got a thick oaty base and double the toppings, yet that old baking staple – a can of sweetened condensed milk -- remains a must. They’re super rich so be sure to cut them into small squares.

This is a six-minute recipe. Honestly, the hardest part is waiting for them to cool.

ANNA OLSON’S CHOCOLATE ALMOND TOFFEE BARS

Makes 8 -inch (2 L) pan (25 squares)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) rolled oats

1/2 cup (125 mL) graham cracker crumbs

1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup (250 mL) Skor toffee bits

1 cup (250 mL) chocolate chips

1 cup (250 mL) sliced almonds

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8-inch (2 L) square pan with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the sides of the pan.

Stir the oats, graham crumbs and salt in a bowl to combine, then stir in the melted butter. Press the crumbly oat mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle Skor bits evenly on top, followed by chocolate chips and sliced almonds. Pour condensed milk evenly over pan (it will sink in as it bakes) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Cool to room temperature in the pan, then chill for at least 4 hours before slicing into bars. Store toffee bars in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Chocolate almond caramel matzo (you'll plotz for it!)

Passover means something different to everyone. For Shlomo Mendelson, it means eating matzo in his public school cafeteria for a week in April. For his non-Jewish friends, it means wondering why Shlomo has suddenly taken to eating nothing but hard-boiled eggs, oversized crackers and celery sticks at lunchtime.

And yet, if they were to simply ask the young Mendelson boy, the others would learn that Passover, which we head into this week, commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from ancient Egypt. So you've got Moses, the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments and a triumphant return to Canaan (I'm sure you've seen the movie.) 

Passover also means lots and lots of unleavened recipes, some of which are little miracles in and of themselves, including this sweet treat. From Bonnie Stern to Joan Nathan, everyone's got her recipe for this winning chocolate caramel snack, and who's to say who invented it? (Although Bonnie Stern credits Marcy Goldman, a Montreal baker.) 

A bissle this, a shmeck of that, and before too long it's time to "Eat! Eat! You're all skin and bones!"

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CARAMEL MATZO BRITTLE

Ingredients:

6 pieces matzo

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet seems to get the job done, or, use your favourite high quality chocolate, chopped)

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large cookie sheet with tinfoil. Arrange matzo in a single layer on foil -- don't worry if they overlap.

2. If using almonds, toast in the saucepan you're about to use for the butter and sugar mixture (one less pot to clean!) Once toasted, remove from pot and set almonds aside.

3. Place butter and brown sugar in the medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Go against your instincts and try not to stir it. Just cook for a few minutes until mixture comes together and looks saucy, then pour evenly over the six pieces of matzo. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until caramel is bubbling. 

4. As soon as matzo comes out of the oven, sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Wait 5 minutes then spread chocolate as evenly as possible, making sure to get under the overlapped pieces. (The heat of the sugar and butter will have melted the chocolate.) Sprinkle toasted almonds over top, then pop in the fridge until the chocolate and caramel are set, about 15 minutes. Break into chunks. 

So good it's almost worth wandering the desert for 40 years.