Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Napoleonowitz Layer Cake

This Passover I have discovered that there is at least 13 ways of looking at a matzah. After the matzah ball soup, the matzah brei, the matzah pizzas, the matzah lasagne, there is Layered Chocolate Cheesecake. It's ricotta mixed with plain yogurt and a bit of sugar, spread between pieces of milk-softened matzah and then topped off with a gracious coating of chocolate.
It's creamy, subtly sweet, slightly sour and thankfully chocolate. The matzah layers give it structure and form. It becomes soft and almost puff pastry like in consistency. Like a Matzah Napoleon; a Napoleonowitz.
I would even venture to say that I would make it on any old day, even if I wasn't restrained by Passover guidelines. But really I won't, you never do...no matter how tasty or delicious a recipe is, because it takes about a year to get over Passover and to look at matzah without feeling a sense of bored dread.

Napoleon0witz Layer Cake
Mix a container of ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 c. plain yogurt, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 slightly beaten egg, until smooth. Pour 1/2 c. milk in shallow pan. Place individual matzah slice in milk for a minute or two. Remove from milk, replace with another piece, put milk soaked matzah on baking sheet, spread a 1" layer of ricotta mixture over, top with another piece of matzah, repeat until ricotta mixture is all used. (I recommend making 2 cakes with 5 matzah layers each). Bake in an 350F oven for 20 minutes. In a large bowl melt 2 c. of the chocolate of your choice- I combined milk and dark. Pour melted chocolate over top layer of matzah and let it drip down the sides.

2 comments:

Phyllis Sommer said...

this sounds so yummy! i am going to have to try it....NEXT year;-)

rachel said...

Hey Phyllis!
If you do make this recipe next year put at least 1" of ricotta between each matzah layer, and for a pretty presentation temper the chocolate that is poured on top.