Matzo Farfel “Kit Kat”

When I was a line cook at a small restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, although my station was savory, 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, and 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 (thanks to Corn Flakes, because let’s not forget Michel Richard was a genius) 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 (wheat, rice, corn, the list goes on), 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 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 (although to be sure, I consume a lot of it during that long chametz-free week). This treat keeps for up to four days in the fridge, so it can easily be made ahead for snacking on for several days.

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.