Pass around this delicious ‘Kit Kat’ dessert at Passover
When I was a line cook at a small restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, my station was savory, but I was often called upon to come up with desserts. At the time, my fellow chefs grumbled about having to dip into the pastry side of the kitchen, but I didn’t mind. Despite my culinary school background, I didn’t have much of a repertoire when it came to sweets, but I loved thumbing through cookbooks for inspiration. One of the first desserts I memorized was Michel Richard’s “Le KitKat” from his 2006 cookbook “Happy in the Kitchen.”
The Kit Kat-inspired confection combines a layer of wafery crispiness with a lighter-than-air chocolate mousse to create a dessert that transcends its origins while still managing to be delightfully playful.
Because so many ingredients are forbidden at Passover, the lineup of desserts can be a bit repetitive. You see a lot of matzo toffee, which I love. Coconut macaroons and chocolate-covered fruit are also regulars on the dessert spread. But I wanted something that felt more like a composed dessert for Passover this year, and memories of my time cranking out “Kit Kats” came rushing back to me, whispering, “Make it with matzo.” So I listened.
The dessert combines a crunchy chocolate matzo layer topped with a light chocolate mousse layer. One of my daughters insisted on adding “Farfel” to the title, because the crunched-up matzo reminded her of matzo farfel, tiny pieces of matzo — the middle ground between matzo and matzo meal — that’s popular in Passover cooking and sold in canisters in the
Jewish section of grocery stores.
Although you can buy matzo farfel, for this recipe I prefer the texture of slightly irregular shards that comes from crushing matzo with a rolling pin. It also allows you to use whatever type of matzo you prefer, including gluten-free matzo.
Matzo Farfel “Kit Kat” is a simple recipe that requires zero baking and is satisfying enough to enjoy year-round, not just during Passover. This treat keeps for up to four days in the fridge, so it can easily be made ahead for snacking.
I happen to love the gluten-free Yehuda matzo above all others, so that’s what I use for this recipe. But any matzo will do. Just make sure to crush it by hand (I use a plastic bag and a rolling pin), not in a food processor, to ensure proper matzo shards, which will make the crisp bottom layer even more satisfyingly crunchy.