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Matzoh Brei with Caramelized Apples

When I was growing up, my mother would make a special treat of fried matzoh, or matzoh brei, during Passover. My sister and I always looked forward to it; it was even better than French toast, its fluffier cousin. Try making this in spring, when matzoh is easy to find in stores.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

2 firm apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
3 tablespoons unsalted butter plus extra, at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more for serving
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
6 pieces lightly salted matzoh

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Slice each apple quarter lengthwise into 4 pieces. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter, followed by the apples. Cook the apples, flipping them occasionally, until they are tender and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and transfer the apples to a covered dish to keep warm.

    Step 2

    Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup with the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Pour the batter into a pie dish.

    Step 3

    Put the matzoh in a large bowl and cover with warm water for 1 minute. Drain the matzoh and gently squeeze to release excess water. Break the matzoh into quarters. If they break unevenly or into small pieces, that’s fine. Soak the matzoh in the batter for 2 minutes.

    Step 4

    Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter is hot, pull several pieces of matzoh out of the batter and put them in the pan. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes. You can drop a teaspoon of batter onto the matzoh here and there as it cooks to make it fluffier, or to join smaller broken pieces together. Flip the matzoh with a spatula and cook on the second side until golden brown, 1 1/2 minutes more. Drop more butter in the pan and repeat with the remaining matzoh and batter.

    Step 5

    Serve as soon as it comes out of the pan with the apple slices and extra maple syrup. It will disappear very fast!

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