After yesterday's Matzo Toffee experiment, I thought I'd try another matzo recipe adaptation. Or, as I more commonly call it, I thought I would procrastinate. The original recipe I'm adapting is for an icebox eclair cake made with Saltine crackers. I figured if it's good for a Saltine, it's good for a matzo. This recipe is often made with graham crackers, too. I think what we can take away from my matzo experiments is that any recipe that is good with Saltines is usually good with graham crackers or the other way around.
What I used (you can click the links above for those actual recipes for the other cracker versions):
2 small packages of Jello brand instant vanilla pudding (I use fat-free)
3 cups of milk (I use fat-free and lactose-free)
1 8 ounce container of Cool Whip (uh, yes, fat-free)
4 squares/pieces of unsalted Matzo
1 bottle of Hershey's Chocolate Sundae Syrup (You guessed it! Fat-free)
You can use the full fat, full lactose, full sugar, full whatever you like versions. I also used the Trader Joe's matzo which I DO NOT RECOMMEND. Do not use that. It tastes kind of burnt. I prefer Manischewitz brand. Use an 8 or 9 inch square pan. In a large bowl, mix the pudding with the milk. Stir it well. When blended, add in the defrosted Cool whip and mix that all together. Take a few tastes, YUM! Put some of the pudding mix in the bottom of your square pan, enough for the first piece of matzo to rest comfortably in a bed of fluffy pudding mix. Cover the first piece of matzo with enough pudding mix to go all the way to the edges of the pan. Repeat this process until you end with one matzo on top. Cover the top matzo with chocolate sauce so the entire thing is covered. Cover it well, not a thin layer of chocolate so you can still see the matzo shining through. A thick layer of chocolate. Cover and put in the refrigerator for AT LEAST 6 hours. If you can do it over night, even better. The longer this chills, the softer the matzo gets. When you want to serve it, set the pan on the table and hand everyone a fork. Or, cut it in squares and serve it on nice plates. It is kind of hard to get the first piece out so that one can be your test piece that you eat by yourself when everyone is playing Call of Duty. I had a hard time getting good photos because my Jewish cat LOVES matzo and she kept photo bombing my desert. I think this would be really good with coconut pudding instead of vanilla, but my husband hates coconut so I haven't tried it yet. It would also be good with caramel sauce instead of chocolate. This is not a super sweet desert but it is nice and comforting. I'd add some berries or a fruit sauce on top or on the side for a little zing. It tastes really similar to the Saltine version. I do think it needs to chill longer than the Saltine version so if you have made that one, stick a knife in the matzo version as the day progresses and use your best judgment.
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